New York Jets quarterback Joe Flacco (19) is sacked by Baltimore Ravens defensive sort out Calais Campbell (93) and fumbles the ball as Jets offensive sort out Max Mitchell (61) makes an attempt to assist throughout the first half an NFL soccer recreation, Sunday, Sep. 11, 2022, in East Rutherford, N.J. Wealthy Schultz, Related Press
How did the New York Jets do in Week 1 with out beginning quarterback Zach Wilson?
Their single-digit complete within the scoring class is a robust indicator.
Final Wednesday, Jets coach Robert Saleh mentioned Wilson, who’s recovering from a bone bruise and meniscus tear in his proper knee, received’t be obtainable till Week 4 on the earliest, when New York performs the Pittsburgh Steelers on Oct. 2.
Within the interim, veteran quarterback Joe Flacco is filling in. On Sunday, the Jets struggled in a season-opening 24-9 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. New York didn’t attain the tip zone till the ultimate minute.
“Yeah, I feel you would inform how irritating it was on the market,” Flacco instructed reporters after the loss, per the workforce web site. “Particularly early on, simply the best way we began it within the first half. We by no means bought into any rhythm or into any momentum. We’d have a play, get throughout midfield, then stall out.”
What led to the struggles for Joe Flacco and the Jets offense in Week 1?
Simply wanting on the field rating, there have been some good particular person statistics — Flacco threw for 307 yards and accomplished 62.7% of his passes, whereas tossing a landing and an interception.
Operating again Michael Carter had a 6.0 per-carry common whereas dashing for 60 yards, and extensive receiver Corey Davis had six receptions for 77 yards.
Past these surface-level numbers, although, there’s a distinct story that illustrates why the Jets had bother scoring factors.
Whereas Flacco had a very good total line, his 5.2 yards per try common was second-lowest within the league throughout Week 1, with Monday evening’s Denver-Seattle recreation nonetheless to go.
It took Flacco 59 cross makes an attempt, and 37 completions, to succeed in 307 passing yards, and he had a QB score of 74.6, among the many backside 5 QB scores within the NFL in Week 1. The 59 passing makes an attempt is essentially the most in a recreation for a Jets quarterback in 11 seasons, per the workforce web site.
Whereas New York had justtwo three-and-outs within the recreation — in addition to one other drive finish after three performs when Flacco threw his lone interception — the Jets by no means lined greater than 50 yards on a drive till the fourth quarter, when the end result was properly in hand.
Finally, whereas New York had some good performs, it struggled to complete drives. The Jets didn't convert their first eight third-down makes an attempt, and completed the sport changing 2 of 14.
On these first eight third-down makes an attempt, the Jets confronted a third-and-5 or longer all however twice. Flacco accomplished 3 of 8 passes on these third-down makes an attempt.
On the Jets’ ultimate drive of the primary half, Flacco hit Tyler Conklin with a 6-yard cross on a third-and-5, just for Conklin to fumble the ball on the Baltimore 21. Whereas the Jets recovered on the Baltimore 28, it pressured a discipline objective try as an alternative of extending the drive.
Early within the fourth, rookie operating again Breece Corridor misplaced a fumble contained in the Baltimore 20 after the Jets had pushed 75 yards.
On the workforce’s subsequent drive, New York turned it over on downs after Flacco threw incompletions contained in the Ravens 10 on third and fourth down, together with a surefire landing that Carter dropped on the objective line.
“Clearly, all of us agree it’s by no means ok, particularly whenever you’re not scoring factors,” Saleh instructed reporters Sunday. “However we had been transferring the ball. It all the time comes down to at least one or two performs to get momentum going. There have been performs once we weren’t serving to Joe, and there have been performs when he wasn’t serving to both.”
What’s the timeline for Zach Wilson’s return?
Over the following two weeks, New York will play at Cleveland, then at residence in opposition to Cincinnati.
These precede the Jets’ Week 4 recreation at Pittsburgh, the one date talked about as a part of any timeline of when Wilson may return.
Saleh mentioned final week he’s “all the time going to depart that door open” for Wilson to presumably return sooner, whereas including, “however we're going to be certain that each thoughts and physique are 110%, (that) we do proper by him. Speaking to docs and everybody, it’s going to be that Pittsburgh week.”
For Wilson, who was harm within the workforce’s preseason opener practically a month in the past, that is his second knee damage that’s forcing him to overlook time since he entered the NFL because the No. 2 total choose within the 2021 draft.
“It’s irritating, in fact. You need to be wholesome as a lot as attainable,” Wilson mentioned, per The New York Put up. “When the damage occurred, I used to be pissed at myself, preseason recreation and all that type of stuff. You’ve bought to have the ability to keep wholesome.”