Protecting Zach Wilson a complicated matter for Jets

It was a curious reaction from Jets coach Robert Saleh in the immediate aftermath of the Jets’ 19-14 loss to the Panthers on Sunday. On a day when rookie quarterback Zach Wilson was absolutely pummeled, getting sacked six times — the last of which knocked him to the ground and snapped his head back — Saleh chose not to assign blame to those who appeared to be the obvious culprits.

"There are a lot of things that are involved in [pass] protection," Saleh said. "I’m never going to blame the offensive line."

Hmm.

The coach elaborated.

"There’s route running, the quarterback getting rid of the football, and credit to [the Panthers] too. At the end of the day, protection has got to hold up. At the end of the day, it’s a collective effort."

The bottom line: It’s tricky.

Football is the most highly choreographed of any sport, where 11 players on each side for every play must carry out their assignments better than the opponent to achieve success. And with pass protection — for a rookie quarterback especially — the degree of difficulty remains high. Stratospherically high, in fact.

This may not be the most buzzworthy subject, and fans can be excused for not going down the rabbit hole of intricacy involving blocking protections. But for the Jets, it is of the utmost concern in the beginning of the Zach Wilson Era. He discovered on Sunday what every rookie sees when he begins his NFL apprenticeship, that teams will apply relentless pressure until the quarterback can solve it and make a defense back off and play a more conventional approach. And if said young quarterback is good enough — see: Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen et al — it is the defense that will be forced to counterpunch.

Getting through the gantlet of relentless pass rush is Wilson’s biggest challenge, as it was against the Panthers and will be against the smartest coach in NFL history next Sunday in the Jets’ home opener. Bill Belichick will match wits with Wilson & Co. at MetLife Stadium, and rest assured the Patriots will bring a vast array of complicated schemes designed to fool Wilson. And slam him flat on his back the way he was against the Panthers.

It’s up to the offensive line, yes, and it will be especially challenging without Mekhi Becton, who suffered a knee injury against the Panthers and will be out several weeks. But the Jets had the good fortune of signing George Fant as a free agent last year and Morgan Moses this year, so depth at tackle is actually a strong suit for the Jets. Many teams don’t have two quality starting offensive tackles; the Jets have three, and can get by without Becton for a few weeks.

"You saw a little bit of our inexperience as a group up front, and it’s a good learning experience," guard Greg Van Roten said Monday. "We’ll get it corrected. This is a prove-it league, so until you prove you can stop something, you’re going to keep getting it."

But as Saleh said, this is about more than just the guys up front. This is about receivers properly seeing a blitz and going on a "hot route" — a shorter, quicker path to give Wilson a more immediate target. It is about the running backs picking up extra rushers. It is about the tight ends "chipping" onrushing opponents to slow them down just for a second. Wilson himself needs to get rid of the ball more quickly when the choice is a throwaway or a sack.

Wilson showed what he can do when he is upright long enough to hang in the pocket or get outside on a scramble. After a sluggish start, he found his groove in the second half and drove the Jets for two touchdowns before running out of time to complete a comeback. The poise is there, it’s obvious. The arm talent is there. That’s clear, too.

But no quarterback — not Mahomes, or Tom Brady, or Aaron Rodgers — can consistently succeed without some level of protection. So the Jets need to understand that Wilson can’t say after many more games that he experienced "whiplash" or felt like he got "hit by a truck." If they can’t find a way to keep him clean, and if Wilson can’t adjust his body clock to get rid of the ball a tick faster, then the offensive struggles will continue.

But once they can solve this most pressing matter, then C.J. Mosley’s prediction will start to come to fruition.

"No. 2, he’s going to win a lot of games for us," Mosley said after Wilson’s NFL debut.

The sooner, the better. But it will happen only when they solve the puzzles that opposing defenses will pose until the Jets find an answer.

By Bob Glauber

Special to NewsdayBobGlauber

Bob Glauber retired in 2022 after covering the NFL for nearly 40 years. He was selected in 2021 for the Bill Nunn Career Achievement Award by the Pro Football Writers of America, and is a three-time winner of the New York State Sportswriter of the Year by the National Sports Media Association. President of the PFWA for the 2018-20 seasons, he is the author of “The Forgotten First” and “Guts and Genius.”