Jets' Zach Wilson Amazes NFL Fans with Win in Return as QB1 vs. C.J. Stroud, Texans

Zach Wilson, welcome to your redemption arc.

The beleaguered quarterback played the best game of his season—maybe even of his career—against the Houston Texans (7-6) on Sunday in his return to the starting lineup, throwing for 301 yards and two touchdowns in a 30-6 upset win.

That isn't an exaggeration. Do you know how many games Wilson has had in his career with 300 or more passing yards before Sunday?

Two, and none this season.

Do you know how many games he's had with 300 or more passing yards, multiple touchdowns and no interceptions before today?

None. Exactly zero.

It wasn't perfect. Wilson did lose a fumble that ultimately led to a Houston touchdown. But it was easily the best he's looked in quite some time, and NFL fans and pundits were loving what they saw from the third-year quarterback (alongside some understandable astonishment):

New York's offense has been historically inept in 2023. When the Jets went up 14-0 in the third quarter, it was literally unprecedented for them this season:

And then the Jets offense, drunk on their own power, went ahead and got a third touchdown on the day. Gasp.

And all of this came in the second half after neither team managed a single point in the first two quarters. The Jets weren't just competent on offense in the second half, they were downright cooking.

And nobody saw that coming. Not after a five-game losing streak that saw New York score a combined 45 points.

Oh, and the defense was also superb, holding the explosive Texans to just 135 yards of total offense. But the defense has been excellent all season, so that wasn't a shock.

Unfortunately for that elite defense, it's probably too late for the 5-8 Jets to mount a serious push for the postseason. They would need to win their last four games down the stretch and hope for a ton of help from a deep group of teams in the Wild Card hunt.

But it's a good sign that Wilson showed the resilience to bounce back after being benched in favor of Tim Boyle, a player with four touchdowns and 12 interceptions in his NFL career.

He's probably never going to be the next coming of Aaron Rodgers. But on Sunday, he at least looked like a player capable capable of leading a team to a win. Based on how much he's struggled to this point, it was a major step in the right direction.