New York Jets

Just one game into his NFL career, New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson and his family are experiencing the negatives of social media.

Wilson's mom, Lisa, posted an Instagram story Sunday featuring some of the hateful direct messages she received after the Jets' 19-14 loss to the Carolina Panthers. 

"Real talk tho, y ur son so dog s--t at football," one person wrote, via TMZ Sports. 

"Praying for your son to get better at f--king football!" read another message.

Lisa Wilson responded to the messages with positivity while posting "Hate is so toxic!!!" in the IG story.

These type of messages are nothing new for professional athletes, with San Francisco 49ers running back Raheem Mostert also allegedly receiving "thousands" of negative comments after suffering an injury in Week 1, per TMZ Sports.

Zach Wilson has high expectations early in his NFL career after being selected No. 2 overall in the 2021 draft. He got the Week 1 start for the Jets as the team looks to turn things around following a 2-14 campaign in 2020.

Though Wilson flashed upside in his debut with 258 passing yards and two touchdowns, it wasn't enough for the Jets to earn the win Sunday.   

Wide receiver Jamison Crowder won't be available for the New York Jets on Sunday against the Carolina Panthers. 

Head coach Robert Saleh told reporters Friday that Crowder is still on the reserve/COVID-19 list.

Saleh announced Monday that Crowder, who is vaccinated, tested positive and was symptomatic. The veteran was considered day-to-day. 

NFL protocols require vaccinated players to return two negative tests 24 hours apart before they are eligible to return.

Crowder is entering his third season with the Jets. The 28-year-old led the team with 59 receptions, 699 yards and six touchdowns last year despite missing four games because of injuries. 

Zach Wilson, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft, is set to make his first career start Sunday. The 22-year-old went 15-of-20 for 191 yards and two touchdowns in two preseason starts. 

Losing Crowder takes away a playmaker for the Jets. There is also uncertainty around Keelan Cole's knee injury suffered during Thursday's practice. He is listed as a game-time decision.

Corey Davis, Elijah Moore and Braxton Berrios will likely be the top three receivers against the Panthers. Cole and Denzel Mims could also see playing time in the slot.   

Shaq Lawson is headed back to the AFC East.

The Houston Texans agreed to trade Lawson to the New York Jets on Sunday, receiving a 2022 sixth-round pick in return, per Brian Costello of the New York Post.

The Texans initially acquired Lawson in a March trade with the Miami Dolphins. The Jets are the third AFC East team to employ Lawson, joining the Bills and Dolphins.

Lawson is set to earn a $1.4 million base salary for the 2021 season, making him something of a bargain as a one-year rental. The Jets could move on after this season and avoid paying him his $8.9 million base salary for 2022 or get a good pass-rusher at a below-market value.

Lawson, a 2016 first-round pick, has never quite lived up to his billing despite obvious physical gifts. He's failed to surpass 6.5 sacks or 33 tackles in a season.

Pro Football Focus has nevertheless been more complimentary than his counting stats, giving Lawson grades of at least 65 each of the last four seasons. 

The Texans are in the midst of a tear-it-down rebuild and likely value the sixth-round pick more than a veteran edge-rusher. 

New York Jets defensive end Vinny Curry announced Wednesday that he will miss the 2021 season because of a rare blood disorder.

Curry wrote on Twitter that he had to have his spleen removed after being diagnosed with the blood disorder in July and and that he expected to return to the field in September. But he developed blood clots and is on blood thinners that require him to avoid physical contact for the next three to six months. 

Curry said doctors expect him to make a full recovery and return to the field in 2022.

The Jets announced Tuesday that they placed Curry on the reserve/non-football injury list. 

Curry signed a one-year, $1.3 million deal with the team in March. He spent the previous two seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles. 

If Curry had made the 53-man roster, he likely would have been used in pass-rushing situations for head coach Robert Saleh. 

The loss of Curry compounds the Jets' depth issues on the defensive line. Carl Lawson ruptured his Achilles during a joint practice with the Green Bay Packers on Thursday. 

Ronald Blair, Quinnen Williams, Folorunso Fatukasi and John Franklin-Myers will likely start the season as New York's four starters. Bryce Huff, Nathan Shepherd, Sheldon Rankins and Jabari Zuniga are among the backup options. 

Curry spent the first six years of his career with the Eagles, winning a Super Bowl in 2017. He spent the 2018 season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before returning to Philadelphia. 

The 33-year-old has 92 quarterback hits and 32.5 sacks in 123 career games.    

Green Bay Packers quarterback and reigning NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers is impressed with New York Jets rookie signal-caller Zach Wilson.

