In honor of being selected to start a gameday after Thanksgiving, No. 7 and the Jets will don their Stealth Back uniforms from head to toe on Black Friday.
The game against the division-leading Dolphins (7-3) will only be Boyle’s fourth start of his NFL career, offering him a unique opportunity to keep the Jets in the running for an AFC playoff berth. The Jets’ quarterback, Tim Boyle, will be the star of the NFL’s first Black Friday game after HC Robert Saleh announced that he would replace Zach Wilson for the crucial AFC East game against rival Miami.
TV analyst and former Jets player Leger Douzable Eric Allen said, “We saw how this team last year when Mike White came in, how it galvanized around him,” on this week’s episode of “The Official Jets Podcast.” “He has a chance to convince the team that he is the best player.
The Jets are still right in the thick of things, despite everything that has happened to them. A division enemy, just let it all hang out there; you never know when you’ll get another chance. The Dolphins are under intense pressure to maintain their lead over the Chiefs and Ravens in the race for the top seed. They need to make the plays and are under a lot of pressure. Go ahead and let it loose without hesitation or fear.”
In Sunday’s 32-6 loss at Buffalo, Zach Wilson was lifted toward the end of the third quarter. The Jets’ (4-5) third consecutive loss followed a three-game winning streak that was preceded by a three-game losing streak.
“I think once you put Boyle in the game [against the Bills], we knew that it symbolized a bigger story,” Bart Scott stated. “When he did get in, the ball came out on time, but they weren’t in sync because he didn’t have reps with the first team.”
Boyle, 29, was drafted by the Jets in April as a free agent after growing up in Connecticut. He was the Green Bay Packers’ backup quarterback for a few seasons, and in 2021 he had his best season as a pro with the Lions. Boyle completed 61 of 94 passes (64.9%) for 526 yards and three touchdowns in four games (three starts). Last season, he was a member of the Bears.
Douzable remarked, “He has an interesting story.” “He attended UConn initially before moving to Eastern Kentucky. Based on the data, this man embodies the classic tale of perseverance. He never missed an opportunity to do something.
Knowing [offensive coordinator] Nathaniel Hackett well is helpful; he’s a seasoned player who knows where to put the ball. The fact that it’s a Friday game and he won’t have time to establish continuity is the only thing that bothers me. This is an old hand who has been around the block and played a little football. Perhaps the offense will perform better.”
But Boyle (the 16th player in the last 15 years to start at quarterback for the Green & White) will have to contend with some of the same issues that Wilson did when he was a member of the Jets: an inconsistent offensive line.
The Jets have used a whopping 13 different players on the O-line thus far this season, along with seven different combinations on the line (five different combos in the last five games). Mekhi Becton is now doubtful for Sunday’s game against the ‘Fins after leaving the game on Sunday due to an ankle injury.
“When you lose three in a row and the offense has been anemic, you’re looking for a spark,” Douzable stated. “I hate to use that word, but I think something has to change for a reason. Once offense has reached its current level of performance, something will shift.
“You have to believe in something at times, so that when you make a change, everyone will try to believe,” Scott continued. I think that belief was lost, and all it takes to gain momentum is a few well-placed balls.
“The football gods never stop giving you chances, so they’re still not far away. Buffalo, and not the Jets, have a difficult schedule. However, they will get another chance to fight a week later if they can draw [with Buffalo and Miami]. People believed that clubs like the Jets, Denver, and the Raiders were eliminated, even though they could still win a few games. The Jets have demonstrated that.
Teams keep getting injured, but our defense is still intact, and you have a formidable unit.”
Scott believes that Boyle will have the chance to showcase his skills and make history as the first player to sign both the NFL and Jets record books during the Black Friday game.
“This is more than a game, it’s special, an inaugural game,” Scott stated. “As the first Jets quarterback to start on Black Friday, he will eventually come up for question on some sports program. It’s a means of immortality; if he performs well and wins the game as quarterback, this is one way he can live on in the memory. Losers are forgotten by everyone.”
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