Garrett Wilson: Jets' New-look Passing Offense 'in A Good Spot' Despite Uneven Preseason Results

While it’s unwise to put too much stock in preseason stats, the Jets’ struggles to move the ball through the air with their starters on field through two games and a few weeks of training camp practices is worth noting.

Sure, a learning curve is to be expected with an entirely new offensive system in place under OC Tanner Engstrand, but through two games starting quarterback Justin Fields has completed 4-of-9 passes for just 46 yards, with his 5.1 yards-per-attempt average ranking 75th among 101 passers this preseason.

Fields was also just 1-of-4 for five yards in the second preseason game against the Giants, but as receiver Garrett Wilson said on Tuesday, there’s no reason to panic.

“We’ve still got three weeks, so the way we see it is we’ve taken some strides but we’ve still got to round out some of those things we’re not hitting on,” Wilson said. “We’ve got time, but I feel like we’re in a good spot.”

The Jets’ passing attack hasn’t yet hit its stride, but when it does, Wilson said that the “movement” and the “options” will make Gang Green a tough team to gameplan against.

“We’ve got a lot of plays in, we’ve got a lot of stuff to learn,” said the former Offensive Rookie of the Year. “Once you master it, it’s beautiful, because you can go to all of that and find an answer for what the defense is giving you.”

It’s also been documented by training camp observers that the Jets don’t seem to be trying to push the ball deep down the field, and are instead focusing on a run-heavy, efficient approach to the offensive side of the ball.

Speaking on Tuesday, Fields said that while the Jets’ offense may not be looking to air it out on every single play, they’ll happily build methodical drives to wear down their opponents.

“We’re fine with taking eight-yard completions every play, if I’m being honest with you,” Fields said. “Of course you want explosive [plays], but like I said Saturday, we’re not going to force the ball downfield.

“If [the defense’ wants to get depth on the second level, we’re fine with taking the eight-, 10-yard completion and taking time off the clock and just driving down the field and having 10-, 15-play drives. That gets the defense tired, and it might not be as exciting on the offensive side of the ball for the fans, but like I said, it’s efficient ball and getting the defense tired and driving down the field.”

In the past couple of years, the Jets have made splashy moves to try to improve their offense, including the blockbuster trade for Aaron Rodgers ahead of the 2023 season and the October 2024 trade for Davante Adams.

Those moves obviously didn’t work out as intended, and the Jets took a bit of a quieter approach in rebuilding the offense under new head coach Aaron Glenn and GM Darren Mougey.

Time will tell if this change in approach pays off or not, but Wilson explained that getting the job done on the field is the only thing that matters.

“I feel like we’ve won the offseason the last three or four years. I don’t like that,” Wilson said. “I don’t really like that, so for me, it’s been staying off the radar and let’s put our head down and do it when it matters, so that we don’t have to be having these conversations and we can talk about other stuff in the future here because we’re winning games and handling our business. And that’s the goal, and I feel like we’re on the path, so let’s go do it.”