Wilson finished the game with 301 yards on 27 of 36 passing and two touchdowns. It was his first 300-plus yards of the season, the third of his career. He gained 209 of those yards on 18 of 21 passes in the second half. Sunday was just Wilson's second career game with more than two passing TDs and zero interceptions.
The QB played loosely in the second half after fear of making a mistake characterized his play this season.
“As a coach, you always say, 'Don't throw that,'” Wilson said, via ESPN. “Sometimes they go the other way. So for me it's throwing it when you believe it's there and trusting it. Sometimes bad plays happen, but you have to trust it and let it rip. “It’s part of football.”
Nathaniel Hackett's change in mentality and more open style of play helped unlock Wilson in the second half. Teammates noticed the quarterback's attitude changing earlier this week.
“He told me, ‘I’m playing for all of you. I have nothing to lose,'” cornerback DJ Reed said. “He said, 'What's the worst that can happen if I get benched again?' That's what he said and that's how he played. You could see that.”
“He said it earlier this week: Pay attention. Go out and have fun. Leave it all out there,” guard Laken Tomlinson said.
We've seen flashes from Wilson in the past – at the Chiefs game, for example – but he immediately regressed. The question for the last four weeks is whether Wilson will continue to play it easy with his nothing-to-lose mentality or with the issues that have plagued his career.