Jets Country

Jets' Zach Wilson Is Eager to Show What He Learned While He Was Injured

Watching Mike White, Joe Flacco and Josh Johnson play while he's been hurt, Zach Wilson is ready to run the offense with an improved mentality and approach.

Max Goodman

Not long after Zach Wilson's rookie season began, Jets head coach Robert Saleh told reporters that his young quarterback needs to learn how to play a boring game of football.

In other words, not every play needs to be a deep ball downfield. Short passes and checkdowns can be a quarterback's best friend, especially against talented defensive units, taking what your opponent gives you on any given Sunday.

Wilson showed flashes of an improved approach under center, but ended up on the sidelines a few weeks later, nursing a right knee injury.

Rather than twiddling his thumbs, waiting for his sprained PCL to recuperate, Wilson got to work. By watching the rest of New York's quarterbacks run the offense (and have some success with it), the rookie is confident that he's returning to the starting lineup with a superior mentality and readiness to finish the season on a high note.

"I feel like every rep that they went through I was able to learn from and apply it to my game," Wilson told reporters on Wednesday. "I just feel like it’s going to help me going forward."

Wilson was named New York's starting quarterback this week for a low-profile matchup with the lowly Houston Texans. It'll be the 22-year-old's first in-game reps since his injury against the Patriots back in Week 6. 

Since then, Wilson has watched as backup Mike White dinked and dunked to an upset victory over the Bengals, veteran Joe Flacco countered Miami's blitz-heavy defense with a quick trigger and third-stringer Josh Johnson dismantled the Colts for the best half of his career on Thursday Night Football.

Watching on the sideline, Wilson was able to take the mental reps with whoever was under center, learning from the decisions those quarterbacks made between the lines. 

He said this week that he has a better understanding of how to orchestrate New York's offense, balancing his elite arm talent and ability to rip it with each play's progressions and the easier throws that keep the chains moving.

"My mindset needs to be, make them pay once they give it to us, but if they don’t, I wouldn’t call it boring football, just play football the way it should be played," Wilson added. "Make the decisions that they’re giving you. They’re not giving us the one down the field, so understand what we’re calling the play for and be able to get the ball to your playmakers underneath. Coach Saleh put it as boring football, but in my mind it’s just playing the right way, honestly."

Wilson even referenced the play where he was injured as an example of where he can improve. Rather than chucking a pass into double coverage to Keelan Cole (even if it resulted in pass interference), Wilson should've thrown the ball away, found a running back in the flat or even taken the sack.

"Those guys were playing deep. New England was taking away the deep play, I should’ve just probably checked the ball down in that play," he said. "So, there were learning experiences right there."

He'll need to make sure his new mindset translates to the football field, starting on Sunday, but when it comes to his preparation, Wilson is brimming with encouragement about the final seven games of the year.

"Mentally, I feel like what I’m looking for, what I need to do as a quarterback is heading in the right direction," Wilson said. "Of course you’re still learning, but I feel like I’m going in the right direction as far as my understanding of the game and what I’m looking for and really the ability to just go through the offense and the mindset, I guess you could say, of just making the best decision every single play for the team. Putting those guys first."

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Max Goodman
MAX GOODMAN

Max Goodman covers the New York Jets for Sports Illustrated and FanNation. He also covers the New York Yankees, publisher  of Sports Illustrated and FanNation's Yankees site, Inside The Pinstripes. Before starting out with SI, Goodman attended Northwestern University and the Medill School of Journalism. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Broadcast Journalism and Master’s Degree in Sports Media, graduating in 2019. While at school, Goodman gathered valuable experience as an anchor and reporter on NNN SportsNight and played on the club baseball team. Goodman previously interned at MLB.com as an associate reporter covering the Miami Marlins. He also interned with ESPN, working as an associate reporter on Mike Greenberg's Get Up. Goodman is from New York City. He grew up in Hell's Kitchen. Follow Goodman on Twitter @MaxTGoodman and connect with him via email by reaching out at maxgoodmansports@gmail.com.

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