Jets’ Star Wide Receiver Clarifies Criticisms Of QB Zach Wilson

There apparently is no bad blood between Zach Wilson and one of his favorite Jets targets.

Wilson remains on the bench for a New York team that enters Week 14 as the No. 7 seed in the AFC standings. The final straw for head coach Robert Saleh and company was a dreadful showing in Foxboro — Wilson’s second dud against the New England Patriots over a span of four weeks — for which the sophomore quarterback took zero accountability.

Garrett Wilson let it fly in the visitor’s locker room at Gillette Stadium after the game, stressing the Jets’ need to improve the passing game. Sure enough, New York’s offense functioned at a much higher level after Mike White replaced the 23-year-old in Week 12.

ESPN’s Kimberley A. Martin on Sunday asked the rookie wide receiver about his blunt criticism of Zach Wilson and the Ohio State product didn’t walk it back very far.

“I feel like maybe it was a little too harsh, but I knew it needed to be done,” Garrett Wilson told Martin. “I felt like it was something that had to be said because we weren’t holding ourselves to that standard. I didn’t feel that and I didn’t feel that during the practice week. And no one ever wants to be in that position to do that and maybe, lose some friends — I don’t know — but I put winning and being successful in this league above a lot. And I feel like that’s what needed to be done.

“Zach knows it wasn’t personal. We love Zach. A QB change is just what it is — a QB change. But as an offense, we were playing bad and we had to solve a lot more things than just that. It wasn’t just the quarterback. It was all the different pieces, and we had to put the whole thing together to get where we want to be … and we’re still working on it.”

Zach Wilson will serve as a spectator once again Sunday when the Jets visit the Buffalo Bills. And if White turns in a solid outing against arguably the AFC’s best team, the former’s chances of starting again this season should be further diminished.

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