New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson had a dreadful performance on Sunday both during and after their 10-3 loss to the New England Patriots.
And it still was not the most embarrassing moment by a Jets quarterback in the past decade.
It was 10 years ago Tuesday, on Thanksgiving night in 2012, that Mark Sanchez and the Jets were the centerpieces of a turducken of incompetence known as “The Butt Fumble.”
The play was doomed from the start due to an obvious miscommunication and then became infinitely worse when Sanchez slid into the backside of an offensive lineman, fumbled the ball, and then had it get scooped up by a Patriots defender who jogged into the end zone.
The thing that always added extra insult to the butt fumble is the oftentimes forgotten fact that the Jets fumbled the ensuing kickoff which was also returned for a Patriots touchdown. It was two touchdowns in less than 10 seconds and sent the Jets on their way to a 49-19 loss.
It was also the beginning of the end of Sanchez’s tenure as the Jets’ starting quarterback as he did not return the next season.
Not much has improved for the Jets in the 10 years since the “butt fumble,” either.
They have not returned to the playoffs, have only had one winning season, and have gone through a revolving door of quarterbacks featuring journeymen veterans (Ryan Fitzpatrick, Josh McCown) and high draft picks that never panned out with them (Geno Smith, Christian Hackenberg, Sam Darnold, and now Wilson).
Wilson might end up being the most damaging of those picks, simply because he was the No. 2 pick in the draft, has shown no real sign of improvement, and does not seem to have any accountability for his performance. All of that has made him the subject of scathing criticism from analysts and former Jets coach Rex Ryan (who saw the “butt fumble” firsthand), while the team has refused to commit to him remaining the starter this Sunday.
It is the most important position on the field, and the Jets have been unable to solve it for years. Ten years after their most embarrassing moment, they are still stepping in it.
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