Jets' Zach Wilson says he's doing everything he can to get better: 'I know I need to improve'
Zach Wilson’s message to Jets fans was abundantly clear on Thursday afternoon: the third-year quarterback is doing everything he can to improve his play.
Following Sunday’s 15-10 loss to the New England Patriots, which came on the heels of another less-than-stellar performance against the Dallas Cowboys, Wilson said on Thursday that the locker room has his back, and he has their back, as the Jets look to get on track on Sunday night against the Kansas City Chiefs.
“This locker room is very tight-knit and we’re working to get better, I’m working to get better,” Wilson said. “I know I need to improve, and I promise I’m doing everything I can to keep trying to get better. So, the focus is just to rely on each other in this locker room and lean on each other, because that’s all we’ve got at the end of the day, and we’re going to do everything we can to keep improving.”
On the season, Wilson has completed just 52.4 percent of his passes while throwing for 467 yards, two touchdowns and four interceptions. He’s also been sacked eight times in three games, and his play certainly hasn’t inspired much confidence.
But in order to get things back on track, Wilson believes the Jets need to stat sustaining drives -- something that starts with him and will be of utmost importance against a high-powered Chiefs team.
“We’ve got to get first downs. We’ve got to find a way to establish drives,” he said. “We’ve got to find a way to have good first and second downs so that we can play for a third and manageable, and I think we’ll be just fine if we do that. I think if we just do what we’re supposed to do, we’ll be alright."
He later added: “It’s the quarterback’s job to be as efficient as I can, distribute the ball, get completions, getting the ball out of my hands quickly, stepping up in the pocket, communication, making sure everyone’s on the same page, it all starts with there, so doing the best I can.”
Wilson has had plenty of detractors since coming to New York as the No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 draft out of BYU. But the 24-year-old says he’s been able to block out all of the outside noise, saying his sole focus is on improving, while only listening to his coaches and teammates inside the Jets’ training facility.
“It’s been tough, obviously, these three years, but I feel like I’m in a good spot mentally with where I am, and I’m confident in my abilities and confident in this team,” Wilson said. “All that matters is what goes on in this locker room and the film room with these coaches. We’re going to handle our business.
“I get the passion and the frustration, absolutely, but my job as a quarterback is to focus on how I can get better, how I can help this offense score, how I can help us win games, and it needs to improve, it needs to get better but that starts with the film room with the coaches and checking out those plays and doing my job from there.”
While the reigning Super Bowl champion Chiefs represent what Wilson called “a great challenge” for the Jets, the young quarterback wants Jets fans to keep the faith that he and his teammates will be able to right the ship.
“Keep believing,” Wilson said. “We’re doing everything we can. We hope that their passion shows that we’re just as passionate at they are. We want to get this thing going just as bad as they want it to, and we’re doing everything we can to get it going and we’re going to keep working hard.”
