Tag: Garrett Wilson

Fantasy Football: Receiver starts and sits for Week 5

We take a look across the league and tell fantasy managers which wide receivers to start and which ones to leave on the bench for week 5

Starts and sits is here to help fantasy managers make those all important last minute lineup decisions .While we won’t tell you about obvious starts such as Christian McCaffrey or Justin Jefferson, we will find players you may be waffling about and help you make a decision.

Let’s look at receivers for Week 5.

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6 Jets to watch in Week 5 vs. Broncos

Here are six players from the Jets to watch in Sunday’s game against the Broncos.

Moral victories are few and far between in the NFL, but the New York Jets seemed to have one in their narrow 23-20 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. After falling to 1-3 on the season, the Jets are entering must-win territory ahead of their road matchup with the Denver Broncos in Week 5.

The offense of the Jets — particularly Zach Wilson — showed signs of life in the three-point defeat to the Chiefs. Meanwhile, the Broncos finally got their first win of the season in a come-from-behind victory over the winless Chicago Bears in Week 4.

While there was once more hype surrounding this game with Sean Payton’s preseason comments, and a healthy Aaron Rodgers, here are six players from the Jets to watch in Week 5 versus the Broncos.

Zach Wilson looked like a new quarterback against the Chiefs. Is it sustainable?

Zach Wilson looked like a different quarterback against the Chiefs on Sunday night. The All-22 shows how, and whether he can keep it going.

Through the first 27 games of Zach Wilson’s NFL career, the second overall pick in the 2021 draft looked more like the latest in a series of Bad Quarterback Decisions made by the New York Jets’ franchise than anything resembling a confident and consistent starter in the league.

Then, Sunday night’s game against the Kansas City Chiefs happened, and all of a sudden, Wilson looked like a very different player. Through the first three weeks of the season, starting with his time in the barrel after Aaron Rodgers’ season-ending injury in the opener against the Buffalo Bills, Wilson had completed 44 of 84 passes (52.4%) for 456 yards (5.6 YPA), two touchdowns, four interceptions, and a quarterback rating of 57.0.

Against a very good Chiefs defense that ranked ninth in DVOA to that point, Wilson completed 28 of 39 passes (71.8%) for 245 yards (6.3 YPA), two touchdowns, no interceptions, and a passer rating of 105.2. It was only the second time in a game that Wilson completed at least 70% of his passes, and the first time he had thrown two or more touchdown passes without an interception.

Quite the step up for a young player who had looked lost in the soup more often than not.

“I felt like Hack [offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett] did an unbelievable job today mixing it up and spreading the ball around,” Wilson said after the 23-20 Jets loss. “I was seeing it really well. We need to keep building and I need to be better on the details. It’s the little things that win games, and you need to do them to be great.

“I think Hack trusted me better. Still, I need to be better for him. We need to keep growing on this and that’s the mindset for me on every single play.”

Robert Saleh, Wilson’s head coach, agreed regarding the progress.

“He was letting it rip and I thought he did a really nice job,” Saleh said. “I was just really happy for him to go out there and show that he does belong, that he can play in this league. If he plays that way, we’re gonna win a lot of football games.”

Wilson’s fumble with 7:45 left in the game marked the last time the Jets’ offense saw the field, as the Chiefs were able to bleed the clock (possibly with the help of at least one dubious call from referee Alex Kemp’s crew), but other than that, this was more like the Zach Wilson we saw at BYU than anything else we’ve seen to date.

The question is, was it a fluke, or can the Jets and Zach Wilson actually build on this? The answer lies in the tape, so let’s go there.

Fantasy football start ’em, sit ’em: Week 4

Here’s a look at some starts and sits for fantasy football in Week 4 of the 2023 season.

Nearly a quarter of the way into the season, fantasy football managers are already facing some difficult decisions regarding the starts and sits in their lineups entering Week 4.

