'Not Great': Jets' Zach Wilson Assesses MetLife Stadium Debut

Zach Wilson's MetLife Stadium debut did not go as planned.

The No. 2 overall pick struggled in Saturday's Green and White scrimmage, throwing two interceptions.

"Not great," Wilson said to reporters Saturday night, assessing his performance. "I have high expectations for myself, and for this offense, and I got to lead those guys, I got to make better decisions. But that's why this isn't Game 1. That's why we're doing this."

Reporters at MetLife Stadium detailed Wilson's tough night, as the 22-year-old was unable to move the football while throwing a pair of picks, forcing passes into coverage. 

In fact, according to Connor Hughes of The Athletic, Wilson completed just 11 of his 24 passes for 112 yards. Of the rookie's seven drives Saturday, New York punted on four of them, converting on one field goal.

As much as Wilson had trouble in the scrimmage, head coach Robert Saleh believes the experience will benefit the franchise quarterback in the long run.

"It’s his first time in front of the fans. There was a good crowd out there," Saleh explained. "These moments are priceless for him. He had some good moments and obviously he had some rookie moments. So it’s going to be a lot of tape to learn off of for him."

Wilson agreed, assuring that jitters didn't play a role in his performance. 

"It's just part of the process," he said. "We're all learning. I got to make some better decisions, but I know I'm learning from all those. The reason we do this whole thing is to be able to get used to that kind of stuff. Now we can clean it up."

New York still has over a month it opens the regular season with Week 1 in Carolina. Wilson won't take the field at MetLife in a game that actually counts until Gang Green's Week 2 matchup with the Patriots on September 19.

Until then, Wilson, the coaching staff and the rest of this young roster will look to build on this performance—and their work in training camp—leading into the preseason.  

After all, there were still some positives to takeaway from Saturday's scrimmage, even if Wilson was unable to shine.

"Great for all of us just to feel out the atmosphere and get in front of some fans and stuff," the quarterback said. "It was good for our team to get out here for sure."

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• How Tevin Coleman Is Helping to Bring the Best Out of New York's Running Back Room
• Jets Named Most Improved Team in NFL This Offseason

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