Zach trying to stay free,and in the system
Last week, Zach Wilson said he had a mental conflict about keeping his playmaking style while operating within the Jets’ offensive system.
Wilson added he needed to play loose and naturally react to what the defense presented to him.
Against the Dolphins, the No. 2 overall pick showed signs of mental relief. There were moments when he activated his playmaker trait, like a completion to Ryan Griffin for a 23-yard gain when he made a couple of defenders miss as he scrambled before throwing.
Next step is building on it and carrying it against the Jaguars, who are 27th in points allowed per game.
Jets offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur saw the flashes of Wilson’s raw talents, and it started with the former BYU standout playing free of mind.
“This is something obviously we harp on him: Just be free and don’t overanalyze, but that’s got to come (from) within. And he knows that, and he did, he competed his butt off,” LaFleur said. “He’s an ultimate competitor, but it’s hard to do that when you’re a little bit locked up and you’re not playing as free as he wanted to.”
The perfect example of pulling the Jets out of catastrophe was his scramble on third-and-four in the third quarter, when he shook Dolphins cornerback Justin Coleman, who came free, and then evaded four defenders to capture the first down.
“I’ve been telling (LaFleur) that for a while. I just think that was really the game that I was like, ‘You know what, just go out there and cut it loose,’” Wilson said. “When I say that I mean obviously still within the structure of the offense, still going through my reads and still making sure I do things the right way, but just reacting with the natural feel I was given and not just force myself to stay in one spot and try and go through reads. Just play football.”
Wilson has a golden opportunity to build as he prepares against a porous Jaguars pass defense. The Jaguars allow QBs to complete 70% of their passes, highest in the NFL, with a passer rating of 101, fifth highest.
Starting slot receiver Jamison Crowder could miss Sunday’s game with a calf injury. Crowder hasn’t practiced this week and is the lone remaining starter from the receiver corps of Corey Davis and Elijah Moore.
Davis is out for the year with a core muscle injury and Moore hurt his quad, which landed him on IR.
Crowder has 431 yards receiving with two touchdowns and leads the Jets in average yards of separation. At times over the past two games, Wilson’s struggled without his top two targets because of the inconsistent separation the rest of the receivers have provided.
So, if Crowder can’t go, those struggles could deepen.
Also, the Jags blitz on 32.5% of their defensive snaps, fifth most, something Wilson is still working through. He has completed 43% of his passes against the blitz and suffered 11 sacks. Against the blitz-heavy Dolphins, Wilson went 3-for-7 for 57 yards and was sacked four times.
The sacks weren’t all on him or the offensive line. Some came from poor communication up front, other times was Wilson holding onto the ball.
But Wilson felt free against the Dolphins. It’s time to build on mental improvement and continue playing instinctively versus the Jaguars.