28 September 2023 , 18:37
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Kansas City Chiefs Willie Gay has issued a damning assessment of quarterback Zach Wilson.
The reigning Super Bowl champions will travel to MetLife Stadium to face the New York Jets this Sunday. All eyes are on Wilson who continues to receive criticism after failing to live up to expectations during his NFL career so far.
Jets fans are not happy with the 23-year-old and the likes of ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith described the player as “straight garbage”. Ahead of what is arguably the toughest test of the season for coach Selah’s men, Chiefs linebacker Willie Gay essentially said the Jets' best chance of beating them is not through Wilson, the Jets quarterback.
“Damn, that still was a hard question, I can’t lie,” Gay said while smiling on Kansas City's KSHB 41 News. “A team that wants to run the ball. Of course, man, that wasn’t meant to be funny or anything, but (Aaron Rodgers) got hurt and it turned into a team where, like, panic mode almost. That’s what I see at least.
“They’ve got great running backs, so now they’re just trying to pound it, pound and ground like they did … I don’t know if they win. I feel like the running backs rolling, three great ones. I feel like that’s their game plan.” Both teams have had contrasting seasons so far.
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The Chiefs suffered a shocking loss to the Detroit Lions on the opening day, but have bounced back emphatically with comfortable wins over the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Chicago Bears. The Jets on the other hand, lost marquee signing Aaron Rodgers just minutes into his team debut against the Buffalo Bills, but managed to secure a 22-16 overtime win.
But a 30-10 loss to the Dallas Cowboys followed before a lacklustre performance against a depleted New England Patriots team on Sunday saw them lose 15-10. Through the first three games of the season, the Jets offense are averaging just 14 points and their predictable play-calling has made life slightly easier for their opponents to snuff out their attacks.
The Jets are 1-2 in the 2023 NFL season with an under-fire Wilson leading their attack (Getty)Wilson completed just 50 percent of his passes for 157 yards with zero touchdowns and zero interceptions on Sunday. Over the course of the first three games, Wilson has the lowest passer rating by a quarterback this season at 57.0.
He is currently on pace to have the worst three-year stretch by a quarterback in NFL history. Coach Saleh had stated his support for Wilson for the 2023 campaign and absolved him of the sole responsibility for Sunday's defeat. But that stance may have now changed based on comments when asked about Wilson’s current form this week.
“We all acknowledge he has to play better. We all acknowledge that,” Saleh told reporters on Wednesday, via The New York Post. “He acknowledges it, teammates acknowledge it, he acknowledges it himself, but the key is to have confidence in yourself. You have to.”