For the second straight week, the Jets faced an opposing team’s backups in a preseason game. The Giants sat most of their starters last week and the Packers sat almost all of theirs on Saturday.
So, is coach Robert Saleh upset these teams are not giving his rookie quarterback Zach Wilson a true look against an NFL defense?
“No, this is professional football,” Saleh said after Saturday’s win over the Packers. “You go tell those backups that they’re not capable of being starters. You guys know my conviction on Player A to Player Z all having the ability to play at that very high level and all they need is an opportunity. This is still professional football. These guys are professional athletes. They step on the field and they have tremendous pride in their work. And it’s another defense that he gets to see and a different character of a football team, just in terms of the way they present themselves. So I think he’s getting really good work. Call it what you want, but he’s still getting good work.”
Wilson was impressive, going 9-for-11 for 128 yards and two touchdowns. He did things that stood out regardless of the competition, like scanning the field and progressing through his reads and making a pretty, off-balance throw to Corey Davis.
Wilson said he and Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who did not play in the game, spoke a few times Saturday. The two had several conversations during joint practices last week, too.
“I really just appreciate him as a man. He’s an awesome guy,” Wilson said. “He definitely doesn’t have to come up to me and say anything. I don’t expect him to. But it means the world to me that he’s able to come up to me. And whatever advice it is, whether it’s, ‘Hey, good throw,’ or ‘Maybe you could do this a little bit better,’ it means a lot to me that he’s just able to reach out.”
The Jets had some good moments on special teams Saturday. Kicker Matt Ammendola made three field goals, including a 54-yarder. Punter Braden Mann landed three inside the 20-yard line. Corey Ballentine had a 73-yard kickoff return.
“You love all of it,” Saleh said of his special teams. “All week I thought they did a great job competing. I thought they did a great job winning their one-on-ones during practice and they carried it on to the game. And again, they created a lot of explosive plays. Obviously, Green Bay got one too, but overall I thought our special teams did a really, really nice job this week.”