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Garrett Wilson was searching for the words Wednesday about this week’s matchup with the Patriots.
“There’s a premium on this one. I don’t know how to exactly put it but it’s a big-ass game,” Wilson said. “We’re going to be ready to play. I’m excited for it.”
Big-ass game, indeed.
The 2-3 Jets travel to Foxborough to face the 3-2 Patriots in their first division game of the season. The Jets have won just once in Gillette Stadium in the last 15 years and that was a season finale in the snow with Bailey Zappe playing quarterback for the Patriots.
This feels like a massive opportunity for the Jets, who are coming off a win over the Browns. To capitalize on that opportunity, they need to get the ball to Wilson, their leading receiver and best player. Jets coach Aaron Glenn knows it. Offensive coordinator Frank Reich knows it. Quarterback Geno Smith knows it. The Patriots also know it.
Wilson’s targets have been a point of discussion for Jets fans recently. Wilson only had four targets two weeks ago against the Bears. To be fair, the Jets only ran 32 plays and attempted 15 passes so it was not a normal game to judge. They clearly identified a lack of touches for Wilson as a problem, though. They went his way 11 times in the win over the Browns, including three targets on the opening drive that resulted in a Wilson touchdown.
It seems simple to say: Wilson needs to be targeted 10 times a game. But the Jets caution that it is easier said than done.
“When you’ve got players like Garrett, you try to do everything you can to try to make sure you feed him the ball,” Glenn said. “But you have to make sure you don’t jeopardize your team also. Sometimes you can put your quarterback in position to where all he’s doing is eyeing that guy and you have other guys that are open.”
Wilson’s numbers are strikingly consistent through his five seasons. His numbers this year: 42 targets, 31 catches, 374 yards, three touchdowns are a little below last year: 48 targets, 33 catches, 382 yards and four touchdowns. Wilson is currently rated No. 1 in ESPN’s open score, an analytic measure of a receiver’s ability to separate. He is rated No. 2 overall, behind Seattle’s Jaxon Smith-Njigba, in their overall receiver rankings.
Wilson’s targets overall seem like a healthy number. His 42 targets rank 13th in the NFL. By game it has gone seven, seven, 13, four and 11 this season. It just seems like there are times when the Jets go away from Wilson. He only had three targets in the first half of the Packers game and had one catch for 16 yards. The Jets did a much better job in Detroit the next week of getting him involved. Last week, Wilson starred on the first drive but then was quiet for a while, perhaps because of the Browns adjusting to take him away.
Wilson said he usually has a good idea when he will be the focal point of the offense entering a game based on that week’s practice.
“As someone who has been doing it for a while now, you kind of know which weeks,” Wilson said. “There’s always some ones that keep you on your toes. That’s the beauty of this industry and this game. Just making sure you’re always ready for that game when you get the 10, 15, whatever y’all consider a high-target game. You definitely have an idea after the practice week. If the looks look how they did during the week, all of a sudden you have an idea. They can always do unscouted looks, throw wrenches at you, things like that. You’ve got to be ready for it all as a player.”
Smith as the quarterback has to guard against forcing the ball to Wilson.
“I trust all of the guys that are out there,” Smith said. “I know they all can make plays, and when their number is called, and of course Garrett, he’s a guy, he’s going to get open, and as many times as we can get him the ball, we want to, but there are other guys as well who can make plays. I just read the defense and try and make the right decisions.”