Robert Saleh: Jets Still Have Faith in Zach Wilson, But 'He's Got to Play Better'
With running back Breece Hall out for the season, the Jets needed Zach Wilson to play his best football on Sunday against the Patriots.
Factor in New England's strong defense on the other side, and New York's injury-riddled offensive line, and Wilson had an opportunity to prove that he has taken a step forward here in his second season, capable of lifting his club to victory.
Instead, the quarterback was the main reason why the Jets snapped their winning streak, throwing three cringeworthy interceptions in a 22-17 loss.
"We gotta do better with the ball," Jets head coach Robert Saleh said after the game, New York's 13th loss in a row to the Patriots. "This is a team that feasts on your mistakes. If you're off by a hair, you're going to pay for it. Collectively, all of us, we've got to be better with the ball."
Wilson started strong, throwing a touchdown pass to tight end Tyler Conklin on the Jets' second drive of the game. Near the end of the second quarter, he began to turn the ball over. Leaning on his back foot, Wilson overthrew Ty Johnson over the middle, gifting an interception to Patriots linebacker Ja'Whaun Bentley.
Wilson proceeded to turn the ball over two more times in the second half, tossing interceptions to defensive back Devin McCourty on back-to-back drives. On both occasions, Wilson was scrambling to his right, evading the rush. He should've thrown the ball away both times, but did not.
"He's got to play better and we have to find ways to help him," Saleh told reporters.
Wilson finished with 355 passing yards in the game, a new career-high, but he also completed just 49 percent of his passes (20-for-41). His two touchdown passes were an afterthought.
"We've got to rally around him," Saleh said. "Coaches, we've got to figure out how to make it not necessarily simpler but just help him continue to progress and evolve. He's still a young man. Playing quarterback in this league is not easy. Collectively, we've got to do better for him and obviously he's got to be able to do what he did for the last four weeks, in terms of doing the simple stuff and not putting too much pressure on himself."
Wilson's three interceptions were his first turnovers since his first game of the season, returning from knee surgery in Week 4. The Jets won that game, thanks to a remarkable comeback in the fourth quarter. New York proceeded to rattle off three more wins in a row—Wilson played clean football in each of those games, but never truly found a rhythm in the pass game, held to 210 passing yards or less with no scores.
Saleh pointed out that New York has faced some talented defensive units in that span. It's the truth. Still, regardless of who you are facing, self-inflicted wounds are detrimental, making it impossible to beat formidable opponents. Football is hard enough. In this case, Wilson needs to figure out how to throw the ball away, something you'd think he'd know by now with 17 NFL games under his belt.
"We've got faith in Z," Saleh said. "He's played good football, he's taken care of the football since he's gotten back and he's shown flashes of good football. Everyone in the locker room has his back."
MORE:
- Elijah Moore Breaks Silence on Trade Request: 'I Don't Get the Ball'
- Jets' Zach Wilson Throws Three Ugly Interceptions in Loss to Patriots
- Report: Jets Tried to Trade For This Running Back Before Acquiring James Robinson
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