Jets rookie quarterback Zach Wilson’s first meeting with the Patriots was not a particularly enjoyable experience.
Wilson’s first two passes were intercepted and he threw four overall in a 22-6 loss in Week Two this season. It was one of many dominating performances by a Bill Belichick-led Patriots team against a rookie signal caller and it didn’t seem like the kind of experience that Wilson would be itching to have again.
Thursday saw Wilson singing a different tune, however. Wilson said that he’s looking forward to another chance to tangle with the defense that stymied him the first time around.
“Just like it was the first time we played them, everything’s a steppingstone,” Wilson said, via Mark Cannizzaro of the New York Post. “We’re building something here that’s going to be special for a long time. When it’s going to be super-special, we don’t know, but all we have to focus on is one step at a time, throwing those bricks down and getting better. I’m excited to play these guys again. I think it’s going to be a blast.”
The awful start against the Patriots has not been an outlier as the Jets have failed to score in the first quarter so far this season. They had a bye in Week Six to work on that and other problems, so Sunday’s game will be a chance to see if they’ve taken any steps forward on offense.