Trevor Siemian to start vs. Patriots likely signaling end of Zach Wilson’s time in New York

Trevor Siemian starts, meaning Zach Wilson likely has already played his final game with the Jets.

Jets head coach Robert Saleh said Wednesday quarterback Trevor Siemian will start Week 18 against the New England Patriots. This will be Siemian’s third start for the Jets in their season finale in Foxborough.

Siemian starting also likely signals the end of Zach Wilson’s time in New York. The Jets will likely explore trading the 2021 No. 2 overall pick this offseason as the push all in with Aaron Rodgers for 2024.

If this is it for Wilson, he’ll leave with a record of 12-21 and completing 57 percent of his passes for 6,293 yards, 23 touchdowns and 25 touchdowns.

Jets Week 17 offensive gameday roster vs. Browns

Jets Week 17 offensive gameday roster vs. Browns

The Jets have their gameday roster for Week 17 against the Cleveland Browns. On offense, the Jets will have two quarterbacks available again with Zach Wilson and Aaron Rodgers inactive. Trevor Siemian gets the start with Brett Rypien backing him up.

Wide receiver Allen Lazard is also out with an illness so Randall Cobb will be active behind the usual suspects Garrett Wilson, Jason Brownlee and Xavier Gipson.

Zack Kuntz will be active for the first time after being signed to the 53-man roster this week. He’ll serve as the No. 3 tight end behind Tyler Conklin and Kenny Yeboah with Jeremy Ruckert out with a concussion.

Here’s a rundown of the full gameday roster on offensive for the Jets in Week 17.

A comedy of errors for the Commanders in first half of Week 16 game vs. Jets

The Commanders had an unbelievably bad start against the Jets — even for them. Here’s a look.

The Washington Commanders are a bad football team. This much we knew ahead of Sunday’s Week 16 game against the New York Jets.

The Jets, meanwhile, aren’t very good, either. New York does have a talented, young defense but struggles to score points with quarterback Aaron Rodgers lost for the season.

Entering Sunday’s game, the Jets had only scored one touchdown in the first quarter all season. Five minutes into the game, New York held a 17-0 lead over the Commanders.

How did we get there?

Let’s look at some of Washington’s follies throughout the first half of its game against the Jets.

The Commanders would eventually turn things around in the second half before losing on a last-second field goal, 30-28.

Let’s go back and review some of Washington’s first-half follies. By the way, these are only some of Washington’s mistakes, as there were far too many to follow.

The Commanders are laying an all-time brontosaurus egg against the Jets

The Washington Commanders are playing at a level that would make the 1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers turn away in disgust.

The Washington Commanders came into Sunday’s game against the New York Jets with a 4-10 record and the NFL’s worst defense, so the question was: In the battle between THAT and the Jets’ NFL-worst offense, which movable object would beat the league’s most resistible force?

Early on in the game, there has been no question. The Jets are demolishing Ron Rivera’s Commanders, who are playing football you may not have seen since the 1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Quarterback Sam Howell has not availed himself well at all, but his receivers have not helped him one bit.

That turnover led to a 25-yard field goal for Greg Zuerlein.

Then, a blocked punt with 12:02 left in the first quarter, which put the ball at the Washington nine-yard line for the Jets, which led to this touchdown pass from Trevor Siemian to Jason Brownlee.

Then, the Commanders went three-and-out, gave the ball back the Jets, and running back Breece Hall carved that defense up on this 36-yard touchdown run with 9:44 left in the first quarter.

Ron Rivera’s look at the end of that play said it all. How bad was this, given the Jets’ history of futility in the first quarter of their other games this season?

Very.

Big changes are coming in the nation’s capital, and given the way this game is going, Rivera might not survive the regular season.

WATCH: Commanders vs. Jets Week 16 preview from NFL.com

A video preview of Sunday’s Week 16 game between the Commanders and Jets.

The Washington Commanders (4-10) face the New York Jets (5-9) on Sunday in a battle between two teams currently sitting among the top five picks in the 2024 NFL draft.

There has been a lot of quarterback news this week for both teams. The Commanders benched starter Sam Howell in the fourth quarter of last week’s loss, but he’ll remain the starting quarterback for Sunday’s game.

As for the Jets, Aaron Rodgers confirmed he wouldn’t return this season after undergoing Achilles surgery in September. Zach Wilson left last week’s game with a concussion and will miss Sunday’s game against the Commanders. Veteran Trevor Siemian becomes the fourth different player to start under center for the Jets this season.

NFL.com previewed Sunday’s battle between the Commanders and the Jets.

Final score prediction for Commanders vs. Jets, Week 16

Our final picks are in for Week 16. What’s your pick, the Commanders or the Jets?

Can the Washington Commanders (4-10) snap a five-game losing streak on Sunday vs. the New York Jets (5-9)?

The winner of this game will actually be the loser in terms of the 2024 NFL draft. Washington currently holds the No. 4 overall pick, with the Jets right behind at No. 5. With San Francisco and Dallas on the schedule for the next two weeks, this is the Commanders’ last chance at a win this season.

