The Jets coach reiterated his faith in quarterback Zach Wilson on Monday, a day after Wilson’s abysmal performance in a 15-10 loss to the Patriots.
Jets fans booed Wilson during the game and demanded he be replaced after the game.
But Saleh said the team plans to continue using Wilson after this week’s game against the Chiefs.
“Guys, he’s a quarterback without a doubt,” Saleh said Monday. “If he continues to show in the way he prepares and practices and even in this game, guys. It’s not his fault why we lost yesterday. It’s always a team effort. As long as he continues to show improvement. And I know it doesn’t show from a box score standpoint, but he’s going to be our quarterback.”
Saleh sounds in denial when he says Wilson wasn’t the reason the Jets lost.
Wilson was unable to generate any offense other than one drive in the fourth quarter.
The defense held the Patriots to 13 points and kept them in the game.
Wilson completed 50 percent of his passes and threw for just 157 yards, most of which came in the fourth quarter.
Saleh declined to say whether he plans to add a quarterback this week, leaving it up to general manager Joe Douglas.
“That’s Joe’s question,” Saleh said.
It’s possible the Jets add a quarterback this week, but that player will likely be brought in to learn the offense for a few weeks before considering playing against him.
For now, the Zach Wilson show will go on, but unfortunately for fans.
“What I want to give him credit for is that he played a turnover-free game yesterday,” Saleh said. “As far as I remember, he didn’t throw anything that warranted a turnover, but it allowed us to stay in position and win the game with 1:40 left and two timeouts. We had the ball in midfield at that point. We played clean football offensively and were able to win the battle for position in the second half.”
Of course, the Jets had no intention of letting Wilson play in 2023.
This was supposed to be a redshirt season for him to sit back and watch Aaron Rodgers, relax and learn.
Instead, he was thrown into the fire again four plays into the season.
Saleh suggested Monday that the team is having trouble adjusting an offense built for Rodgers to one built for Wilson.
“That’s not an excuse, but the reality is it’s built a certain way and right now we’re trying to adjust on the fly. It’s a challenge, but I think we’ll eventually come to an answer. ”’ Saleh said.
If the Jets want to turn this season around, they need to find something fast.
Things can quickly get out of control.
They will play the Chiefs, Broncos and Eagles before the bye week.
The Chiefs and Eagles are two of the best teams in football.
Currently 1-2, it’s hard to imagine the Jets being better than the 2-4 they were at the break, but sometimes funny things happen in the NFL.
As for Wilson, Saleh insisted Wilson hasn’t lost confidence, despite Sunday’s play in which Wilson appeared afraid to throw the ball downfield.
“I think he’s playing with confidence,” Saleh said. “He’s throwing the ball accurately when the timing and rhythm is right and his foot hits the back step and rips it off. It’s cute. He’s doing a really great job in that regard. ”
The Jets made the decision to keep Wilson as a backup in the offseason when they began pursuing Rodgers.
That decision seems questionable at best at this point.
“Don’t abandon people,” Saleh said. “You’ve got to keep working with him. He’s here. He gives us the best chance to win. As coaches, we’ll do everything we can to help him. I’m going to do something.”
