The Detroit Lions are set to play the New York Jets in Metlife Stadium and this is a huge game for both teams. Mike White has now officially not been cleared to play and the Jets will be forced to start Zach Wilson. This changes the game entirely, let’s talk about how this affects both teams.
How Does Zach Wilson Starting Affect The Jets?
The Jets have had an extremely up and down season largely due to the quarterback position, and out of them, Zach Wilson may have played the worst for them. Zach Wilson quickly lost the respect of his teammates due to how self-entitled he is and he would never take the blame for losses when he didn’t do his job. The second Mike White came in, with no preparation, the team played with much more passion and White played better than he did with the same offense. Even with his teammates’ respect, he never lived up to his hype coming out of the draft and has played like a bottom-tier starter in the NFL.
There may be a silver lining for the Jets, however, with Zach Wilson getting his starting role back. There are two ways he could play, Wilson could either be playing with a chip on his shoulder and play extremely well to try and get his starting job back for good, or he could play like he was and be the reason they lose this game. The Jets will also be without Corey Davis, and possibly Quinnen Williams so Zach Wilson will have to step up big time for the Jets to still be in playoff contention. Ultimately while there is a chance he plays well to try and retake his starting job, Wilson starting will likely set the Jets back in this game.
How Does Zach Wilson Starting Affect The Lions?
At the surface, this seems like it will help the Lions tremendously because Mike White was playing way better than Wilson in his few weeks of starting, but this is still far from a guaranteed win for the Lions. Dan Campbell said in his press conference today that they were expecting Wilson to be the starter and have been preparing for him, but later said he doesn’t believe it grants an advantage. The Lions’ defense has picked it up as of late and will have to step up big time to make sure Wilson doesn’t go off for a career day so they can secure this win.
While Wilson getting the start will likely help the Lions’ chances on the defensive side, it won’t affect the game too much. The Jets have not had a good offense ever since Breece Hall got injured and their defense has been the only reason they are still a respectable football team. In order for the Lions to win this game they need to dominate the trenches and find ways to score often on offense. Ultimately even though Wilson starting will help the defense, it won’t affect the game too much as the Lions will need to deal with that defense still.
Who Should Win This Game Now?
This game is extremely important for both teams’ playoff chances as they look to get into the final playoff spot for their respective conference. If the Lions can do well on offense and score around 20 points or more they should come out with this win. However, if Zach Wilson has a career day and their defense can play as it has been the Jets should come out with this win. So while this seems big for the Lions, this game is still a toss-up.