Rodgers provided the praise when speaking with play-by-play announcer Kevin Harlan during the Packers' 23-14 home preseason loss at Lambeau Field on Saturday.

"I got to know Zach a little bit in the offseason, had some conversations with him," Rodgers said.

"He's a good young kid. I really like his disposition, his mentality. He can throw the heck out of it. He had a really nice throw where he kind of broke the pocket, broke contain, moving to his right, threw it way down the right sideline. That's the kind of stuff he's gonna need to do."

Wilson excelled in the Jets' win, completing 9-of-11 passes for 128 yards and two touchdowns. He's 15-of-20 for 191 yards and two scores through two preseason games after helping lead the Jets to a 12-7 win in their opener over the New York Giants.

The No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft will be entrusted to help lead a team that went just 2-14 last year.

Early returns are positive, though, and a ringing endorsement from one of the best quarterbacks in NFL history is a good sign, as Wilson and the Jets set their sights on their Week 1 battle with the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, Sept. 12.

In his second outing as the New York Jets starting quarterback, Zach Wilson led his team to a 23-14 preseason victory over the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. 

Wilson had a solid debut last week against the New York Giants. This year's No. 2 overall pick went 6-of-9 for 63 yards and led one scoring drive on two possessions. He was even better in an expanded role with 128 yards and two touchdowns today. 

The Packers played this game without their top two quarterbacks. Aaron Rodgers isn't expected to play at all in the preseason, while Jordan Love recovers from a shoulder injury suffered in the second quarter of the preseason opener last week. 

That left Kurt Benkert and Jake Dolegala as Green Bay's top two quarterbacks. Benkert wound up playing virtually the entire game until the team's final offensive possession. He fared well with 151 yards, one touchdown and one interception. 

Notable Game Stats

• Zach Wilson (NYJ): 9-of-11, 128 yards, 2 TD
• Michael Carter (NYJ): 10 carries, 52 yards
• Corey Davis (NYJ): 4 receptions, 70 yards
• Kurt Benkert (GB): 18-of-25, 151 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
• AJ Dillon (GB): 4 carries, 28 yards; 2 receptions, 12 yards
• Malik Taylor (GB): 4 receptions, 66 yards

Wilson Continues to Dazzle in Preseason

Even with the usual caveats about the preseason, Jets fans and coaches have to be very excited about what they have seen from Wilson in two starts. 

The 22-year-old played four series in the first half, scoring on three of those possessions. His favorite target was free-agent addition Corey Davis, who had 41 yards on back-to-back receptions late in the first quarter. 

Those two plays set up Wilson's 18-yard touchdown pass to Tyler Kroft that put the Jets up 10-7. 

Kroft was Wilson's go-to option in the red zone, with both of his catches going for touchdowns. 

While the entire stat line for Wilson looks great, perhaps the most impressive part of his performance came on throws of at least 10 yards:

The Jets have been burned a couple of times by first-round quarterbacks in recent history. Sam Darnold was traded to the Carolina Panthers after just three seasons because of his struggles under previous head coach Adam Gase. 

Mark Sanchez won 24 games in his first two seasons, including the playoffs, but Rex Ryan's defense was clearly carrying most of the burden for those teams that reached the AFC Championship Game in 2009 and 2010.

Wilson's raw talent made him as tantalizing as any quarterback in this year's draft class. The early returns from his first two preseason games give the Jets plenty of reason to be optimistic about what the future holds for the franchise.   

Running Backs Shine for Packers in Defeat

Barring a catastrophic situation at quarterback, Kurt Benkert is unlikely to see the field during the 2021 regular season for the Packers. 

That leaves one of the most important evaluations from Saturday's game in the backfield. A total of six players combined for 135 yards on 32 carries against the Jets defense. 

AJ Dillon was very good with 28 yards on four carries in one series. The second-year back should see an increased workload this season with Jamaal Williams now playing for the Detroit Lions. 

Head coach Matt LaFleur seemed to make a point of getting the ball to Dillon on the Packers opening possession. He also caught two passes for 12 yards on a drive that lasted eight plays and ended in a Benkert touchdown throw to Kylin Hill. 

Patrick Taylor, who went undrafted out of Memphis last year, led all Packers players with 48 rushing yards on eight carries. He may have hurt his case for a roster spot with a lost fumble on the first play of the third quarter. 

Aaron Jones is entrenched as Green Bay's starter at running back. He has racked up 3,017 yards from scrimmage and 30 total touchdowns over the past two seasons combined.

Dillon, the team's second-round pick last year, appears ready to take on an expanded role. Hill could be in the driver seat for the No. 3 spot after a strong outing today.