[ad_1]
The Patriots said they came away impressed with Jets rookie quarterback Zach Wilson after Sunday’s 25-6 rout.
Honest.
Yes, the same Wilson who threw four interceptions – two on his first two shots and three in total in the first half.
Whether the Patriots were serious, condescending, buttered Wilson for the next team meeting in October, or just being nice, it has to be interpreted.
“Wilson made some pretty impressive shots,” said New England coach Bill Belichick. “This kid is going to be a good player … he’s a good player.”
When Belichick, now 22-6 against rookie quarterbacks, was asked what exactly impressed him about Wilson, the No.2 pick in the draft, the Patriots coach gave an answer that seemed incredulous that no one else had noticed. what he had.
“Did you see the throws he made?” Belichick said. “That last 7 rounds with a minute to go in front of their bench? It’s a great shot. ”
It was a great shot, a 35-yard pass to Jeff Smith. But it came with the game being decided for a long time. When it mattered most, when the game was still uncertain, Wilson was bad. He forced his first pass attempt to receiver Corey Davis with two New England defensive backs around him and JC Jackson recovered the deflected ball.
His second pass attempt, on the Jets’ second possession, was thrown too high in the direction of Davis, who grabbed it at the last moment but slid it into the arms of Patriots safety Adrian Phillips.
Davis would tell Wilson on the sidelines that the game was his fault, his fault. But Wilson and everyone in the stadium knew otherwise.
“We had a few chances and we took advantage of them,” said Belichick. “You would have to ask [Wilson] about these parts. I don’t know exactly what happened. ”
The Patriots defensive backs complimented Wilson despite how badly they made him look.
“Starting a game this way isn’t ideal for a quarterback,” said defenseman Devin McCourty, who had the Patriots final interception. “We kept trying to add pressure and change things. This is what made it difficult [on Wilson]. We were trying to give it a different look in high school.
“[Wilson] did a good job in that he just kept playing. You can tell the guy is going to be a good player. ”
Said Jackson, who had two of four interceptions: “Wilson has a strong arm. He can really get the ball in, throw the ball deep and pretty well at the intermediate level. ”
When asked if he saw Wilson pushing things as the game progressed, Jackson replied, “He’s pretty aggressive. He’s an aggressive quarterback. You want a guy who can shut it up in there. I was just in the right position to play games.
“He’s a rookie. He did his best today. ”
[ad_2]
Source link