Mike Williams is hoping for more individual improvement when the Jets face the Patriots in their home opener at MetLife Stadium on Thursday night.
The ninth-year wideout played 35 snaps against the Titans, more than the 20-25 he initially projected.
He made a promising 19-yard catch on the Jets’ game-winning drive, which was on his only target, and ended with a rushing touchdown by rookie Braylon Allen.
“It was a little bit over the range we were looking for, but it felt good. I’m not going to tell you to go out of the game,” Williams told The Post on Tuesday. “That being said, I want to play, so, yeah, I’m hoping that same thing happens in this game and I go out there and play.”
The Jets planned to play it cautious from the start after Williams tore his ACL against the Chargers early in the 2023 season.
They kept their promise, giving him just nine snaps in the season-opening win over the 49ers.
The team is aware of Williams’ enthusiasm, but his snap target for Thursday is still unknown.
“He feels good. That’s one of the first questions we asked him. [Monday],” Robert Saleh said. “He feels really good… he wants more and his body feels good so we’ll keep giving him the ball.”
Williams expected the travel and increased snaps to make him feel worse, but was pleased to see no swelling at all on the plane and said “everything feels good.”
“It’s a lot less strain on your legs. There are more walk-throughs and things like that,” he said of adjusting to the shorter week. “So, at that point, you have to focus on watching film and mentally revising it. But physically, if you have a process and a plan that you can stick to, you’ll feel comfortable throughout the season.”
Williams, brought in to complement Garrett Wilson, has been a key receiver for the Chargers.
He has twice reached 1,000 yards in seven seasons in San Diego, including playing the entire season in 2021.
