It’s not yet known whether second-year quarterback Zach Wilson will get the call for the New York Jets Thursday night in a must-win game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Benched following a disastrous Week 11 outing in a loss to the New England Patriots, the former No. 2 overall pick started Sunday’s game against the Detroit Lions with Mike White injured.
Heading into a game on a short week, it remains to be seen if White (fractured ribs) will be able to go. Regardless, Jets head coach Robert Saleh took time during his Monday press conference to throw his support behind Wilson while calling out critics of the sophomore signal caller.
“The frustrating thing is that this kid is going to be a good quarterback, but the NFL and this new instant-coffee world that we’re in just doesn’t want to give people time. So, we look at him and he’s just nitpicked with a fine-tooth comb.”
Saleh on Zach Wilson and criticism of the young QB, via ESPN.
A quarterback in the nation’s largest media market getting “nitpicked with a fine-tooth comb?” Imagine that. Didn’t the Jets know what was going to happen when they selected Wilson out of BYU with the second pick in the 2021 NFL Draft? Perhaps, they should have asked Mark Sanchez and Sam Darnold what it was like playing quarterback in this market.
It really is a tone-deaf comment from the highly-respected Saleh. How do you expect a quarterback to go out there and face the criticism when you’re coddling him?
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During Sunday’s loss to Detroit, Wilson was able to put up 317 yards with two touchdowns and just one interception.
But it must be noted that he was only active for the game due to White’s injury. Wilson, 23, was inactive as the Jets’ No. 3 quarterback the previous three games.
For his part, Saleh himself wasn’t exactly throwing praise in Wilson’s direction after White led New York to a 31-10 win over the Chicago Bears back in Week 12.
“That’s what happens when we play New York Jets football. That’s the real New York Jets football,” Saleh said in taking a swipe at Wilson. “Obviously, if that’s how Jets football should look it clearly wasn’t being shown in previous weeks with a different player at the most important spot on the field.”
There’s good reason for these comments. Wilson made headlines for all the wrong reasons after failing to take responsibility for his performance in an ugly 10-3 loss to the Patriots the prior week. Almost immediately, the Jets moved off him for a lesser-known White.
- Zach Wilson stats (2021-22): 55% completion, 3,930 yards, 15 TD, 17 INT, 71.8 QB rating
As you can see, Wilson has not performed like anywhere near a starter-caliber quarterback in his first 21 starts with the Jets.
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Much to the chagrin of Saleh and the New York Jets’ brass, this criticism will only pick up should they lose to the Jaguars at home on Thursday. New York was 7-4 a few short weeks ago after the aforementioned win over Chicago. The team is now 7-7 and in the midst of a three-game losing streak.
One game out of the final playoff spot in the AFC, the microscope will be on whoever is under center for the Jets at home Thursday night. Saleh can’t protect his quarterback from that.