MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. -- As a rookie, Zach Wilson experiences something new every week. It's all part of his big learning year, which is the crux of the New York Jets' great, big rebuilding project.
On Sunday, Wilson got his first chance to come out of halftime with a lead -- a seven-point edge. He didn't handle that very well, as the Jets blew their first halftime advantage of the season (not a misprint) in an eventual 31-24 loss to the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium.
The lessons didn't stop at the final gun. After yet another uneven performance, Wilson was asked a pointed, but fair question about the offense's lack of production with him at quarterback, as compared to the other passers on the roster. You could almost see his jaw clench. He didn't seem to like that question one bit.
"Yeah, I don't worry about any of that stuff," he said curtly -- a response that hung in the air for a second or two.
It wasn't his finest moment. In a situation like that, a savvy quarterback is supposed to take ownership of the issue, vowing to make it better. Wilson didn't, giving the impression that it touched a nerve.
It was another learning experience in a season full of them, which is the rose-colored view of his first season. Here's the cold reality:
Week after week, Wilson shows he's not ready to be an NFL starting quarterback. That's a bit concerning, considering he was the No. 2 overall pick in the draft, but it doesn't necessarily mean this season -- sacrificed for his development -- is a waste. We won't know that until next year, when we find out if the Jets' pain and suffering was worth it.
If this were a win-now season for the Jets (3-11), man, did they screw up by starting Wilson from Week 1. You knew there would be struggles, considering he played a soft schedule at BYU, but he has yet to put together four consistent quarters in a row. And he has played a total of 38.
"It's not all on Zach," coach Robert Saleh said of the offensive struggles. "It's on all of us."
Saleh was protecting his young quarterback. The evidence is irrefutable. Since returning from his knee injury, Wilson has led the offense to only 16 points and 258 yards per game. In his four-game absence, with Joe Flacco, Mike White and Josh Johnson at quarterback, the offense averaged 24.5 points and 436 yards.
Wilson (13-for-23, 170 yards) was efficient at the start against the Dolphins, leading the Jets to a 17-10 halftime lead on an array of dinks and dunks. Offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur did a nice job of keeping it simple with Wilson and protecting his vulnerable offensive line -- sans left tackle George Fant (knee) -- by calling short passes and a handful of gadget plays.
Actually, Wilson's best play was off the script, a schoolyard scramble that resulted in a 23-yard gain to tight end Ryan Griffin. Dodging pass-rushers, Wilson ran in circles for 50 yards behind the line of scrimmage, according to NFL Next Gen Stats, before finding a wide-open Griffin. The pass traveled only 6 yards in the air, his longest attempt in the first half, but it still was a great play.
This was fun, @ZachWilson.#NYJvsMIA on CBS pic.twitter.com/3ySHqS19ue
— New York Jets (@nyjets) December 19, 2021
"I felt like this was probably the biggest game for me as far as just playing free," said Wilson, meaning he wanted to let his playmaking instincts take over when needed.
Once again, Wilson proved he's at his best when improvising, when trying to make something out of a bad play. Everything changed in the second half. The Dolphins, who started out in zone, played more man-to-man in the second half. They brought more pressure, too.
The result was six sacks (including a lost fumble) and a lot of indecision by Wilson, who seemed overmatched at times. There were signs of happy feet when his first read was covered. He didn't play well from the pocket, a season-long problem.
"Once you get man coverage, it kind of goes away, right?" Wilson said, alluding to the easy completions. "You got to let guys try and win, and give them time to win on routes, so it's going to cause me to hitch on some. They'll probably give up some (plays) down the field and, unfortunately, we didn't capitalize on any of those.
"For the most part, it's got to be earned when those guys step up like that. I was trying to be my best, just sitting in the pocket and trusting the protection and just trying to give those guys a shot down the field."
Wilson described it better than he played it. He struggled. Again. In 10 starts, he has only six touchdown passes. The company line was that he'd benefit from those four weeks on the sideline, that he'd learn by watching. That hasn't happened yet.
You're watching an overwhelmed rookie endure acute growing pains. The Jets are willing to live with them because they see better days ahead. They'd better not be wrong.