Of course, there was a moment during the New York Jets’ 21-14 win over the Houston Texans on Sunday afternoon where it looked as though everything was going to unravel.
And in typical Jets fashion, too.
Zach Wilson’s shovel pass that hit the back of running back Ty Johnson and was intercepted highlighted an opening four drives saw him start 1-of-6 for 11 yards and the Jets go down 14-3 against a lowly Texans team.
But the rookie, who was making his first start since Week 7 against the New England Patriots before a knee injury sidelined him, stabilized.
He completed 13-of-his-last-18 attempts for 134 yards while leading a pair of touchdown drives — one that ended with his first career rushing score.
“It’s good to be back. Rusty, for sure,” Wilson said. “Frustrating, emotions were going up and down. But I thought the guys battled, we hit the reset button every single play. And I was proud of the way the guys kept going.”
It was an important stabilization for the perceived franchise quarterback, though his first-quarter struggles remain an issue. So far this season, Wilson has completed just 10-of-28 passes (35.71%) for 75 yards, no touchdowns, and three interceptions.
“For sure, I’ve got to be able to move on from the beginning of the game,” Wilson admitted.
It’s all a part of the learning process, according to first-year head coach Robert Saleh.
“It’s being a rookie,” Saleh said. “We said the objective in this game was to try to get him as comfortable as possible early. I thought we were able to do that on the [first] touchdown drive we had.
“There are growing pains, being able to recognize things, trust your week of preparation. As he gets older and gets a lot more reps, he’ll get better at it.”