Which Sam Howell will we see for Washington? He’s shown impressive resiliency this season, but Sunday’s game is a tough test because the Jets are terrific on defense.

Meanwhile, the Commanders’ terrible defense could be a get-right game for New York’s 32nd-ranked offense on its fourth quarterback of the season.

Who wins?

Our staff picks winners for Week 16.

NFL Week 16 picks: The experts favor the Jets over Commanders

The experts believe the Jets will win, but it’s close.

The Washington Commanders are one week closer to a new era. But before the Commanders finish another disappointing season, they have three games remaining.

On Sunday, the 4-10 Commanders make their second trip to MetLife Stadium this season. Only this time, Washington faces the New York Jets. Things didn’t go well the first time, as the Commanders looked terrible in a 14-7 loss to the Giants.

The Jets are having an equally disappointing season, sitting at 5-9, but their lack of success can be blamed on losing quarterback Aaron Rodgers for the season.

Washington has lost five consecutive games and seven of eight, while New York has lost five of its last six.

The Jets are favored, but what do the experts think?

According to NFL Pickwatch, 55% of the experts have weighed in and believe the Jets, with Trevor Siemian, will defeat the Commanders.

A Washington win would feel like a loss for fans. With a new GM and coach expected, the Commanders need to pick as high as possible in the 2024 NFL draft if they plan on being in the quarterback market.

Washington currently holds the No. 4 position in the draft, with the Jets right behind at No. 5.

4 reasons the Commanders should be concerned vs. the Jets

We look at four reasons why the Commanders should be concerned with the Jets.

The Jets Defensive Front

Sam Howell and the offensive line will be pushed and uncomfortable all day by the Jets defensive line, led by Quinnen Williams, Quinton Jefferson, Bryce Huff, and John Franklin-Myers have registered 18, 13, 17 and 12 QB hits, respectively. They will be coming, and they will be a force. They have collected 3.5, 6.0, 8.0 and 3.0 quarterback sacks, respectively.

The Lack of Assertiveness by Sam Howell

Howell, can’t simply think, oh, I need to get this ball deep and hurt the Jets. Well, he might be on his back an awful lot if he is not assertive and decisive to get the ball out of his hands early. Holding on to it will only play into the powerful rush exhibited by the Jets all season.

Jets QB Trevor Siemian

The Commanders defense has been horrible, and their pass defense has led the way in being bad. Siemian has appeared in 37 career games with 30 starts. He’s completed 58.5% of his passes for 7,203 yards, with 42 touchdowns and 30 interceptions. This Commanders defense better be intense and not over-confident in the struggles of Siemian. The back end of this defense needs to show up on Sunday!

Jets Kicker Greg Zuerlein

If the Commanders let Siemian and the Jets hang around, they could easily be beaten by Zuerlein. He might be turning age 36 this week, but he is the most consistent Jets player this season, not on the defense. He has not missed a field goal attempt under 50 yards this season. He has been successful on 27 of his 28 attempts, with the only missing being from 50+ yards.

Trevor Siemian to start as Jets rule out Zach Wilson

With Zach Wilson out with a concussion, Trevor Siemian becomes the fourth different starting quarterback for the Jets in 2023.

The Jets will start Trevor Siemian at quarterback Sunday against the Washington Commanders as Zach Wilson was ruled out with a concussion.

Siemian will be the fourth quarterback to start a game for the Jets this season, joining Wilson, Aaron Rodgers and Tim Boyle. Brett Rypien will serve as the backup quarterback.

Head coach Robert Saleh also said Rodgers will not be the emergency third quarterback, as to be expected. The Jets will have just two available quarterbacks Sunday.

Siemian started one game during his first stint with the Jets in 2019, filling in for Sam Darnold while he recovered from mononucleosis. Siemian is 13-17 as a starter during his nine-year career that has also included stops in Denver, Minnesota, Tennessee, New Orleans and Chicago.

Here is the rest of the injury report for Week 16.

Jets QB Trevor Siemian to start Sunday vs. Commanders

Trevor Siemian starts at QB for the Jets on Sunday. Does that help Washington?

There has been a lot of talk surrounding the New York Jets and their quarterbacks this week. First, Aaron Rodgers revealed earlier in the week that he wouldn’t be returning this season after he had teased making a miraculous comeback from Achilles surgery just over three months ago.

Zach Wilson, who has started for most of the season in place of Rodgers and struggled, suffered a concussion last week. Veteran Trevor Siemian replaced him.

On Friday, the Jets ruled out Wilson for Sunday’s game against the Washington Commanders, meaning Siemian will get the start.

Siemian, 31, was a seventh-round pick of the Denver Broncos in 2015 out of Northwestern. He has played nine seasons in the NFL, and the Jets are his seventh team. It’s also his second stint with the Jets.

Siemian has appeared in 37 career games with 30 starts. He’s completed 58.5% of his passes for 7,203 yards, with 42 touchdowns and 30 interceptions.

He has appeared in two games this season, completing 19 of 39 passing attempts for 176 yards and two interceptions.

Currently, the Commanders hold the No. 4 draft position in the 2024 NFL draft, with the Jets right behind them at No. 5.