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It’s safe to say, New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick still has a pretty good idea of how to send rookie quarterbacks into a state of flux.
On Sunday, Belichick’s defense destroyed New York Jets rookie QB Zach Wilson and most everything their AFC East rivals tried to do in a lopsided 25-6 win.
Wilson was sacked 4 times, drilled on 7 more occasions and he threw 4 interceptions–most of which were of the egregious variety.
There were a number of reactions to the performance, but USA Today’s Andy Vasquez really slammed the point home with this epic–and accurate–rant about Wilson’s nightmarish home debut and Belichick’s king-like advantage over the Jets’ head coach Robert Saleh and his young quarterback.
To make matters worse, Vasquez injects a direct comparison between Patriots rookie QB Mac Jones and Wilson. Vasquez wrote:
If Jets fans were hoping for a second-half rally like the one Wilson led in Carolina last week, they didn’t get to hold onto that hope for long. Wilson threw another interception on the first drive of the second half to erase any chance the Jets had of getting back into this game. There were several other near interceptions that the Patriots couldn’t come down with. The quarterback never looked comfortable and missed several easy throws as the game went on. As if that wasn’t bad enough for the Jets and their fans, Wilson’s terrible performance happened on a day when the running game was working, the offensive line did a better job of protecting him and the defense got off to a strong start. But none of it mattered because Wilson was so off that the Jets couldn’t sustain any momentum. This was a chance for the Jets to turn the page on their awful recent history against the Patriots and show that things could be different with their new coach and new quarterback. Instead, Robert Saleh and his staff got worked by Belichick — by the end it felt like the legendary coach was toying with the Jets. And in the first ever game between these two teams with rookie quarterbacks on the field at the same time, it was mid-first round pick Mac Jones who did enough for his team to win — completing 22-of-30 passes for 186 yards and no interceptions. And it was Wilson, the No. 2 overall pick, who flopped in the worst way imaginable.
Jones wasn’t spectacular on Sunday, but make no mistake about it, the Patriots have the quarterback who is further along on the development scale.
Twitter Reacts to Zach Wilson Throwing 4 INTs Vs. The Patriots
Twitter has no chill when it comes to drilling a quarterback who is playing poorly. The Twitterverse unleashed their wrath on Wilson as he went on an interception spree.
Most of the references give Belichick credit for mastering the art of freaking out young quarterbacks.
The shot with the mask makes him look extra menacing in this situation.
Jim Corbett might be getting too far out ahead of himself with this hot take. Jones did a good job not losing his team the game. However, against a team whose quarterback wasn’t giving the ball away like free cheese, the Patriots’ lack of punch on offense might have been exploited.
Josh Norris of Underdog Fantasy points out Belichick’s recent compliment of Wilson. As we listened to Belichick compliment Wilson, it sounded like he was still licking his chops waiting to exploit the rookie’s overexuberance.
In case you missed it, here is a look at Wilson’s first three interceptions.
According to the Athletic’s Connor Hughes, Wilson’s QB rating was below 20. I think that’s bad.
It will probably get a little tougher for the Patriots’ defense next week as they host Jameis Winston, Alvin Kamara and the New Orleans Saints.
What’s Next For the New England Patriots?
New England Patriots (1-1) 2021 Regular Season Schedule
- Week 1 – Miami Dolphins 17, New England Patriots 16
- Week 2 – New England Patriots 25, New York Jets 6
- Week 3 – New Orleans Saints at 1pm ET – FOX – September 26
- Week 4 – Tampa Bay Buccaneers at 8:20 pm ET – NBC – October 3
- Week 5 – at Houston Texans at 1pm ET – CBS – October 10
- Week 6 – Dallas Cowboys at 4:25 pm ET – CBS – October 17
- Week 7 – New York Jets at 1pm ET – CBS – October 24
- Week 8 – at Los Angeles Chargers at 4:05 pm ET – CBS – October 31
- Week 9 – at Carolina Panthers at 1 pm ET – CBS – November 7
- Week 10 – Cleveland Browns at 1 pm ET – CBS – November 14
- Week 11 – at Atlanta Falcons at 8:20 pm ET – FOX/NFL Network/Amazon – November 18
- Week 12 – Tennessee Titans at 1 pm ET – CBS – November 28
- Week 13 – at Buffalo Bills at 8:15 pm ET – ESPN – December 6
- Week 14 – Bye Week
- Week 15 – at Indianapolis Colts Time TBA – December 18
- Week 16 – Jacksonville Jaguars at 1 pm ET – CBS – January 2
- Week 17 – at Miami Dolphins at 1 pm ET – CBS – January 9
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