Jets bench Zach Wilson for Chris Streveler during ugly loss to Jags originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
Zach Wilson has now been benched for Mike White and Chris Streveler in the span of a few weeks.
The former No. 2 overall pick was replaced by Streveler during New York's ugly 19-3 Week 16 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Thursday Night Football.
Wilson had yet another rough showing in what was his second start since losing the job to White, who's currently injured, in Week 12. He completed 9 of 18 passes for 92 yards and one interception, drawing loud boos from the home crowd at MetLife Stadium on multiple occasions.
Streveler took over for Wilson with the Jets trailing 16-3 late in the third quarter, and the change in quarterback sparked New York's offense.
On his first drive, Streveler engineered a 16-play, 73-yard drive while completing 3 of 5 passes for 41 yards and rushing six times for 37 yards.
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The possession didn't result in points, though, as New York failed to convert a fourth-and-2 from Jacksonville's 13-yard line.
Streveler remained in the game for New York's final two possessions, which ended in a Garrett Wilson fumble and a turnover on downs at Jacksonville's 34. The QB finished 10 of 15 through the air for 90 yards along with a team-high 54 rushing yards on nine carries.
Head coach Robert Saleh said postgame that the Jets initially planned for Streveler to just be a temporary replacement in an effort to get the running game going. But once the offense started clicking with Streveler under center, New York opted to keep Wilson on the bench.
"We were just trying to get the run game going," Saleh said. "[Streveler] gave us a spark and we just wanted to keep it going. But it was meant to be a changeup initially."
Saleh added that "we haven't seen the last of" Wilson.
Streveler, 27, had recorded just 25 NFL pass attempts prior to entering the game. After going undrafted out of South Dakota in 2018, Streveler played two seasons in the Canadian Football League. He's spent time with the Jets, Arizona Cardinals, Baltimore Ravens and Miami Dolphins organizations since 2020. His previous seven NFL appearances all came as a backup with the Cardinals.
Streveler has been on New York's practice squad since the start of this season. He was elevated to the active roster ahead of Thursday's game.
The loss dropped the Jets to 7-8 and 10th place in the AFC. New York now has just an 8% chance to make the playoffs, according to FiveThirtyEight.
The Jets next host the Seattle Seahawks before a Week 18 showdown with the Dolphins in Miami.
