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They came to praise Zach Wilson, not bury him, the night MetLife Stadium once again opened its arms to Jets fans for the first time in a 594 pandemic days.
It was only the annual Green & White training, and maybe 15,000 party fans were in the house, so this was no time to bury Zach Wilson.
They certainly could have had they wanted to, though.
Wilson was intercepted twice, was almost eliminated a third time and was unable to get his team into the end zone.
Because it was the official start of his honeymoon, the boobirds weren’t inclined to introduce him to New York like they will once the games start to count.
Substitutes Mike White (two TD assists) and James Morgan (one TD assist) were the ones who made the crowd roar.
Wilson wore his ubiquitous white headband and munched on chewing gum as he faced the music on the podium in the interview room.
When asked to rate his performance, he was more precise than he was on too many of his throws.
“Not great,” he said. “I have high expectations for myself and this attack. I have to lead these guys, I have to make better decisions. … Of course, I’m going to be frustrated with myself, but I’m going to go back to the movie theater and find out what I can learn and improve.
Mama Wilson said there would be days like this. Head coach Robert Saleh too.
“These moments are priceless to him,” Saleh said. “He had some good times and obviously he had some rookie moments. “
Communication between Wilson and offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur in the box will take time, of course. Advantage, Gang Green. Disadvantage, Wilson receivers.
“Several times tonight we weren’t on the same page,” Wilson said. “I just have to make good decisions. Ninety-five percent of a quarterback’s job is decision making.
Saleh wondered if Wilson’s first exposure to Jets fans might have affected him. Heaven help Wilson and everyone if that was the case.
“The biggest learning leap for him was that it was under the lights, it was a bigger crowd,” Saleh said. “I think the young man wanted to do his best.”
Yes, he wanted to do his best. No, he is not a child sensitive to stage fright. “Awesome”, that’s how he described the atmosphere. When asked if nervousness played into his performance, Wilson replied, “No. Not at all.”
It is still the rookie franchise quarterback who inspires the greatest hope for a better and brighter future.
Some fans may recall that Richard Todd started six games as a rookie in Joe Namath’s last season as Jet… they had to wait a year for Ken O’Brien before he coached. time, Joe Walton, does not trade Todd in New Orleans… they had to wait more than two seasons for Chad Pennington to take over from a fading Vinny Testaverde and pray that he could one day be Joe Montana Lite, but no… The Week 1 Starter and their Boy Wonder for the first two years of his career before the wheels came off… Geno Smith was never their Boy Wonder… Week 1 Starter and was to take flight under Adam Gase, but of course never did.
From far, too far, from their living room or wherever they’ve settled down to watch or listen to last season’s games, Jets fans have stopped tearing their hair out after a 0-13 start only because they were the first of the Trevor. Laurent competition. But then, without fired defensive coordinator Gregg Williams available to call an inexplicable and untimely Cover Zero, the Jets shocked the Rams on the road, then the Browns at home, and that’s the dream.
So the devotees were able to watch Wilson up close and personally for the first time under the lights, and from here to eternity, however long eternity is, they hope he can show them all that. prompted GM Joe Douglas to make him the first quarterback taken. after the Jaguars won the Trevor Lawrence draw.
They hope Zach Wilson becomes more than a consolation prize.
They’re hoping Zach Wilson, who will be their Week 1 starter, was the right choice over Trey Lance, Justin Fields and Mac Jones.
They hope they can marvel at the improvisational magic they have heard so much about from Wilson’s right-hand man. They hope they can one day admire Wilson by doing the kind of throw they saw from Aaron Rodgers or Patrick Mahomes. They hope they can watch a movement of his wrist turn into a deadly missile strike for a touchdown.
It wasn’t that night.
“It’s part of the process,” Wilson said.
Jets Hall of Fame fan Ira Lieberfarb was in the fray with his wife Linda.
“He has all the tools to be a top quarterback,” Lieberfarb said. “He and the Jets have to prepare it the right way. He needs to work and the Jets need to do something with a quarterback they haven’t done in a long time and train him the right way.
What, Wilson are you worried? With five weeks before the opening of the regular season?
“We will be ready for week 1,” he said. He can ask any QB in the rookie franchise that came before him: Honeymoons don’t last forever.
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