Bill Belichick's simple verdict on Jets quarterback Zach Wilson speaks volumes
Bill Belichick didn’t have many positive words to say about struggling New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson.
The legendary New England Patriots coach is preparing his team to face their AFC East rivals on Sunday evening at MetLife Stadium. Wilson, 24, will start at the quarterback position following the season-ending injury to Aaron Rodgers in their opening game of the season.
But before their battle, Belichick, who usually offers praise to opposing players, did not exactly give the 2021 No.2 draft pick a ringing endorsement. "Pretty athletic quarterback. We've seen him before,” the 71-year-old said bluntly. His comments seem to indicate his Patriots team will be relatively untroubled against Wilson, and his confidence may stem from his previous encounters with the former BYU college player.
In his four previous meetings with the Patriots, Wilson has thrown two touchdowns and seven interceptions while being sacked 11 times. He has completed 50.9% of his passes vs. New England and his QB rating vs. the Patriots is 50.6. Wilson’s most uninspired performance against the Patriots came in Week 11 last year in a game the Jets lost, 10-3.
Belichick is not the only person affiliated with the Patriots who has had something to say about Wilson before Sunday’s game. Patriots Hall of Famer and their former Safety Rodney Harrison issued some strong comments about the Jets player.
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“It just looks like this kid is scared to death,” Harrison said on MassLive’s “Eye on Foxborough” podcast. “He’s got the weight of the world on him. He’s playing in New York, the most scrutinized media market in the world.
“And I don’t think it gets any better. I think it just continues to go until they make a change.” There is a lot of scrutiny on Wilson after he was thrust back into the Jets' starting lineup due to Rodgers’ injury and after two demotions last season.
The New England Patriots head coach will face Wilson and the Jets on Sunday (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)He threw three interceptions in a 30-10 loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday at AT&T Stadium. Other than a 68-yard touchdown pass to Garrett Wilson, who gained 55 yards after the catch, it was a relatively poor performance from the quarterback.
As they look to rebound against the Patriots, his teammates have supported him, as wide receiver Wilson issued some words of encouragement. "From the outside looking in, it's easy to play the quarterback blame game," the 2022 Offensive Rookie of the Year said.
"Honestly, that's the world we live in, where you look at the top man -- the head man, the quarterback, the one who makes the money -- and then point the finger. But all of us internally know that we all have to take the right steps and get better."
Zach Wilson had three interceptions during the New York Jets' loss to the Dallas Cowboys last weekend (Cooper Neill/Getty Images)Wilson registered 12 of 27 passes for 170 yards, throwing for only 76 yards in the second half of Sunday's game. Coach Robert Saleh stood by his quarterback after his performance and did not blame the player for his second and third interceptions.
"I thought he did a nice job," Saleh said. "Obviously, late in the game, he had to force the ball to make something happen and, obviously, it didn't go our way. There was a miscommunication on one of his interceptions with him and the back.
"They have a hell of a front. He did a really nice job in the pocket, extending plays, scrambling. He had a couple of nice off-schedule plays. It just wasn't good enough."
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