Breaking down Zach Wilson’s horrid performance in Week 2 yields interesting thoughts
Coming off of a disappointing season-opening game against the Carolina Panthers, in which the New York Jets and Zach Wilson looked like a much better team in the second half than the first half, fans were hoping momentum would carry over into Week 2.
Unfortunately, quite the opposite happened in the Jets’ 25-6 loss to the New England Patriots.
The Jets deferred to the Patriots and were able to hold the Mac Jones-led offense to a scoreless drive, even after the referees completely blew a call involving a Marcus Maye fumble recovery. It was a harbinger of things to come for MetLife Stadium’s first fan-filled NFL game since the 2019 season.
Jones continued to attack in the short-passing game, whereas Wilson would make mistake after mistake against Bill Belichick’s excellent and disciplined man-to-man coverage downfield.
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Although the end result wasn’t desirable, the Jets, as a team, played much better than what was shown on film in Week 1.
From the jump, Mike LaFleur’s rushing attack did its job (averaging 5.9 yards per pop on the day). The offensive line moved New England’s front – something it couldn’t do in Carolina. New York’s problem came at quarterback.
Wilson’s first of four interceptions featured a delayed Pats’ blitzer in his face and a forced ball to Corey Davis on second and 3. The ball was tipped and picked off on the Jets’ side of the field.
The Jets’ defense took the field, again impressing, as they held the Patriots to a field goal. This theme would occur throughout the entirety of the game: poor field position via a turnover.
Wilson’s first pass on the Jets’ second offensive drive was also intercepted. The pass was a touch high and slipped through Davis’ hands. Long-time Jets fans knew where this game was going.
The rookie quarterback simply couldn’t turn it around at any point throughout the game. Make no mistake, however: The rest of the squad played solid football, even exceptional in some regards.
Below is a three-hour-plus film breakdown of the Jets-Patriots game via Blewett’s Blitz (members only):
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