'End the Streak!' Aaron Rodgers Advises Jets vs. Bill Belichick's Patriots
The New England Patriots enter NFL Week 3 with some "numbers problems.'' Those numbers? One of them is a "zero'' ... for their number of wins. The other is a "two,'' for their number of losses.
This puts the Pats in the basement of the AFC East, and normally, the upcoming foe - the New York Jets - would supply some relief there.
But quarterback Aaron Rodgers - even though he's injured and unavailable, maybe for the rest of the season after his Week 1 Achilles tear - plans to change all of that.
Rodgers, the former Packers star traded this offseason to the Jets, appeared on "The Pat McAfee Show" and discussed Zach Wilson vs. the Patriots Week 3.
Wilson, the former first-round pick who is back as the Jets QB now, struggled against the Cowboys in Week 2, completing just 44.4 percent of his passes and throwing three interceptions. That is a continuation of Wilson's track record against the Patriots, as he is 0-4 against coach Bill Belichick.
In Jets vs. Pats meetings, Wilson has ended up throwing just two touchdowns and seven interceptions in those games.
So, what does Wilson need to do this weekend in order to fix all of that? According to Rodgers, Wilson has to play "free and confident" on Sunday.
“I talk to Zach all the time,” Rodgers said. “I love Zach. Zach’s my guy. I’m pulling for him. We talk every single day. Just want him to go out and play free and confident this week. Bill Belichick and the Patriots. Jets haven’t beaten them in a while. So, good time to end the streak.”
"Free and confident''? Belichick and his defense have generally proven pretty capable of keeping opposing QBs from feeling those things. But there is some two-way pressure here: If Wilson fails again against New England this Sunday, the Jets will drop to 1-2 ... and the New York natives will be restless.
But if the Patriots can't solve Wilson as they normally do, maybe because of Rodgers' influence? New England drops to 0-3 ... and "restless'' might not be a strong enough word to describe the vibe.