One of the biggest storylines for the Jets in 2022 will be what kind of step forward Zach Wilson can make in his sophomore season.
The former second overall pick posted a 55.6 completion percentage as a rookie, throwing nine touchdowns and 11 interceptions in 13 games. His offense was hit hard by injuries, but head coach Robert Saleh believes that a major factor in helping Wilson take the next step will actually be on the defensive side of the ball.
“We got a little bit better toward the end of the year, but there was a minute there where we were giving up 40 points a game, 30, 40 points,” Saleh told reporters on Wednesday. “If you’re having to play a shootout, that’s a lot of pressure on a quarterback. I don’t care which quarterback you are. To wake up on Sunday morning knowing that you’re about to go into a shootout and you have to keep pace because you can’t get enough stops.”
Saleh believes if Gang Green can find upgrades on defense, it will help take the pressure off of the 22-year-old Wilson, and the entire offense, which logged the fifth-fewest points per game in the league last season.
“It helps [offensive coordinator Mike] LaFleur, it helps Zach, it helps everybody because you can play a style of ball where you can call plays to set things up,” Saleh said. “You don’t have to be impatient. It’s OK to punt. It’s OK to keep the game a one-score game and then shoot, the fourth quarter comes, it’s playmaker time, let’s go make some plays and win a football game. If you’re asking Zach to play quarterback in the second quarter because you’re in the middle of a shootout, again that’s not good for Tom Brady. That’s not good for anybody. Absolutely, having a better defense and improving on defense is at the front of our minds.”
As for Wilson himself, Saleh agrees that there will be higher expectations for him in year two, but that won’t change his offseason process as he prepares for another critical year in New York’s rebuild.
“Talking to Zach, just keep the main thing the main thing. Continue to focus on football, continue to work at everything you’ve got,” Saleh said. “Don’t worry about the other things that can come, all the pressures of the outside world…just focus on ball, find ways to get better, and keep studying.
“The expectations will be higher, but that can’t change his process.”
Follow Ryan Chichester on Twitter: @ryanchichester1
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