Zach Wilson, under constant pressure in first NFL game, shows promise in Jets' loss to Sam Darnold and Panthers

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Jets showed resolve and fight in the first game of the Robert Saleh and Zach Wilson Era. But they did too much self-damage early to open it with a win.

They’re just fortunate Wilson didn’t suffer any damage.

The Jets’ offense didn’t put up any points until late in the third quarter. The offensive line looked overmatched from the very first series.

Wilson was under pressure and running away from pass rushers all day and took some big hits. The rookie quarterback threw two touchdown passes, but he was sacked six times in the Jets’ 19-14 loss to their former quarterback Sam Darnold and the Carolina Panthers Sunday afternoon at Bank of America Field.

"Honestly, it was just a rough start," said Corey Davis, who had five catches for 97 yards and two touchdowns in his Jets debut. "It was rough for us. We fought and that second half looked a little bit better. But that’s not who we are. We’re a lot better team than that. We know it. We just got to show it."

Making matters worse, the Jets lost left tackle Mekhi Becton to a knee injury in the third quarter. He was carted to the locker room and will undergo an MRI.

Saleh, who made his NFL head-coaching debut, said this young team would need time to grow, develop and jell.

The Jets were down 16-0 in the third quarter before mounting a comeback. Wilson spearheaded it with his playmaking ability and toughness to bounce back after some of those hits.

The No. 2 pick out of BYU completed 20 of 37 passes for 258 yards, two touchdowns and ran in a two-point conversion. Wilson also threw one interception.

"He showed resolve," Saleh said. "He’s fearless, he really is. He’s only going to get better … A lot of great things for him to learn off of. We’re still really excited about him. I believe we got a good one."

The Jets need to do a better job of protecting Wilson. Saleh wouldn’t blame the offensive line. He said a host of factors play into sacks. But the Jets anticipated the Panthers would bring the heat against the young quarterback and they couldn’t stop it.

SEE PHOTOSPhotos: Jets vs. Panthers

Wilson admitted to being in a pain after his first NFL game. He said his neck is "a little sore" and he has "a little whiplash."

Late in the game, Wilson was crushed and driven hard to the ground on a Derrick Brown sack. Wilson stayed down for a few seconds.

"I felt like I got hit by a truck for a second," Wilson said.

Two plays later he hit Davis for an 8-yard touchdown pass with 1:56 left for the final points of the game.

"Sometimes you got to catch your breath," Wilson said. "You just got to stand up and keep going. I was fine, just got the wind knocked out of me a little bit. I was able to go down there and execute."

Darnold, facing his old team in the first game after they traded him in the offseason, was 24-for-35 for 279 yards and a touchdown. He also had a 5-yard touchdown run. Christian McCaffrey ran for 98 yards and had nine catchees for 89 yards.

Ex-Jet Robby Anderson caught a 57-yard touchdown pass from Darnold. It was Anderson’s only catch of the day, and came one play after the Jets ran it one fourth-and-1 and were stuffed.

"I’m not going to lie, seeing [the Jets] on the other side, that was a little different for me," Darnold said. "It’s just good to get our first win."

The Jets’ offense did nothing for two-plus quarters, and never established a run game. When they finally scored their first touchdown, Wilson was chased out of the pocket. Rolling right, he found Davis in the end zone for a 22-yard touchdown.

It was a great play by the young quarterback, who ran in the two-point conversation to make it 16-8 with 1:25 remaining in the third quarter.

The Jets needed a stand from their defense, but the Panthers had an easy time getting into the red zone. They settled for a Ryan Santoso 29-yard field goal and 19-8 lead with 8:44 to go.

When the Jets got the ball back, they did nothing with it. Following a 12-yard Ty Johnson run, the next three plays were a mess. Davis dropped a pass. Wilson was chased from the pocket and threw it away and then was sacked on third down.

On the next series, Wilson led the Jets on an impressive drive, capped by Davis’ second touchdown. But the Jets failed to convert the 2-point try as Wilson’s pass was deflected.

After the Jets couldn’t recover the onside kick. McCaffrey ran for 18 yards on second down with 1:37 left. The Jets used their final timeout following that. Darnold kneeled three times to close the game.

"We understand it’s a long season," Davis said. "We’re in the building process of this thing. There’s going to be some growing pains. We wish we could have this one back. But there’s a lot to learn from it."