New York Jets star Garrett Wilson has played down the heated sideline moment that lit up social media during Sunday’s loss to Miami, insisting his shouting was not directed at quarterback Geno Smith. Cameras caught Wilson screaming on the sideline in the fourth quarter of the 28-25 defeat to the previously winless Dolphins, a scene that quickly sparked speculation of a rift between the team’s top receiver and its quarterback.
Garrett Wilson (Credits: ESPN)
Garrett Wilson Says Sideline Screaming Was Not Aimed at Geno Smith
Wilson was again a peripheral figure in the Jets offence, catching just two passes for 26 yards on three targets. He was not officially targeted once in the entire first half, with one catch wiped out by a penalty, and his first recorded catch did not arrive until the third quarter. That quiet afternoon came a week after he managed only four catches for 44 yards in a loss at New England.
The flashpoint arrived late in the game, with the Jets chasing the contest at MetLife Stadium. Wilson was seen shouting animatedly while Smith sat nearby, and other members of the coaching staff were also in the vicinity. After the game, Wilson described the exchange very differently from how it looked on television.
“We were collaborating,” Wilson said. “I don’t even think I was talking to Geno. I think we were both heated, but not at each other at all. We were just disappointed with how we were playing up until that point, wanted to be a little more aggressive.” Smith backed up that version, saying he did not believe Wilson was yelling at him.
Jets Fall to 2-5 After Losing to Winless Dolphins
Whatever the exact target of Wilson’s frustration, the result leaves the Jets at 2-5 and facing more questions about an offence that has struggled to get its best player involved. The Jets did fight back from 21-7 down at half-time, but a promising fourth-quarter drive stalled at the Miami goal line, where a third-down sack of Smith forced them to settle for a field goal with under nine minutes remaining.
The defeat also turned up the heat on head coach Aaron Glenn, with fans questioning clock management and the direction of a team that has now lost at home to a side that arrived without a win. For Wilson, the immediate challenge is simpler: getting back to the volume that made him the focal point of the offence, starting with next week’s home game against the Las Vegas Raiders.
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Source: ESPN — read the full story there.
