The latest New York Jets savior authored a depressing display in Sunday's 25-6 loss to the New England Patriots.
Zach Wilson looked overwhelmed by Bill Belichick's defense, which is notoriously rough on rookies. The No. 2 overall pick tossed four interceptions, at least two of which were awful decisions. He completed 19-of-33 attempts for 210 yards, took four sacks, and didn't have a TD.
Despite the struggles, Jets players are firm in their belief Wilson will overcome the atrocious outing.
"I think he's going to bounce back," linebacker C.J. Mosley said Monday before correcting himself, via the NY Post. "No, I know he will bounce back."
Gang Green coach Robert Saleh said that sometimes Wilson got himself in trouble trying to make the special play instead of just taking what the defense gave him.
"It's not about being electric and making the plays, and you trust that if you stay ahead of the chains and you stay within yourself and you play the game of football and keep the team in an advantageous situation, other teams will panic, other teams will force the issue," Saleh said. "And that's where you can take advantage of your shots and your explosive plays."
The good news for the Jets is that the issues appeared to be mental decision-making errors rather than physical issues. They're correctable mistakes. Wilson has a rocket of an arm and did well to avoid several more sacks Sunday. After four INTs in the first six full possessions, Wilson settled down and played more efficiently down the stretch.
Wilson's propensity to take the shot instead of the check-down is something we also see with No. 1 overall pick Trevor Lawrence in Jacksonville. But, conversely, Mac Jones' good start to his career is because of his willingness not to put the ball in harm's way.
For Wilson, each game is an opportunity to grow and improve.
"Nobody said it was going to click the first game, the second game," Mosley said. "But when it does click, he's going to show why he was picked second."
More than the interceptions, the 10 sacks through two games should worry Jets fans. We've seen young QBs become shell-shocked after taking a beating week after week after week. Wilson isn't there yet, but Gang Green needs to protect the franchise QB better than it's done through two games.
