The Jets defense has faced and conquered several top quarterbacks in the NFL this season.
Gang Green hopes to do that again this Sunday when it faces Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud, who’s having one of the best rookie seasons in recent memory.
Jets defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich said Stroud might be in a class all by himself.
“I don’t know if I’ve ever seen it,” Ulbrich said. “I’ve been around a lot of rookies whether I was with the organization that had them.
“I was in San Francisco with Alex Smith, I’ve been around a lot of young guys. It’s an adjustment for every position, but that one in particular. It is so much on their plate, on the field, off the field, with all the information and the decision-making they have to make.
“It’s amazing he’s having the success he’s having.”
After Houston selected him No. 2 overall in the 2023 NFL Draft, Stroud currently leads the league in passing yards with 3,540. He also has thrown for 20 touchdowns and just five interceptions during the first 12 games of his career.
Strout is on pace to surpass the most passing yards by a rookie quarterback in a season. In 2012, former Colts quarterback Andrew Luck passed for 4,374 yards. Stroud also is on pace to finish with 28 passing touchdowns, which would be the second most by a rookie in a season after Justin Herbert’s 31 in 2020.
Even more impressive than his stats, Stroud has the Texans in playoff contention. After going 3-13-1 in 2022, the Texans are 7-5 and eighth in the AFC with five games remaining.
The Jets defense will have their hands full trying to slow down Stroud, who hasn’t thrown an interception in two games. Gang Green hasn’t allowed a 300-yard passer in 30 straight games.
This season, the Jets defense has made life difficult for quarterbacks such as Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts. That’s a primary reason the Jets are third in the league in passing yards allowed.
“He’s a phenomenal quarterback,” Jets defensive tackle Quinnen Williams said. “A young guy that’s doing tremendous things, a lot of stuff well. A young guy that’s making big-time throws down the field.
“He has extremely good accuracy and you can see the competitive aspect on film that he has.”
HACKETT BULLISH ON WILSON
Zach Wilson has gone from being the starter to being benched, and now he will be back under center for this weekend’s game against the Texans.
Jets offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett is staying optimistic. Hackett believes Wilson could benefit from being the emergency quarterback and playing on the scout team the last two weeks.
“You know, we want to give him a lot of different opportunities, and I think those opportunities are out there, and we want to continually give him those,” Hackett said. “I think that he’s had the two weeks off to re-center himself and learn and continually grow.
“I think that when we look at it, you know, 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.”
After Rodgers’ Achilles injury in Week 1, the Jets handed Wilson the keys to the offense, hoping he could help lead the team to the playoffs for the first time since 2010. However, with Wilson in charge, he has engineered one of the worst offenses in the NFL.
The Jets have scored 10 or fewer points in four of 12 games this season. They also scored just 10 offensive touchdowns and have failed to reach the end zone in three of their last five games.
Wilson himself has thrown for 1,944 yards, six touchdowns and seven interceptions in 10 games. Because of their offensive woes and his poor play, Jets coach Robert Saleh benched Wilson for then-backup Tim Boyle during the third quarter of the 32-6 loss to the Bills in Week 11.
On Tuesday, the Jets released Boyle after two abysmal starts against the Dolphins and Falcons. Now, they are turning back to Wilson, hoping he can help end the team’s five-game losing streak.
“I love that guy,” Jets running back Dalvin Cook told the Daily News about Wilson. “He is just himself. Despite how they try to put it, great kid and me, I’m just going to go have fun with him.
“Just turn it loose and have fun.”
INJURY REPORT: NO BREECE OR JFM
Breece Hall and John Franklin-Myers did not practice for the second straight day. Both are dealing with ankle injuries, along with wide receiver Jason Brownlee.
Hall did tell reporters that he expects to play against the Texans. However, his injury could mean more carries for Cook this week. During their five-game losing streak, the Jets have averaged just 65.2 rushing yards per game.
In 12 games, Gang Green is averaging 90.8 yards per game on the ground, which is 29th in the NFL.
“I think it was some good start to it in this past game,” Hackett said. “I think we really committed to it. We were able to get some shots down the field off of it and in the end, it is about those bank reps.
“We are a young team. There are a couple of young guys on the offensive line, new guys here and there. They just have to continue to get the reps and understand the looks.
“For us, we have to keep on pushing it and keep on and keep on repping it.”
Rodgers returned to practice on Thursday to continue his rehab process. He moved much better than last week when the Jets activated his practice window.
Thursday was his eighth day since being activated, which means the Jets have 13 days to place him on the active roster, or he will revert back to injured reserve and miss the rest of the season.
Considering the Jets 4-8 record, it appears unlikely Rodgers will play again this year. On Wednesday, Saleh said that Wilson, “God willing,” would be the team’s starting quarterback for the season’s final five games.
