He did it with his legs and arm — more with his legs than his arm — on the day that Zach Wilson outdueled Trevor Lawrence and opened the door to imagination for the Jets and their faithful.
Never mind that this was hardly Joe Namath versus John Unitas, or Joe Montana versus Dan Marino … Zach Wilson played as freely as he ever has in the NFL, freely enough for GM Joe Douglas to likely have flashbacks to the BYU quarterback he fell in love with, looked and felt more comfortable and poised and relaxed than he has this season on a day when the Ron Middleton COVID-20 Jets got to celebrate a 26-21 Merry Day After Christmas win.
Wilson may have thrown for just 102 yards, but his 52-yard touchdown romp in the first quarter was only the longest quarterback run in Jets history, and his 91 yards rushing was a franchise quarterback record — never Broadway Joe’s specialty, of course. His 1-yard TD toss to a hulking former schoolboy tight end turned offensive tackle named Conor McDermott was the cherry on top of a fun Sunday in a season of growing pains.
Wilson didn’t turn the ball over.
Lawrence did.
Wilson threw a TD pass.
Lawrence did not.
Wilson made the crunch time plays he had to make.
Lawrence did not.
Wilson enjoyed the luxury of an improbable Ground & Pound assault (273 rushing yards, 118 from Michael Carter).
Lawrence (280 passing yards, 37 rushing yards) did not, losing running back James Robinson early.
“We’re both learning,” Wilson said after telling Lawrence he’d be in touch. “He’s improving every single week just like I’m trying to.”
Wilson looked as if he knew how to play the position, at last. He looked like a professional quarterback, albeit a rookie professional quarterback. It was a little less than perfect, to quote Bill Parcells. But going through progressions is progress, and progress is progress.
“I just felt like I was having fun out there and was just able to play ball like I have my whole life,” Wilson said.
Wilson did enough to survive Lawrence coming 1 yard and one incomplete pass from the cruelest of comeback victories when Javelin Guidry knocked away a fourth-down pass for Marvin Jones Jr. after C.J. Mosley muffed what might have been a walk-off pick-six.
And Wilson did enough to survive Riverboat Ron Middleton’s early and often what-the-hell-we’re-3-11 refusal to take the points on fourth down until the fourth quarter.
The Jets don’t need him to be Zach Vick. They need him to be a pocket quarterback who can also make hay when the sun doesn’t shine. He sure answered a challenge from offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur with his fourth rushing touchdown in the past five games.
“Rushing touchdowns are great to win the game, but I could care less how many rushing touchdowns I have,” Wilson said. “I wish they were passing touchdowns, but if it helps us win, then I’ll take ’em.”
Wilson had 10 rushing touchdowns in 2020 at BYU. “He’s that kinda guy, he can make a play when he needs to when things break down,” Braxton Berrios said.
Wilson made magic happen when he somehow escaped the clutches of Dewuane Smoot, began tiptoeing at the edge of the right sideline, then cut inside safety Andrew Wingard. Wilson 6, Lawrence 3.
“Once I got to the sideline, I was planning on just stepping out of bounds, and he didn’t hit me or push me, whatever, so I kinda just held onto the sideline and kept going right there,” Wilson said, “and then by that point I knew there was really no one left, so I just tried to cut back and try to make a play.”
The most unlikeliest play was to a guy who couldn’t remember whether his last TD came in middle school or high school.
“That was probably the highlight of my entire life so far,” Wilson said.
For his sake, let’s hope it wasn’t.
“It’s not even part of the read,” Wilson said. “So I go to 1-2-3, pressure comes up the middle, I escape to the right, and I just see this dude with his hands in the air in the back of the end zone around him. I was like, ‘Ohmigosh, should I throw it to him? Is this happening?’ ”
When Riverboat Ron opted for the chippie field goal that forced Lawrence to get the ball in the end zone, it came after Wilson had hit a huge third-and-9 pass for 12 yards to Berrios.
“That was my hot option,” Wilson said. “I felt the safety, I felt where the space was, and I knew he was probably gonna get smoked right there and Braxton knew it as well. But there’s not another dude I’d want in that position besides him. … That guy’s an absolute baller.”
Long way to go before Zach Wilson might be considered one. But beating Trevor Lawrence is a start.
