With each of his team-leading 10 receptions on Sunday, each contortion of his body, each time he put his body on the line to catch the ball, Jets WR Garrett Wilson put on display why he is among the elite pass catchers in the NFL.

"To talk about Garrett, man, he's a warrior," TE Jeremy Ruckert, Wilson's teammate at Ohio State, said. "I've known him since he was a recruit coming in my freshman year, and ever since I've known him, he's a warrior. He's a competitor, and one thing about Garrett is this was one of the best weeks of practice I think he's ever had.

"He demands the ball. He made some spectacular plays all week in practice. Did it the right way. He demands the ball, but in a way that you want to give it to him, not as a diva. And you know he's a great Jet to have in our locker room. And obviously, you throw the ball to him, he's going to make things happen."

That's exactly what Wilson did all game in the Jets' narrow 31-24 loss to the Lions in Detroit.

With TE Mason Taylor (thumb) inactive and WR Adonai Mitchell (finger) sideline, most of the onus to make things happen through the air fell to Wilson, Ruckert and rookie K Kenyon Sadiq. Ruckert chipped in with 5 receptions for 39 yards and a critical TD that led to the Jets tying the game, 24-24.

Wilson (10-107-1) and Sadiq (7-105-1) matched the performance in a Jets game in 1995 against New England when TE Johnny Mitchell and WR Ryan Yarborough each had a 100 yards receiving in the game. In addition, Wilson and Allen Lazard in a Monday night loss to Buffalo each had 100 yards receiving, as did Wilson and Davante Adams against Miami in Week 14 of the 2024 season.

"I mean what Garrett does on the field ... every game is just amazing," RG and team captain Joe Tippmann Sr. said. "And you know it kind of shows how he is in the locker room. He's such a great teammate, someone who's willing to put in his two cents, someone who's willing to kind of give everything each and every game. Just the way Garrett is as a leader, as a player. I mean it's amazing seeing what he can do on the field. It's truly amazing."

On the late-game drive when the Jets tied the game, 24-24, QB Geno Smith and Wilson connected on three-straight completions (4, 6, and 15 yards) to get to the Detroit 42. Later, when the drive appeared to stall with the Jets facing fourth-and-6 from the Lions' 23-yard-line, Smith found Wilson along the right sideline for a circus catch against former teammate DJ Reed. On the play, Reed was called for pass interference, but Wilson (after review) was ruled to have caught the ball from Smith and stretched into the end zone for a touchdown that, after a 2-point conversion from Smith to WR Sterling Shepard, tied the game 24-24.

"I mean that's just what Garrett does," Sadiq said. "You know that's an insane touchdown catch. But the crazy thing is, I don't think anyone expected anything less."