Six weeks after arthroscopic knee surgery, Zach Wilson starts at quarterback for the New York Jets this week against the Pittsburgh Steelers. His return provides much intrigue for this Week 4 game between teams with identical 1-2 records, and it sets us up for several bold Zach Wilson predictions.

The Jets don’t want nor expect Wilson to be a savior this week. But they are excited to have the 23-year-old face of the franchise back in the lineup.

This season is as much about Wilson's development as it is about wins and losses. He missed three games, but there’s still plenty of time for Wilson to prove himself. It starts against the Steelers on Sunday.

That said, let’s get to our Zach Wilson predictions as he returns for Week 4.

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Zach Wilson will flash and frustrate in his Jets return

Wilson will need to shake off the rust Sunday since he missed much of training camp, preseason and the first three games of the regular season. He’s going to flash with some big throws and he’s going to be erratic, missing some open looks.

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Then again, that sounds a lot like Wilson as a rookie last season. He completed 55.6 percent of his passes in 13 games, often failing to complete the easiest of passes and connecting on more difficult ones.

When all is said and done, look for Wilson to finish around 200 yards passing, maybe even under that number. He’ll throw a pick but will also hit on a touchdown pass.

Jets running backs and tight ends will be best friends against Steelers

The Jets say they want to be a team that passes and runs the ball evenly over the course of the game. In the first three weeks this season, the Jets lead the NFL with 155 pass attempts. They’ve scrapped the run early since they’ve been falling behind in games.

Expect the Jets to get back to their original plan this week. They will rely heavily on running backs Michael Carter and Breece Hall, both in the running game and with screen passes. Offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur will do his best to take the pressure off Wilson. A commitment to running the ball is the first step toward doing that.

Quick passes to tight ends Tyler Conklin and C.J. Uzomah should be a big part of the game plan, too. Conklin, who’s tied for the Jets lead with 18 catches, had a nice rapport with Wilson in OTAs and the early part of training camp. Uzomah has been targeted only once in the two games he has played (he missed the Week 2 win against the Cleveland Browns with a hamstring injury), but expect that to change this week. LaFleur will look to get him much more involved.

The Jets will get Zach Wilson out on the edge in the passing game

With Wilson back under center, the Jets will have a few different wrinkles in their game plan against the Steelers. As LaFleur said Thursday, “Zach’s a different player than Joe,” referring to Joe Flacco, the veteran quarterback who started the first three games.

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Even coming back from knee surgery, Wilson is far more mobile than Flacco. That will allow the Jets to vary their look on passing plays. Whereas Flacco is a drop-back passer who stays in the pocket, Wilson can roll to the edge and make plays on the move. Expect those designed plays to be a part of the Jets' offense Sunday. How much of that we’ll see depends on how Wilson’s knee and conditioning hold up.

Not only will this give the Jets a different look, it allows their struggling offensive line to play to its strength. By moving the pocket, the line will be able to best utilize its zone blocking scheme, providing more of a flow with Wilson on the move. It’ll also take some pressure off Connor McDermott, who starts at left tackle this week following injuries to George Fant, Duane Brown and Mekhi Becton.

Zach Wilson will go down hard at least once but will get right up

It’s the NFL, so Wilson is going to get hit Sunday, specially behind the Jets' offensive line. There’s simply no avoiding that.

There’s going to be a moment in the game when the Jets and their fans will hold their collective breath because Wilson gets drilled. Perhaps it’s a sack. Or maybe it’s on a run. But he’s going to get hit and go down hard. Then he’s going to get up, realize his knee is fine and get right back in the huddle. Then everyone can exhale and get back to the business of trying to win a football game.