Getty Matt Judon
Matthew Judon is a class act, but he’s also a menace on the field. Both traits were in full effect on Sunday as his New England Patriots smoked the New York Jets 54-13 at Gillette Stadium.
During the second quarter, Judon got pressure on Jets rookie quarterback Zach Wilson. While he was unable to get the sack on Wilson, he did register a quarterback hit that resulted in what some fear could be a serious knee injury.
Take a look at the hit. As Mike Giardi of NFL.com noted in the tweet, Wilson says he felt a pop:
Here’s the play where Zach Wilson got hurt. Here’s what he said about the injury postgame. “I think my toe kind of just got stuck in the ground and Judon just kind of fell on it with all of his weight and that kind of twisted it. Felt a pop there…” #Jets
As you can see, there was nothing dirty about the hit, but it’s football and injuries will happen. Wilson stayed on the ground for several minutes, but he was ultimately able to get off the field under his own power.
He was examined in the blue tent before heading to the Jets locker room and he did not return to the game. Judon obviously felt bad, and he took to Twitter to wish Wilson the best:
You hate to see injuries. Especially if you’re apart of them. I’ll be praying for you @ZachWilson. ✊🏾✊🏾
Animal on the field, kind-hearted soul off of it. You can’t ask for anymore.
What’s Up With Wilson’s Knee?
We won’t know the severity of Wilson’s injury until Monday after he has an MRI and the results are available. However, the rookie did speak with the media after the game to offer some details. Per Heavy’s Paul Esden Jr., Wilson said:
Praying that it wasn’t the worst-case scenario having a knee injury. It wasn’t necessarily a painful thing, I felt a pop and a twist. You kind of know when it’s different than just getting some sort of bruise or getting landed on or whatever. I knew something had happened and it felt a little unstable. That’s why I wanted to make sure everything was okay, it was sore I couldn’t really move it at first and that’s why I kind of laid there at first to gather my thoughts.
Esden posted the actual footage from the presser as well.
#Jets rookie QB Zach Wilson (@ZachWilson) on his injury, ‘praying it wasn’t the worst case scenario’ + ‘at first it wasn’t a painful thing I felt a pop/twist so you kind of know when it’s different & it felt a little bit unstable’: #NYJvsNE #TakeFlight
Preliminary examinations seem to indicate a PCL injury to Wilson’s right knee and former NFL team doctor David J. Chao says the symptoms sound like a Grade 2 PCL strain which could mean he’ll miss several weeks and perhaps have a stint on injured reserve.
Depending on how much time Wilson is expected to miss, the Jets may make a move to add a quarterback, which is something that has been rumored even before the rookie quarterback went down.
So, How About That Game?
The Patriots dominated the Jets in every facet of the game on Sunday. Mac Jones had his first career 300-yard passing game. Damien Harris eclipsed the 100-yard rushing mark again while also scoring two touchdowns.
Brandon Bolden did his best James White impersonation going for 6 receptions, 79 yards and a TD, and Hunter Henry had a TD reception for the fourth consecutive game. The defense held the Jets to just 13 points, under 300 total yards and forced three turnovers. It was a pretty well-rounded performance by the team overall.
ALSO READ:
- Twitter Reacts to Bill Belichick & Patriots Running up the Score vs. Jets
- Patriots Advised to Target Star WR in Trade Deadline Deal
- Trade Proposal Would Land Patriots Speedy WR
- Former Patriot Slams Jimmy Garoppolo: ‘You Can’t Win With a B**** for a QB’
- Patriots Trade Proposal Would Send Former First-Rounder to New England