NEW YORK (AP) \u2014 There was a play two weeks ago when Zach Wilson felt the pocket collapsing around him, took off on a scramble and sprinted for a big gain.<\/b>
\nNEW YORK (AP) \u2014 There was a play two weeks ago when Zach Wilson felt the pocket collapsing around him, took off on a scramble and sprinted for a big gain. The 18-yard run, punctuated by a baseball-style slide, by the New York Jets rookie quarterback against New Orleans was nice. He and offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur knew it could\u2019ve been even better. \u201cHe got an explosive (play), but I thought there was a lot more,\u201d LaFleur said Thursday. \u201cKeelan (Cole) was in a position to go block and I kind of just told him in that moment: \u2018There\u2019s more there for you. You\u2019re a better athlete than you\u2019re giving yourself credit for,\u2019 albeit even in the NFL.\u201d The message to Wilson was to be aggressive. Be smart, of course, but also take the big plays when they present themselves. Fast-forward to last Sunday when Wilson set franchise records for quarterbacks in the Jets\u2019 26-21 victory over Jacksonville. He had 91 yards on four carries, including a 52-yard TD run during which he maneuvered out of a sack, tiptoed the sideline near the 25-yard line, stayed inbounds and headed for the end zone. \u201cHe took off, and a little bit of an okie-doke on the sideline,\u201d LaFleur said. \u201cHe was expecting to get shoved out, he didn\u2019t, and then he just kept it going. And so, he made a few runs that were big for us.\u201d Ron Middleton, the Jets\u2019 acting coach last Sunday with Robert Saleh sidelined with COVID-19, wasn\u2019t surprised. \u201cThe O.C. got on him pretty good and it paid off,\u201d Middleton said. \u201cI think he played free. I think he played with confidence. He was out there and showed his running and athletic ability. I thought it was great.\u201d It\u2019s all in the education of a young quarterback, one who is quickly learning how to help his team with not only his arm but his legs. \u201cI don\u2019t know if I got on him too hard with it,\u201d LaFleur said. \u201cBut, no, just conversations, trying to coach him up. Within the moment, I think that\u2019s where it\u2019s real.\u201d Wilson was the No.2 pick in the draft in April for his ability to make all the throws \u2014 including off-balance passes that very few quarterbacks can \u2014 and make plays out of nothing with his legs. In the five games since he returned from a sprained knee that sidelined him for four weeks, Wilson has thrown three touchdown passes and run for four scores. \u201cI was telling someone the other day, it kind of sucks as far as stats go,\u201d Wilson said. \u201cYeah, rushing touchdowns are great to win the game, but I could care less how many rushing touchdowns I have. I wish they were passing touchdowns. But if it helps us win, then I\u2019ll take them.\u201d More importantly, he also has just two interceptions in the span \u2014 and none in the past three games. \u201cZach\u2019s decision-making has been fantastic,\u201d Saleh said. \u201cHis off-schedule stuff, he\u2019s starting to look natural.\u2026 He\u2019s coming along, he\u2019s getting more comfortable, he\u2019s calmer back there. He\u2019s in a great headspace and it\u2019s going to be fun to watch him grow, continue to grow.\u201d The improved play by Wilson over the past several games has coincided with an increased sense of leadership by the rookie. He was selected a captain by his teammates before the season, but there have been noticeable changes in Wilson\u2019s approach as the weeks have gone by. \u201cYou see a guy that\u2019s getting better every week,\u201d right tackle Morgan Moses said. \u201cHe\u2019s a professional on and off the field.\u2026 The thing I\u2019m starting to learn about him is that as he\u2019s getting comfortable, he\u2019s learning how to demand greatness from every position.\u201d And that includes himself. It\u2019s a conscious decision by the 22-year-old quarterback, who has been increasingly more vocal in the huddle. \u201cI\u2019m just trying to show my passion for the game and how much it means to me in critical situations when we\u2019re out there on the field,\u201d Wilson said. \u201cJust the sense of urgency to get things done and to show those guys, in my eyes, just how important it is and that when they know I\u2019m giving it my all, I know they\u2019ll do the same thing for me, which is really cool. \u201cI feel like that\u2019s something that can always keep improving, but it\u2019s easy when you have a good group of guys in there.\u201d NOTES: RB Tevin Coleman and DB Zane Lewis, who\u2019s on injured reserve, were placed on the COVID-19 list.\u2026 LG Alijah Vera-Tucker, RG Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, DE John Franklin-Myers and S Ashtyn Davis were all activated from the COVID-19 list, along with practice squad WR Vyncint Smith and DE Hamilcar Rashed Jr.\u2026 S Elijah Benton and WR Isaiah Zuber were released from the practice squad.\u2026 WR Jamison Crowder (calf) sat out practice and could miss his second straight game.\u2026 LB C.J. Mosley, who has a career-high 142 tackles, got practice off as a rest day. ___ More AP NFL coverage: https:\/\/apnews.com\/hub\/nfl and https:\/\/twitter.com\/AP_NFL Copyright \u00a9 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.<\/p>\n