Zach Wilson's magic and the top 5 moments for the NY Jets in 2021

2021 was a bit of an up and down year for the NY Jets. From being crowned offseason champions (yet again), to slumping their way to another losing record and once more being eliminated from playoff contention. Still, the future is plenty bright for New York, who seem to finally have a game plan moving forward.

It's a lot more than we can say about 2020, which seemingly had few highs when compared to the 2021 season. Even the Jets' two wins under Adam Gase had the fanbase divided, as a large majority wanted to lose as much as possible for a chance at drafting Trevor Lawrence. That seems like an eternity ago.

Now, at the end of the season, the future is much brighter with Robert Saleh and Joe Douglas calling the shots. Zach Wilson has corrected his turnover woes, and everybody is looking to see what this staff can do when the roster isn't depleted by injuries.

While it's disappointing to be looking at mock drafts in November yet again, this season ended on a much higher note than it started. Even some pessimistic fans have to have a few things to be excited about.

But before diving into what lies ahead for the Jets in 2022, we'll first look back at the top five moments of the year.

5. The NY Jets hire Robert Saleh to replace Adam Gase

Many fans would say that Adam Gase should have been fired after year one. Some would even say that he should have never have been hired in the first place. Both sides of that argument were satisfied on January 3rd of 2021 when Gase was shown the door.

Then came a pivotal moment in the franchise's recent history. After botching the hiring in 2019, the Jets needed to make up for lost time. There was plenty of speculation about who the head coach would be.

Would they focus on offense and pursue Bills' offensive coordinator Brian Daboll? Would they continue on the trend of uninspiring retread hires like Doug Pederson?

While fans were in the midst of guessing, rumors started swirling that they could land one of the hottest names on the market — 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh. It seemed too good to be true. It was then that things started getting a little wild.

From the fear that the Eagles would sweep Saleh from underneath the Jets' noses, to somebody even camping out in the bushes near the facility to give live updates, it was the pinnacle of NY Jets Twitter.

The nerves, the emotions — it was a chaotic, yet thoroughly entertaining time. The pure joy that came when the official announcement was made is still a pleasant memory.

Now at the end of his first season, there are obviously areas of criticism. His time management certainly seems to be the glaring issue. However, the team was competitive during the final few weeks of the season.

It will likely be another year or two before we look back on the Saleh hire with either joy or disdain. For the moment, it was one of the most jubilant moments of the year.

4. The NY Jets' 2021 NFL Draft

The argument could be made that Joe Douglas completely bombed the 2020 draft. James Morgan isn't on the team anymore, Mekhi Becton has many fans worried about his health, and Denzel Mims can't stop getting in his own way.

Of course, this wasn't known at the time of the 2021 NFL Draft, nor did anybody realize how special the most recent draft could end up being.

First-rounders Zach Wilson and Alijah Vera-Tucker have already flashed why they were worth their drafting position with Vera-Tucker being an absolute stud.

Now, almost a year later, that draft class is lightyears better than the 2020 selections. Outside of the first round, Elijah Moore, both Michael Carters, and Brandin Echols all made great contributions to the team.

If the Jets follow this pace, 2022 could spell an all-time draft class for the franchise and put them in prime position to finally make a run at the postseason — something that fans have been counting the days for since 2010.

While it may have not been as exciting at the time, the draft was one of the most important moments of 2021 — and it likely will be for years to come.

3. Zach Wilson's 52-yard scramble

Now getting into specific moments, Zach Wilson seemed to finally be putting things together by the end of the season. Arguably his best passing game down the late stretch was against Tampa Bay, where he passed for over 230 yards and put some real zip on some of his throws.

However, one of his best plays of the season will not come through the air, but on land. In a matchup between first and second overall draft picks, Zach Wilson's Jets took on Trevor Lawrence's Jaguars in a prime matchup of the league's bottom-feeders.

Thankfully, it wasn't a grind to enjoy the game. There were plenty of exciting plays, including a last-second stand to win the game. If nothing else, the first half really set the tone for how hard these two teams were going to battle each other.

After the Jaguars got on the board first with a field goal, it was time for Wilson to show off the athleticism everybody saw in his breakout year at BYU.

On third and five, Wilson evaded what seemed to be a surefire sack. He skipped free for a first down, and it seemed like he was about to head out of bounds. That was apparently what the Jaguars imagined as well, as he faked running to the sideline, and cut back upfield.

He even juked a poor man out of his shoes before diving into the endzone for the longest quarterback run by a Jets player in franchise history.

This play got many fans excited. It was a peek into what Wilson could be what he was in college. An athletic quarterback that can improvise if the play isn't there.

It set the tone for an exciting game as well, also serving to be an important stepping stone in Wilson's development.

2. Mike White's Halloween Magic

The most surprising game of the season fittingly came on Halloween. After Zach Wilson was knocked out of the New England Patriots game early and had to miss a few weeks, Mike White was handed the reins for a short period of time.

During a matchup against the Bengals, the Jets started off well enough. They scored a touchdown to open up scoring, but two tipped passes led to interceptions by Cincinnati.

While the defense deserved a pat on the back for stopping the Bengals on a crucial fourth down, the real fun didn't begin until the second half.

Mike White kept the game close, even after the Bengals scored 17 unanswered, by leading a touchdown drive late in the first half to make the score 17-14 at halftime.

Just when the game seemed to be getting away from the Jets, falling behind 31-20, momentum suddenly shifted and the team never looked back. After Mike White led another touchdown drive, the Jets' defense picked off Joe Burrow on the next drive.

Oh yeah. It was also the first interception for the Jets in 2021.

White did his thing, leading the offense to another touchdown and even caught the ball on a 'Philly Special' for the two-point conversion, which would be the final points of the game.

With a final score of 34-31, the Jets notched their second win of the season. White finished with a stat line of 405 yards and three touchdowns. To cap it all off, he was named AFC Player of the Week.

While the Mike White Magic didn't last for long, the victory over the Bengals will remain one of the most exciting and confusing victories in recent memory.

1. Go Long

We could have highlighted the entire game against Tennessee, but this was one moment that will live on as the moment where we first saw Wilson's talent at work. If he becomes the quarterback of the future, the finger could be pointed at this single play where we first saw his greatness.

After falling behind 9-0 against the Titans, the Jets seemed to find their rhythm. The defense kept the team in the game, sacking Ryan Tannehill seven times on the day. Wilson flashed his talent throughout, including a deep throw to Keelan Cole that gave the Jets the lead on a field goal.

The Titans would respond with a touchdown and two-point conversion. Wilson again worked some magic recovering a fumbled snap and hitting Jameson Crowder inside the red zone, and targeting Crowder again for the game-tying touchdown.

Then, it happened.

Getting the ball back, the Jets were at around the 50-yard line with just under 10 minutes left. Zach Wilson took the snap, rolled to his right, waved Corey Davis downfield, and launched one of the prettiest balls you will ever see between two defenders for a touchdown to take the lead.

The Jets would take the game to overtime, winning after Tennessee missed a potential game-tying field goal. It gave fans a glimpse of what the team could be.

A young group that fights even when they're down. A defensive line that makes life miserable for opposing quarterbacks. Running backs running well. Wide receivers making plays.

And Zach Wilson cooking a defense. If the Jets that played against the Titans showed up every week, they would be a playoff team with ease. In time, their success will come.

For now, everything that Zach Wilson could be is held within one play. He bought time, saw the play he wanted, and simply said:

"Go long."