Each backup quarterback is aware of they’re one play away from coming in.
Jets followers are seeing this play out in actual time after Justin Fields suffered a concussion final week towards Buffalo and was dominated out of Sunday’s recreation versus Tampa Bay.
Now, Gang Inexperienced is hoping backup Tyrod Taylor will ignite their offense, which struggled to take off towards the Payments.
“Obviously, always one play away, especially as a quarterback,” Taylor stated this week. “You by no means know when that chance will current itself. Again in 2011, once I acquired drafted, I attempted to problem myself to have the identical mindset.
“That was the first time I had to sit. I started as a freshman in high school. I started early in college. But I challenged myself each and every day to prepare like a starter because you never know when the opportunity will present itself. And the main thing is you don’t want to, obviously, let your team down, but you want to prove to yourself that you’re capable of doing what you know you can do, and that’s been the mentality since day one in my time in the NFL.”
The Jets (0-2) want Taylor to play effectively in hopes of getting their first win of the season towards an undefeated Bucs (2-0) group. They introduced him in for this precise state of affairs, albeit backing up a unique quarterback.
Up thus far, Taylor has solely performed throughout garbage-time conditions with the Jets. Now, the Fifteenth-year veteran will get to show that he nonetheless has what it takes after not making a begin since Jan. 7, 2024, when Taylor was with the Giants.
Though he’s the backup QB, Taylor is among the most revered gamers contained in the Jets locker room. He additionally has the belief of Jets coach Aaron Glenn, the remainder of the teaching workers, and his teammates.
“He kind of carries himself and he’s somebody that guys want to be around. He’s a natural leader in my opinion. So it is a blessing to have a backup as talented as he is.”
The Jets want Taylor to assist get the offense rolling after they laid an egg in final week’s 30-10 no-show loss to the Payments. They registered simply 154 yards of offense and 83 complete passing yards.
Most of these yards got here from Taylor after he checked into the sport following Fields’ concussion with 12:03 remaining within the fourth quarter. He accomplished 7-of-11 passes for 56 yards and registered the lone Jets landing when he accomplished a five-yard cross to Jeremy Ruckert with 3:28 left.
Taylor isn’t the athlete that Fields is throughout this juncture of his profession, however he’s a extra polished passer. He is a little more correct and doesn’t draw back from throwing the ball deep to his receivers.
“It’s pretty, bro, it’s pretty,” Jets broad receiver Garrett Wilson stated about Taylor’s deep ball passing skill. “I’m excited to see a few of these go up.
“It has been since throughout training camp, I’ve been able to see him spin it with some of the younger guys and, yeah man, he can really throw that deep ball and stuff like that is exciting.”
If the Jets are going to get their first win of 2025, they want their protection to step up and assist Taylor. The Payments rushed for 224 yards towards the Jets, which was essentially the most the group has allowed since 2021.
The Gang Inexperienced has completed within the high three defensively every of the earlier three seasons. However to this point below first-year defensive coordinator Steve Wilks, the protection has regarded something however elite via two video games.
The Jets are permitting a median of 337 yards and 32 factors per recreation, which each rank twenty third and thirtieth within the league. This week, they’ll go up towards a Bucs speeding assault that’s averaging 135 yards on the bottom.
Jets defensive sort out Quinnen Williams stated the group has honed in on correcting the errors made final week. He stated the unit made a pact with one another that the efficiency towards the Payments and giving up over 200 yards speeding “will never happen again.”
“It is all about executing,” Williams stated. “Doing the things in the meeting and taking the meeting room to the walkthrough room from walkthroughs to practice and practice to the field.”
“We acquired the blokes in our room, we acquired the blokes in our defensive room to be among the best defenses on this league. Simply executing and never beating ourselves, getting off on third down. Not making psychological errors, not making penalties on third down, is a giant one, and likewise getting turnovers.
“We are all capable of fixing every last one of those things and doing those things.”
