Robert Saleh sees value in Zach Wilson’s tough early competition

Zach Wilson and the Jets will face yet another tough defense when they play in Denver this Sunday afternoon.

It was Week 1 when rookie Jets quarterback Zach Wilson faced a strong Panthers defense that’s currently leading the league in yards allowed and points allowed.

It was Week 2 when he faced a defensive unit led by the mind of Bill Belichick.

And this Sunday, he must take on a Broncos team that’s third in yards allowed, fifth in points allowed, and employs Von Miller.

Beginner’s luck isn’t existent when you face some of the league’s top defensive units right off the bat — Wilson certainly realized that when he threw four picks against New England.

Regardless, head coach Robert Saleh sees the benefit of Wilson’s tough early competition.

“That’s where all these game plan sessions will come through and [Broncos head coach] Vic [Fangio], he’s another one of those guys who just is a savant with defense,” Saleh told the media Wednesday. “And he’s always been at the front in terms of scheme and all that stuff, so a ton of respect for him. And it’s going to be exciting to see Zach. For Zach, it’s been a good thing that he’s gotten three of the best defenses in football to start the season, and it’s not a good thing I should say, but at the same time he’s going to learn a lot from it. And Denver is another one of those great defenses, great scheme, and it’s going to be a great challenge for him.”

In order for the Jets to earn their first victory, Wilson will need to play a clean game against a secondary that’s allowing just 184.0 average passing yards.

But he’s not the only one who must step up.

Despite the fact the Jets defense has been impressive thus far, this Teddy Bridgewater-led Broncos offense could catch the group napping if it doesn’t execute. Denver is averaging 409.0 total yards per game (seventh in the NFL).

“Yeah, we’ve got to play sound,” Saleh said. “And Teddy is, just watching him, I have so much respect for his game. I think he’s one of the more underrated starters in this league. His release, he gets rid of the ball really fast, he’s a very, very good decision-maker, he’s very accurate, he puts the ball where it needs to be, and he can move a little bit. It’s going to be a challenge in terms of trying to eliminate the explosives with these guys, they’re explosive all over the football field on offense, but it’s a challenge we’re up for.”

The Jets and Broncos kick off at 4:05 p.m. ET this Sunday afternoon at Empower Field at Mile High. Needless to say, this is an important week of practice for New York — playing in front of the Denver crowd as a visiting ballclub is no cakewalk.

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