Doing start/sit articles can be a little challenging. The players featured on the list below should not be taken as “must starts” or “must sits.” Instead, these are more suggestions on what we believe managers should do with fringe players heading into the weekend. The choice is ultimately up to the manager.

Just because a player is listed as a “start” doesn’t mean he should be put in the lineup over the secure, bona fide studs. Vice versa for the “sits.” If there’s no better option on the waiver wire or the bench, a manager shouldn’t automatically sit the player. That’s why these can be tricky waters to navigate.

Feel free to ask any specific start/sit questions via X, formerly Twitter, (@KevinHickey11) or check out our player projections for Week 4:

These Christian Gonzalez numbers against elite receivers are ridiculous

Christian Gonzalez is locking down elite receivers right out of the gates.

New England Patriots rookie cornerback Christian Gonzalez is only three games into his NFL career, and he already looks like one of the best defensive backs in the league.

There were expectations that he’d have a shaky start right out of the gates given the murderer’s row list of elite receivers he’d be tasked with defending. To make matters worse, the Patriots have been dealt with multiple injury blows on the backend of the defense, which has immediately rushed Gonzalez to the top of the depth chart.

It was sink or swim in a pool full of sharks for the former Oregon standout. The only difference is Gonzalez isn’t just swimming. He’s living in the deep waters as one of the sharks.

Patriots.com’s Evan Lazar broke down the success Gonzalez has had when matched up against top receivers like Tyreek Hill, A.J. Brown, Jaylen Waddle, DeVonta Smith and Garrett Wilson.

These are Defensive Rookie of the Year type numbers if Gonzalez stays on the path. Miami Dolphins star receiver Hill talked up the Patriots’ rookie on a podcast last week.

“I was able to go against their rookie. He’s real good,” Hill said, when talking about Gonzalez on an episode of the “It Needed To Be Said” podcast, via the Vocal Podcast Network. “Very lengthy corner, had some real good technique and speed about him. So they’ve got some real good pieces over there in New England, man. So shout out to New England.”

Gonzalez already looks like one of the biggest steals of the 2023 NFL draft at No. 17. So far, he is everything the Patriots hoped he would be—and so much more.

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Garrett Wilson is still confident in Zach Wilson as Jets’ starting QB

Following a 15-10 loss to the Patriots in Week 3, Garrett Wilson expressed his confidence in Zach Wilson as the Jets’ starting QB.

It was another disappointing outing for the offense of the New York Jets in Sunday’s 15-10 home loss to the New England Patriots, which has many questioning Zach Wilson as the starting quarterback. Even with all of the outside noise, Garrett Wilson continues to express his confidence in the third-year quarterback.

In Sunday’s divisional loss, Wilson completed only 18 of his 36 passes for 157 yards, while throwing zero touchdowns and interceptions. Since Aaron Rodgers went down with a season-ending injury in Week 1, Wilson has totaled 327 yards, one touchdown, and three interceptions in his two starts.

Most importantly, the Jets have lost both games with Wilson under center and the offense has failed to flash any positives to build on. During Sunday’s game against the Patriots, we even saw Garrett show his frustration with an animated exchange with his quarterback.

Following last week’s lopsided loss to the Dallas Cowboys, Robert Saleh and Garrett were among the members of the Jets to give a vote of confidence in Wilson. Confidence — among other things — has been lacking for the former first-round pick and the Jets have called an offense that shows they don’t fully trust him to make the plays needed.

While Saleh, Garrett, and other members of the Jets continue to support Wilson, a change at quarterback is inevitable if the team wants to get back on track before it’s too late.

5 takeaways from Jets’ 15-10 loss to the Patriots

Here are our five immediate takeaways from the Jets’ 15-10 loss to the Patriots in Week 3.

The New York Jets fell to the New England Patriots by the score of 15-10 in Week 3. Sunday’s defeat to the Patriots handed the Jets their 15th consecutive loss to the Patriots, with their last win coming in Week 16 of the 2015 season.

