Zach Wilson Faces Testing Start On Return From Injury

Zach Wilson has been cleared to make his return for the New York Jets in Week 4, a hugely positive outcome for the second-year quarterback given his season initially appeared to be over when he suffered a non-contact knee injury in the first exhibition game against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Now recovered from a bone bruise and a meniscus tear, Wilson will look to enjoy a much-improved second season as the starter after enduring pronounced rookie struggles last season after being taken with the second overall pick.

However, in his first game back, Wilson has been dealt something of a rough hand as the Jets go on the road to face the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Steelers’ defense may not be as formidable without the presence of star edge rusher T.J. Watt, who is sidelined with a torn pectoral. Yet it has still been a top-12 unit in the league through the first three weeks of the season.

Pittsburgh ranks 12th in Expected Points Added per play on defense, according to rbsdm.com. The Steelers also sit 12th in Football Outsiders’ DVOA metric on defense, and their strength to this point has been against the pass.

Indeed, the Steelers’ defense is ninth in dropback EPA per play and 12th in DVOA against the pass. Having already racked up five interceptions, Pittsburgh will surely relish going against a quarterback in Wilson who showed little ability to take care of the ball as a rookie, throwing nine touchdowns to 11 interceptions.

Pittsburgh could be without Minkah Fitzpatrick, responsible for two of those interceptions, as he is in the concussion protocol. But, even with Watt’s absence, the Steelers possess a defensive front that can pressure Wilson into mistakes.

Alex Highsmith is enjoying an extremely strong third season in the league and already has 4.5 sacks to his name, 1.5 shy of his career high, while veterans Cameron Heyward and Larry Ogunjobi have proven they can consistently create interior pressure over the course of their careers.

Wilson may need time to knock some of the rust off before he can truly thrive in 2022. He will not be afforded that luxury in a tough assignment on the road against a Steelers team desperate for a win after successive defeats to AFC rivals.

The hope is that Wilson will be a vastly improved player on what he was in 2021, but any such strides he has made seem unlikely to immediately become apparent in such a difficult matchup.