Three Victory Monday Game Balls for Jets' Dominant Win over Texans

These three players helped New York roll to a 30-6 win after a scoreless first half

Author:
Ralph Ventre
Publish date:
Dec 11, 2023 8:03 AM EST

In this story:

New York Jets

Finally, Victory Monday has returned!

The New York Jets' five-game losing streak is over and it's time to recognize the players responsible for ending it.

"It’s always good to win in the NFL," said Jets' head coach Robert Saleh on Sunday at MetLife Stadium.

The 30-6 victory over the Houston Texans featured a collection of noteworthy performances, including the Jets' first 300-yard passing day of the season and a pass defense that limited Houston's high-powered aerial attack to 1.6 net yards per pass play.

"I thought Zach [Wilson] probably played the best game of his career," said Jets' third-year head coach Robert Saleh. "Defensively, I have high regard for [Texans' QB] C.J. [Stroud], who is going to be a really good player in this league. I thought our front end handled it again. I thought our back end was sticky and made it hard for him. And then special teams did their thing."

Here are the top Week 14 performers from each of the team's three units — Offense, Defense, Special Teams.

Offense: Zach Wilson, QB 🏈

Reinstating Wilson as the starting quarterback gave the Jets the "best chance to win," according to Saleh. Coming off his two-game benching, Wilson proved his coach right in Week 14.

The embattled field general, who led three second-half touchdown drives, passed for a season-high 301 yards and two touchdowns. His 75.0 completion percentage stands as the highest in the NFL this week amongst passers with at least 25 attempts.

"I think it speaks to how impressive it was as an offense, no doubt," said Wilson. "I think Hack [Nathaniel Hackett] called a great game. I thought he was aggressive. I thought he trusted me to make good decisions down the stretch."

None of Wilson's 36 attempts were intercepted and 15 of his passes resulted in first downs. He made multiple "off schedule" plays, avoiding sacks and finding a receiver late in the down.

"Being aggressive but smart at the same time. He’s out there having a good time," said Saleh. "He made a lot of things happen that weren’t there, so hats off to him. I thought he was outstanding today."

Defense: Quinnen Williams, DT 🏈

Stroud faced a lot of heat from the Williams-led defensive front. The Jets' All-Pro defensive tackle made key contributions against the run, too.

"Credit to the d-line getting after it a little bit," said Saleh.

Williams finished with three tackles, two quarterback hits and 1.0 sack as New York's defense limited Houston to 135 net yards (2.6 yards per play). After the Jets took a 7-0 lead on their first possession of the second half, Williams forced a three-and-out on the Texans' ensuing possession by sacking Stroud on third down.

Although the sacks haven't piled up for Williams this season, his effect on the pass rush is evident. Williams's work on the interior lets the Jets' edge rushers eat.

Williams set the tone on Houston's first play from scrimmage. Texans' running back Devin Singletary had an open lane to an easy eight-yard gain had it not been for the defensive tackle's ability to battle through a block and single-handedly drop the ball carrier three yards past the line of scrimmage.

Special Teams: Greg Zuerlein, PK 🏈

The Leg was on full display in this one, allowing the Jets to salt away a victory with three straight makes from 44+ yards. On a rainy, windy day at MetLife Stadium, Zuerlein accounted for a 3-for-3 clip on fourth-quarter field goals. He hit from 51, 55 and 44 yards while closing out the game's scoring.

Zuerlein has been nothing short of sensational during his second season as a Jet. His 27 field goals are third most in the NFL. In terms of accuracy, the grizzled veteran has converted 96.4 percent of his attempts to rank second behind only Dallas rookie Brandon Aubrey who is 30-of-30.