Mike Williams is hoping to see more personal progress when the Jets face the Patriots on Thursday night in their home opener at MetLife Stadium.
The ninth-year wideout was on the field for 35 snaps against the Titans, more than his expected plan of 20 to 25.
He came away with a promising 19-yard catch — on his one and only target — on the Jets’ game-winning drive that ended with a rushing touchdown from rookie Braelon Allen.
“It was a little bit over the range that we were looking for, but I was feeling good. I’m not going to say let me get out of the game,” Williams told The Post on Tuesday. “I mean, I want to play so, yeah, I hope the same thing happens in this game and then go out there and play.”
The Jets intended to play it cautiously with Williams from the start after he tore his ACL at the beginning of the 2023 season with the Chargers.
They stuck to their word, giving him only nine snaps during the season opener against the 49ers.
The team is aware of Williams’ eagerness, but a snap target for Thursday is not yet known.
“He feels good. That’s one of the first questions we asked him [Monday],” Robert Saleh said. “He feels really good … and he wants more and his body feels good so we’re gonna continue to give him the ball.”
After the travel and increased snap count, Williams said he expected to be feeling worse, but was happily surprised to experience no swelling on the plane and said “everything feels good.”
“It’s a lot less on your legs. It’s more walk-throughs and stuff,” he said of adjusting to the short week. “So, you just gotta make sure you’re watching the film and getting the mental reps as far as on that point. But, as far as body, if you got a process and a plan that you stick to, you will feel comfortable throughout the season.”
Williams, brought in to complement Garrett Wilson, was a key receiver for the Chargers.
In seven seasons in San Diego, he recorded two 1,000-yard campaigns, including the last time he played every game of the season in 2021.