Hackett: Wilson was able to “re-center” while being benched in Jets’ past 2 games
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. >> Zach Wilson was benched by the New York Jets to try to spark the offense.
Two games later, there’s still barely a flicker.
So, Wilson is back as the starter — again — and he’ll be under center Sunday when the Jets take on the Houston Texans.
“I think that he’s had the two weeks off to re-center himself and learn and continually grow,” offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett said Thursday. “I think that when we look at it from the very beginning of this season, the whole idea was for him to be able to sit back and learn from Aaron (Rodgers).
“I think that those two weeks are something that he was able to do.”
Wilson mostly struggled during his first two NFL seasons after being the No. 2 overall draft pick in 2021. That led to the Jets — convinced they were only a quarterback away from being playoff contenders — working out a deal to acquire Rodgers from Green Bay in the offseason.
The plan for Wilson to absorb as much as he could from Rodgers from the sideline ended when the four-time NFL MVP tore his left Achilles tendon four snaps into his debut with the Jets. That thrusted Wilson back into the starting job, and he again couldn’t consistently help the offense produce.
The Jets are last or close to the bottom of the NFL rankings in several offensive categories. In an effort to jumpstart things, Wilson was pulled in favor of Tim Boyle — who was also ineffective.
Boyle was waived and Wilson is back in.
“It’s unfortunate, but we have to move on,” Hackett said of Boyle. “We’ve got to score some points.”
The Jets, who are looking to snap a five-game losing streak, have scored fewer than two touchdowns on offense in eight straight games. They also have just two TDS total on offense in their past five games.
“We’re all trying to find a way,” Wilson said Wednesday. “At the end of the day, it is a business. We have to score, we have to win games, and I understand that.”
JAGS EMPLOYEE CHARGED WITH STEALING $22M GAMBLED AWAY 99% OF FUNDS>> A former Jacksonville Jaguars financial manager accused of stealing more than $22 million from the franchise has a gambling addiction and plans to plead guilty to resolve federal charges against him, his attorney said Thursday.
Attorney Alex King of First Coast Criminal Defense in Jacksonville released a statement on behalf of his client, Amit Patel, and said “approximately 99% of the funds misappropriated” from the team’s virtual credit card program were gambled away.
The NFL met with Patel in February as part of an investigation into his gambling, most of which took place on two prominent websites. The Jaguars subsequently suspended and later fired Patel, King said.
“Mr. Patel suffers from a serious gambling addiction, and in the spring of this year, checked himself into extensive, inpatient rehabilitation to address his addiction,” King said. “Mr. Patel’s serious gambling addiction does not excuse his actions, which he takes full responsibility for.
“Although incomprehensible to most, a gambling addition is similar to substance abuse, such that the disorder can stimulate the brain’s dopamine response much like drugs or alcohol do. It provides an uncontrollable urge to keep gambling despite the toll it takes on one’s life, and creates a willingness to risk more and more, despite the impact it has.”
Patel kept gambling in hopes of winning back his money and repaying the misappropriated funds, his attorney said.