Garrett Wilson says one mistake was 'inexcusable' in Jets' Week 3 loss

Garrett Wilson wasn’t interested in excuses after the New York Jets’ 29-27 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday. The star wide receiver put the blame on himself for a momentum-swinging mistake in the first half, admitting he should have done more to prevent his team's costly pick-six.

The play unfolded late in the second quarter with the Jets trailing 13-6. Tyrod Taylor tried to squeeze a pass to Wilson on the sideline, but Buccaneers cornerback Jamel Dean undercut the route and returned the interception for a touchdown.

Instead of attacking the ball, Wilson insisted he allowed the defender to make a play that should have never happened. That one play gave the Bucs a 20-6 lead going into the half and proved to be the difference in the game.

Wilson spoke to reporters after the game and took full accountability for his mistake, which he deemed "inexcusable."

"I can’t do that. I can’t give the DB a right to the ball. That was inexcusable. I gotta help my quarterback out there."

Garrett Wilson

Garrett Wilson takes blame for Tyrod Taylor's ugly pick six

Wilson’s willingness to shoulder the blame (as he always does) is admirable, but the truth is the mistake wasn’t his alone. The interception was largely a result of a mistake by Taylor, who was filling in for the injured Justin Fields.

Pressured on the play, Taylor made a desperate throw off his back foot across his body toward the left sideline. It was late, it floated, and it never should have left his hand. In the NFL, that’s pick-six territory almost every time.

Wilson admitted he could have been more aggressive in fighting back to the ball, and there’s no doubt he’s right. Great receivers bail out their quarterbacks in those spots, and he knows that. But this was a throw designed for disaster, and the bulk of the blame falls on Taylor for putting the ball in harm’s way in the first place.

The turnover was part of a brutal first half that buried the Jets in a 20-6 hole at the break. Taylor never found a rhythm, finishing the half with just 54 passing yards and the costly pick-six hanging over the offense.

With Fields sidelined by a concussion, the Jets were hoping their veteran backup could keep the game steady. Instead, the biggest play of the game came from a decision that an experienced quarterback simply can’t make.

Wilson’s honesty may win respect in the locker room, but the Jets’ offensive problems don’t rest on their top wideout. Until the quarterback play improves, costly mistakes like Sunday’s pick-six will continue haunting them.

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