Zach Wilson completed 27 of 36 passes for a season-high 301 yards and two touchdowns in his return to the starting quarterback job, helping the New York Jets snap a five-game losing streak with a 30-6 victory over the Houston Texans on Sunday in East Rutherford, N.J.
Playing through a drenching rain, Wilson helped the Jets (5-8) score more than one offensive touchdown in a game for the first time since Week 5. Wilson was reinstalled as the No. 1 quarterback after a two-week benching in favor of Tim Boyle.
Garrett Wilson caught nine passes for 108 yards and Breece Hall had eight receptions for 86 yards and a touchdown while adding 40 rushing yards for New York.
The Texans (7-6) lost star quarterback C.J. Stroud late in the fourth quarter. He was hit after a throw and his head snapped back as he went to the ground. The team later said he entered concussion protocol. Stroud was 10-of-23 passing for 91 yards.
Houston, playing without injured starting wide receiver Tank Dell and tight end Dalton Schultz, also lost wideout Nico Collins to a calf injury early in the game. The Jets’ defense limited the Texans to season lows in points and yardage (135).
The teams combined for 11 consecutive punts before New York knelt with two seconds left to end the scoreless first half.
The Jets, though, started the second half with possession and traveled 75 yards in seven plays. Garrett Wilson caught three passes for 55 yards on the drive, including a 25-yarder in traffic on third-and-12. On the next play, Zach Wilson hit Randall Cobb on a crossing pattern for a 15-yard TD.
New York made it two straight touchdown drives with 4:31 left in the third quarter. The Jets reached the Houston 9-yard line, where receiver Xavier Gipson took a jet-sweep handoff in for the score.
Before the quarter was up, Zach Wilson lost a fumble in the wet conditions and Khalil Davis recovered for the Texans. Houston entered New York territory for the first time all game before Devin Singletary ran in a 1-yard touchdown on the final play of the quarter. Matt Ammendola missed the PAT.
The Jets answered with a 10-play, 75-yard scoring drive. Hall was all alone to Zach Wilson’s left for a 3-yard receiving TD.
The Jets’ defense wrapped up a stellar performance by forcing three straight turnovers on downs, which led to Greg Zuerlein field goals of 51, 55 and 44 yards.
–Field Level Media
