Zach Wilson throws two touchdowns in impressive preseason appearance
Zack Wilson threw two touchdowns through the first half against the Green Bay Packers on Saturday. The second-overall pick by the New York Jets in April’s draft was 9-of-11 for 128 yards in the opening half.
Maybe the pointers from Aaron Rodgers have paid off. The Jets and Packers held a joint practice earlier this week, and Wilson was seen chatting with last year’s league MVP.
Either way, Wilson looked sharp in the first half. He threw both of his touchdowns to tight end Tyler Kroft.
And Wilson is starting to build up chemistry with Corey Davis. The two connected four times for 70 yards, including a 27-yard connection. The former Western Michigan receiver was drafted in the first round of the 2017 draft and signed with the Jets this offseason.
“We’re definitely getting there [in terms of chemistry],” Davis said on Friday. “We’ve made a lot of huge strides the last week and a half, two weeks. I think Zach is a lot more comfortable in the pocket, he’s been more accurate. I’ve been getting open and creating space to try and make it easier for him.”
Zach Wilson learning from Aaron Rodgers
Wilson bursted on to the college football scene last year. The BYU product was a serious contender for the Heisman as he threw for 3,692 yards, 33 touchdowns and just three interceptions. He rushed for 254 yards and 10 scores, and completed a career-best 73.5% of his passes.
Now he is expected to be the face of the franchise for the Jets. Drafting Wilson was one of first big moves for the Jets since Robert Saleh took the job. The former defensive coordinator in San Francisco, he took over Adam Gase, who went 9-23 in two seasons.
New York has been unsuccessful trying to find a starting quarterback; Sam Darnold was just the latest to try and turn around the franchise.
The Jets believe Zach Wilson could be the quarterback to bring them back to the playoff for the first time since 2010. Taking a page out of Aaron Rodgers’ book wouldn’t hurt, either.
“He’s a cool guy,” Wilson said earlier this week. “He has the knowledge, smart dude, knows what’s going on out there. It was cool to ask him about footwork, what’s going on on the field, what he’s seeing. If I could spend more time with him to keep asking him questions, I would.
“I want to do what he’s doing. When you have 16 years of experience — the checks and calls he’s making on the field — the coaches don’t want me to do that. It’s too much on someone’s plate. There aren’t many guys who can do what he’s doing in terms of seeing what’s going on, changing plays.