If Bill Belichick is in Zach Wilson’s head, Wilson can prove that he isn’t in the sport that would vault the Jets into the rarefied air of first place within the AFC East.
Belichick has made a Hall of Fame profession out of humbling young franchise quarterbacks along with his diabolical schemes and in-game adjustments, and if there may be a time to exorcise demons and ghosts, that is it for Wilson on Sunday at Gillette Stadium.
Wilson has thrown seven interceptions in his last two full games against Belichick — three before the bye and 4 as a rookie — however the Jets hail his resiliency and he’ll carry a Bring It On mindset into Gillette Stadium on Sunday.
I asked him if he’s in an excellent headspace without delay, and he said, “Yeah, great headspace. We’re winning football games. We’re where we wish to be and there’s still a lot to enhance on, and so from a team aspect we’re excited with where we’re at and that is gonna be an excellent challenge for us.”
The Jets have lost 13 straight times to the Patriots. Wilson has lost three of them.
This is able to mark the most important, sweetest victory of his young profession.
Beat Bill Belichick, already!
Slay the dragon, Kid.
“It’s frustrating, but for me, my mindset this week is taking it one play at a time, how can I make one of the best decision on that play, don’t get too far ahead of myself so far as feeling like I want an enormous play or I want to make something occur,” Wilson said. “Just trusting within the offense, trusting in the fellows around me.”
In other words, construct off out-dueling Josh Allen and beating the Bills.
“It’s gonna be a cool opportunity for us to go on the market and take a look at and take the great with us and just play efficient football,” Wilson said.
There have been black T-shirts hanging in Jets lockers with D.R.L. in white letters: Do Right Longer. It’s Robert Saleh’s message for each player, however the Jets won’t survive Belichick if Wilson doesn’t Do Right Longer. Throw the ball away and live for an additional day.
’It’s a frustrating game,” Wilson said, “you ought to get things going.”
Don’t attempt to play hero against Belichick, Kid. Play the quarterback position the best way your coaches need it to be played.
“The secret is how quickly are you able to progress and be efficient together with your thoughts and understand the pass rush,” Wilson said, “and sometimes where’s your quickest outlet to get a completion?”
Belichick is a frightening 72-19 against first- and second-year quarterbacks. What you see just isn’t all the time what you’re thinking that you see, or get. You may ask Sam Darnold, who saw ghosts one night, amongst others. Few defenses play man-to-man help the best way the Patriots can.
“They only do various things, attempt to confuse you,” Wilson said. “You could possibly definitely tell everybody knows what they’re doing on that side of the ball.”
This might be a telling barometer for whether Wilson is growing up.
“Historically, they’ve done a excellent job against young quarterbacks,” offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur said, “but that may’t be an excuse.”
No excuses. Beat Bill Belichick.
“This kid may be very, very resilient. … It’s cliché, but I swear by it,” LaFleur said.
Joe Flacco was a young quarterback once upon a time in Baltimore.
“I believe every coaching staff probably has a bit of little bit of a tackle what to do, what to not do versus him, or hey, we’ve someone on the staff that’s been up in Recent England before for a couple of years, and have a bit of insight on how they do things,” Flacco said. “Ultimately, I believe the benefit of being a first- and second-year guy is you’re type of oblivious to certain things, so you only go play football. And sometimes that’s what works best against him, simply because they’re so game-plan specific week-to-week. They prefer to do the things they prefer to do, but you never know exactly what you’re gonna get based on the film and stuff like that.
“So your ability to only go on the market and switch off all of the noise and just play football and undergo your process definitely becomes necessary.”
Now we discover out whether Wilson has been spooked by the seven interceptions in two full games against Belichick. (He was 6-for-10 for 51 yards before leaving with a right knee injury within the infamous 54-13 game last season at Gillette Stadium.)
“I don’t think he’s enthusiastic about that, I believe he’s confident just by way of the strides that he made last week [against Buffalo] getting back from a game against Recent England,” Flacco said. “The undeniable fact that our team’s here sitting at 6-3, our whole unit is confident, and I believe that all the time rubs off on people. He’s feeling good, he’s feeling like he’s within the groove, so I believe that’s all he has to fret about.
“I don’t think he’s enthusiastic about past Recent England games.”
Wilson was drafted to win games like this sooner or later. If sooner or later arrives on Sunday, the Jets might be in first place atop the AFC East.
“This can be a big divisional game for us, obviously … not necessarily to feel like I gotta prove anything of ‘Last game didn’t go great, I gotta do something different this time,’ ” Wilson said. “Just the progress of we won an enormous game last week and it’s on to the following, and that is our next challenge. These guys are an excellent team, they do an excellent job defensively, so I’m it that way.
“I’m just super-excited for this game.”
An extended-suffering fan base turns its lonely eyes to you Zach Wilson: Beat Bill Belichick.