Risk vs. reward: Zach Wilson, Jets try to find happy medium
The Jets' Zach Wilson in action during an NFL preseason game on Aug. 12 in Philadelphia. Credit: AP/Matt Rourke
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Zach Wilson injured his knee while scrambling for extra yards in a meaningless preseason game. That won’t change how he plays on Sunday.
Wilson reached the NFL on not only his arm strength, but his ability to extend and make plays with his legs. The second-year quarterback plans to keep doing that when he makes his season debut against the Steelers.
The Jets don’t want to limit Wilson or take away what they call his “superpower.” They do want him to be a little more selective and not risk injury, though.
“He’s not going to change his game,” offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur said before practice on Thursday. “Zach is an ultra-competitor. However, the game in the NFL is when you have to protect yourself and get down, you have to get down. He knows that.
“What he’s basically saying is, ‘If it’s not there, just because I’ve been out for the last six or seven weeks I’m [not] just going to sit in the pocket or just throw the ball away.’ He’s going to go make his plays when the timing presents itself.”
Being able to roll out, make throws on the move and plays off-schedule are some of Wilson’s attributes that appealed to the Jets. They took him with the No. 2 pick last year because they believed these skills would be a perfect fit for the West Coast offense that LaFleur runs.
Wilson’s injury was scary because it was non-contact.
He escaped the rush in an Aug. 12 preseason game in Philadelphia. Instead of giving himself up, running out of bounds or throwing the ball away, Wilson made a cut to avoid a defender and extend the play. Then his knee buckled. He suffered a tear in his meniscus and a bone bruise.
Wilson had surgery four days later to trim the meniscus and was just cleared this week for contact. Robert Saleh and LaFleur both said Wilson should have run out of bounds. Wilson said on Wednesday that he won’t stop scrambling because of that one play.
“I’m full-go,” he said. “I’m going to be playing ball how I can. If somebody comes up, make somebody miss, get out on the edge, extend plays when I need to, hang in the pocket. I’m planning on being exactly how I should be.”
Jets coaches have spoken to Wilson about it and are looking for a happy medium with their potential franchise quarterback to keep him on the field.
The Jets know Wilson’s first instinct is to go make a play, but they also hope he learned from what happened to him and will save some of the heroics for the fourth quarter.
“He knows that he has to get down whether it’s the preseason, whether it’s this Sunday, whether it’s the Super Bowl,” LaFleur said. “You don’t put yourself in harm’s way as a starting quarterback in this league unless it’s literally to go win a football game. I’m talking in the fourth quarter when it’s the last few minutes and you have to go get a first down.
“I think most quarterbacks are going to scrap what they should do and they’re going to go out and do what they can for their teammates. I have no worry that he’s going to make the right decision but at the same time he’s going to use his skillset.”
LaFleur said Wilson looked good running the starting offense on Wednesday. What struck LaFleur was "how free” and “how excited” Wilson appeared in his first practice in seven weeks.
Wilson was not wearing a sleeve or brace in practice, and it doesn’t seem as if he will be on Sunday. There are no limitations on Wilson or how LaFleur can use him. You could see a lot of rollouts.
“He is 100% cleared,” LaFleur said. “He feels great. I know he’s moving around very good. He would tell you, he wouldn’t even know he had the surgery — that’s how he feels.
“We’re going to do what we think is the right thing versus this defense. They present a lot of challenges. There’s a lot of variables that happen. When something breaks down, he’s going to play his game.”
Al Iannazzone covers the Jets for Newsday after spending nearly two decades on the NBA beat with Knicks and Nets.
