Jets believe Zach Wilson ready to take next step . . . once he returns to field

Zach Wilson driving himself around on a cart during practice in late August was not a good visual for a team whose coaching staff wears shirts that say, “Positive Vibes Only.”

The positive for the Jets, though, is the knee injury that Wilson suffered in the preseason could have been much worse. Robert Saleh said on Wednesday the earliest Wilson will return is Week 4.

The second-year quarterback’s development is critical for the Jets to become the team everyone in the organization believes they can be — not only this year, but long term.

After a 4-13 finish last season, the Jets have dramatically improved the roster on both sides of the ball, adding potential game-changing (and they're hoping possibly franchise-changing) players. Saleh, in his second season as Jets coach, reiterated his belief that they will “win championships.” Yes, that's plural.

Making the playoffs would be a major step for the Jets, whose 11-year drought is the NFL’s longest active streak. The organization is confident Wilson will lead the Jets to a playoff berth —eventually — and someday a Lombardi trophy despite some rough patches from last year's No. 2 overall pick. 

In the Jets’ first preseason game, Wilson didn’t play well in two series, which ended with him suffering a bone bruise and tearing his meniscus trying to extend a play when he should have run out of bounds. Yet the Jets saw enough to that point to have confidence that Wilson will be their franchise quarterback and they expect him to continue to grow into that when he returns.

“Before the injury, he was way ahead of where he was a year ago,” Saleh said. “I know that first preseason game people put a lot of stock into those series, which is warranted. That first preseason game isn’t even close to what he’s been showing throughout OTAs and training camp.

“Really excited about him getting a chance to get back to the football to show how far along he’s come. As far as the development and the course that he’s on, we’re excited about it, and we’re excited about his future.”

The Jets are Wilson’s team. General manager Joe Douglas said the Jets “have seen tremendous progress from Zach.” Douglas upgraded the offensive line and the skill positions to give Wilson as much help as possible to become a franchise-changer.

Until Wilson is fully healed following arthroscopic surgery, Joe Flacco will run the offense.

The 37-year-old quarterback had a good camp but a shaky preseason performance against the Giants in his only action. The Jets are confident Flacco willl be fine as Wilson's fill-in. 

“I feel like there’s a lot of energy around the team and that’s always a good thing,” Flacco said. “I think we’re feeling pretty confident and good about where we’re headed Week 1.”

Players, young and older, believe better days are coming for the Jets and that a playoff berth is possible this year. Wilson’s injury never derailed that confidence.

Douglas’ moves, the stability and standard that Saleh has established and the bond the players have formed are all reasons the energy is different.

“In the past it’s been a lot of moving parts, in the locker room and upstairs,” veteran linebacker C.J. Mosley said. “It’s been a lot of pieces that you try to put together. You have the same coaches, a lot of the same players, been in the system, that’s how you begin to grow. You get to build a system around the players that’s been here.

“We have a feel of what we want to be and what’re trying to do.”

Saleh has a clear plan of how he wants the Jets to play, and everyone is following his lead.

“We talk about playing with effort,” Saleh said. “We talk about being great technicians, so we are being very efficient in what we do, but also playing with violence. It’s not just necessarily violence at the point of contact, but it’s violence in your movements, violence in how you play. Those three aspects are things that you’ve got full control over.”

It will be important for the Jets to establish that identity as they navigate a difficult schedule to start the season. They open up with four games against the AFC North, face improved Miami, have two straight road games at Green Bay and Denver and then host New England and Buffalo before their Week 10 bye.

The Jets, at or near the bottom in most defensive statistics last season, should be far better. 

The additions of former Pro Bowl linebacker Kwon Alexander, cornerback D.J. Reed, safety Jordan Whitehead and rookie corner Sauce Gardner filled a lot of gaping holes. The Jets also got a huge piece to their defense back with return of edge rusher Carl Lawson, who missed last season with a ruptured Achilles. Lawson’s ready to be unleashed. His presence will take some attention away from fellow linemen Quinnen Williams and John Franklin-Myers, who are both coming off career years. Rookie edge rusher Jermaine Johnson should be a part of the rotation on the D-line, one of the Jets' biggest strengths. 

On offense, the Jets signed two Pro Bowl left guard Laken Tomlinson and left tackle Duane Brown. They drafted receiver Garrett Wilson to add to an impressive room that includes Corey Davis, Elijah Moore and Braxton Berrios. Douglas also brought in playmaking tight ends Tyler Conklin and C.J. Uzomah, who should play big roles in this offense.

“I think we know how good we can be and how much talent we have on this team,” Conklin said. “Our goal is to make it to the playoffs and win in the playoffs. Internally we think we can do that. We just have to go out there and do it every week and prove it.”

By Al Iannazzone

al.iannazzone@newsday.comAl_Iannazzone

Al Iannazzone covers the Jets for Newsday after spending nearly two decades on the NBA beat with Knicks and Nets.