For the second straight week, the offense was nonexistent following the season-ending Achilles injury that Aaron Rodgers sustained in Week 1. Zach Wilson made another start under center and he took what would end up being a game-sealing safety with fewer than three minutes remaining.

After another disappointing loss, here are our five immediate takeaways from the Jets’ five-point loss to the Patriots.

Garrett Wilson: It’s ‘unacceptable’ for Jets to lose 14 straight to Patriots

Garrett Wilson really wants to end the Jets’ 14-game losing streak to the Patriots on Sunday.

The New York Jets will enter Sunday’s divisional bout with the New England Patriots on a 14-game losing streak against them. Ahead of the Week 3 contest, Garrett Wilson believes it is time for the Jets to get back on track versus their divisional foes.

“It’s time that things change around here,” Wilson said Tuesday during his weekly appearance on ESPN New York’s “Bart & Hahn” show. “I don’t like talking about it too much, but this is one of the first steps. Fourteen straight is unacceptable. That’s unacceptable. I’m 0-2 against them. That’s unacceptable.”

The last time the Jets defeated the Patriots came in Week 16 of the 2015 season. Tom Brady was still under center for the Patriots, while Ryan Fitzpatrick was the starting signal-caller for the Jets in the last win by New York in this head-to-head matchup.

Wilson, who is in his second year in the NFL, faced the Patriots twice as a rookie in 2022. The reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year totaled eight receptions for 127 receiving yards against New England last season, but New York was outscored 32-20 in the two meetings.

The hope was for Aaron Rodgers to help the Jets improve their odds against their AFC East opponents this season. But with Zach Wilson replacing him following a season-ending injury, the Jets are three-point home underdogs.

While things look bleak for the Jets right now, Wilson is motivated to end the team’s recent stretch of shortcomings against the Patriots in Week 3.

Garrett Wilson diverted blame away from Zach Wilson in Week 2 loss vs. Cowboys

Garrett Wilson expressed his support for Zach Wilson following the Jets’ 30-10 loss to the Cowboys in Week 2.

It was a forgettable outing for the New York Jets in Week 2, losing on the road 30-10 to the Dallas Cowboys. While Zach Wilson proceeded to get the bulk of the blame for the lopsided loss, Garrett Wilson expressed his support for the third-year quarterback.

“From the outside looking in, it’s easy to play the quarterback blame game,” Garrett Wilson said, via ESPN. “Honestly, that’s the world we live in, where you look at the top man — the head man, the quarterback, the one who makes the money — and then point the finger. But all of us internally know that we all have to take the right steps and get better.”

Wilson finished Sunday’s defeat having completed only 12 of his 27 attempts for 170 yards, one touchdown, and three interceptions. The young signal-caller continues to battle with turnover issues and forcing errant throws into tight windows.

The lone touchdown by New York’s quarterback came on a quick pass to his star wide receiver. Wilson caught the pass from his quarterback and turned it into a 68-yard touchdown, showing that he’s electric with the ball in his hands.

The second-year wideout would only catch two passes for 84 yards and a score against the Cowboys as the Jets’ offense was stagnant in their first showing since Aaron Rodgers suffered a season-ending Achilles injury. Many will question whether or not Wilson should remain the starting quarterback moving forward, but the other Wilson believes the entire team needs to improve entering Week 3.

6 takeaways from Jets’ 30-10 loss to Cowboys

Here are our six immediate takeaways from the Jets’ 30-10 loss to the Cowboys in Week 2.

The New York Jets played their first game since Aaron Rodgers suffered a season-ending injury, and it didn’t go according to plan. In the second week of the season against the Dallas Cowboys, the Jets lost 30-10 on the road on Sunday.

Zach Wilson replaced Rodgers under center and the offense never managed to stack plays to move the ball consistently. While the defense wasn’t a letdown in the loss, there weren’t many positives to take away from the road defeat to the Cowboys.

After a lopsided loss to the Cowboys in Week 2, here are six of our immediate takeaways.