For the Jets, this season’s mission statement was based on one thing: Zach Wilson’s development.
The Jets wanted to see success in their new player, the No. 2 qualifier, as they built their age list around him for the future.
Wilson, who lost 54:13 in New England on Sunday, has missed at least two and possibly four games due to a stretch in the back of his right knee.
There’s no way to get around that - whether it’s turned out that way or not: it’s an obstacle to both Wilson’s development and the Jets ’season.
You could argue that this is a two-way failure because Wilson is actually a backup - the fifth-round pick of 2018 by Mike White, Dallas, who never dropped an NFL ticket until he was forced into office on Sunday.
If the Jets have an honorary, coach-like midfielder on the roster that manages the system (see Josh McCone, Ryan Fitzpatrick), you can sit behind that player and watch a few weeks be good for Wilson you can argue about the possibility.
But it’s hard to argue that sitting behind an experienced White would be beneficial to Wilson.
On Monday, veteran Joe Flacco’s conditional qualifier for the sixth round will make you wonder why the Jets didn’t put a player like Flacco on their roster all season. They don’t want to put third-place Josh Johnson on the 53-man roster, telling you everything you need to know about how much they trust him in the game.
Given that Flacco is more insured on Sunday than a few days before the system study, the move seems too late.
Honestly, White showed himself in stunning conditions on Sunday, not looking like a deer in the headlights against the Patriots. He attacked the moment like a man with a hint, not a man too big.
But White’s dynamics will now change as he becomes a starter over the next three or four weeks. Logging in as part of a fire drill, as it is on a Sunday, can sometimes be easier because the player doesn’t have time to think or get nervous.
Against the 5-2 Bengals at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, their defense allowed them to score their fifth lowest point in each game, all changing for White, who now has to work as an NFL leader.
As for Wilson, missed time hurts no matter which way you turn him.
“I don’t think it’s a failure,” Jets head coach Robert Saleh said Monday. “I think it’s always good to walk away and watch the attack through the lens of another defender. We can still develop as a crime. Zach is still there, studying it and trying to assimilate all the information as much as possible.
“If you’re looking for a silver lining, if you can watch the same offense for the first six weeks, look at another midfielder’s lens and see how it works in the same system, I think. p. You can learn a lot from what others are doing. ”
The Jets can only hope.
“There’s no such thing as playing,” Jets offensive coordinator Mike LaFler said Monday. “This is where you gain the most experience. This is where you learn the most because the arrows are alive. But on the plus side, to turn it around … sometimes there’s something powerful about sitting back without the weight of the world on your shoulders, allowing it to last for weeks and learning and growing and watch someone else do it. ”
Wilson’s teammates offered to support their franchise defender, but they also stressed the importance of not giving up on being without a leader.
“Listen, Zack fighter,” defensive line player Foli Fatukasi said Monday. “He takes his job very seriously and has been very professional. He understands that the show won’t stop just because one person is upset.”
Tay Johnson ran back and said it was too bad to lose Wilson, but he insisted: “It’s not our end. You feel Zach … but the NFL doesn’t expect anyone. No one else cares.”
Cornerbeck Bryce Hall talked about overcoming Wilson’s challenges on the outside.
“I hope our guy recovers,” Hall said. “This season is not over in any way and that doesn’t mean we can’t recover and come back and be stronger for that.”
It remains to be seen whether the Jets and Wilson will be stronger for this defeat, but the chances are against it.
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