Saleh Says Jets Will Stay the Course at Quarterback
Zach Wilson has been far from the best, but he is the best the New York Jets have right now.
Even after a second straight offensive dud, head coach Robert Saleh will continue riding with the beleaguered quarterback.
"Right now, he’s who gives us the best chance to win," said Saleh following a 15-10 home loss to the New England Patriots.
In 12 quarters of football this season, the Wilson-led offense has scored only three touchdowns. The former No. 2 overall draft choice has completed 52.4 percent of his passes while accounting for a lackluster 57.0 quarterback rating.
On Sunday, Gang Green's offense never got out of neutral, averaging 2.8 yards per play. The Jets, who converted only 2 of 14 third-down opportunities, netted 133 yards through the air.
"It starts with me, I have to find a way to be better," said Wilson after dropping to 0-5 lifetime against New England.
Wilson finished 18-of-36 passing for 157 yards and was sacked thrice. He averaged 4.4 yards per pass for an offense that was forced to punt eight times.
Making the results of the performance even more problematic, the Patriots were without their top two cornerbacks on Sunday at MetLife Stadium. Marcus Jones, who ripped off an 84-yard game-winning punt return against the Jets last year, landed on Injured Reserve last week while Jonathan Jones was ruled out due to an ankle injury.
Jets' second-year receiver Garrett Wilson wasn't willing to point the finger at his quarterback following the loss.
"That’s my dawg. I have all the confidence in the world in him. We got to figure it out on offense as a whole," said Wilson, the receiver, after leading the team by catching 5 of 9 targets for 48 yards.
Meanwhile, Saleh addressed the possibility of teammates losing faith in the starting signal caller.
"I’m not worried about the locker room," said Saleh. "We’ve got a great locker room. They’ll be fine.’
That may be true in the short term, but discontent will only grow if Wilson and the offense are unable to improve. To protect against such an occurrence, Jets' general manager Joe Douglas is likely working the phones in an attempt to find a veteran quarterback to add to the mix.
The Green & White were reportedly ready to claim Brett Rypien off the Los Angeles Rams' Practice Squad until LA signed him to their active roster. Rypien had appeal to the Jets because of his familiarity with offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett.
As for other options, Matt Ryan and Chad Henne have no plans to unretire. Carson Wentz and Colt McCoy are currently available, but the Jets have been seemingly hesitant to pull the trigger.
The only in-house alternative to Wilson is backup QB Tim Boyle. The Connecticut native started three games for the 2021 Detroit Lions, going winless over that span. He has thrown 106 total passes over 17 career appearances, accounting for three touchdowns, eight interceptions and 5.4 yards per attempt.
Unsigned Veteran Quarterbacks
Chase Daniel (Age: 36)
Joe Flacco (Age: 38)
Nick Foles (Age: 34)
Colt McCoy (Age: 36)
Trevor Siemian (Age: 31)
Carson Wentz (Age: 30)
John Wolford (Age: 27)
When it comes to the current starting quarterback, Saleh has seen an improvement.
"His pocket presence to us has been so much more improved. His accuracy is much improved. His decision making is much improved. Like I said, New England’s got a hell of a defense over there," said Saleh.
If those improvements don't start translating into results, however, the head coach may be singing a different tune as the season slips away.
READ MORE:
Pulling Jets' QB Possibilities Out of Albert Breer's Mailbag
Jets' First-Round Rookie and Veteran Both Active vs. Patriots
Quarterback's Past Performance Paints Ominous Outlook
