While quarterback Zach Wilson was out for the last four weeks with a knee injury, there was talk from the team about him making strides mentally by watching Mike White and Joe Flacco run the offense.
Wilson is going to be back under center this weekend and he shared some of what he learned during a press conference on Wednesday. Wilson had a habit of holding the ball a long time before his injury and that often led to bad outcomes.
The other quarterbacks were quicker to check down and the first-round pick said that his plan is to “play fast” so that the ball was going to those who can make plays. He added that the need to get the ball out extends to knowing when it is time to scrap one play to salvage the chances of succeeding on the next one.
“Stats don’t matter,” Wilson said, via Brian Costello of the New York Post. “What’s the highest percentage play that’s going to put us in the best situation? Maybe it’s second-and-10, and somebody gets beat, and I gotta throw the ball at somebody’s feet. That’s the best play to put us in third-and-10, rather than taking a sack or forcing the ball up. Those big plays need to be there when they’re giving us those big plays. My mindset needs to be to make them pay when they give it to us, but if they don’t, I wouldn’t call it boring football. Just play football that way it should be played.”
Wilson will have a chance to show off what he’s learned against the Texans on Sunday.