Joe Flacco proves Jets are in for another long season with one play

Joe Flacco could be starting for the New York Jets in Week 1 and he showed in the preseason finale that’s a setup for more misery. 

The Zach Wilson injury suffered in the preseason already put the fear of another torturous season in the hearts of New York Jets fans everywhere. But if there was any silver lining that you could spin, it would be that veteran and noted “Elite” quarterback Joe Flacco is on the roster to step in and take over for as long as the second-year signal-caller is out.

After seeing his performance in the preseason finale against the crosstown rival Giants, though, that optimism is going to be even more difficult to find for fans.

Early in the second quarter of the game, Flacco got under pressure a bit and broke out of the pocket. After a weak fake like he was going to try and run for the first down on third-and-3, he pulled back for a fadeaway pass that was directly into the arms of a player — the unfortunate part being that it was a player for the other New York team, resulting in a truly awful interception.

Jets: Joe Flacco shows clearly New York is in for more misery

Obviously, you can’t judge a player or a team based on one play. That’s unfair to everyone involved. At the same time, though, Flacco has been a shell of who he was in his prime with the Ravens, which was never in the top tier of NFL quarterbacks.

What’s even more concerning is the fact that there were reports prior to Wilson’s injury that Flacco was outplaying the second-year player in training camp. So to see something like this in game action and then consider that notion, that’s disconcerting, to say the least.

There are good pieces in New York as they’ve drafted well under Joe Douglas. But if we’re looking at 2022 and what Flacco, who is likely to start Week 1 with Wilson recovering still, is doing on the field, this looks like a team that might still be a ways away from competing at a serious level.