There’s no experienced quarterback coming to rescue the Jets. So players like Garrett Wilson are flocking to support Zach Wilson, the next guy up after Aaron Rodgers went down with a serious injury.
Wilson said Rodgers gave the team the belief that they could win a Super Bowl. And now that Rodgers is recuperating from season-ending Achilles surgery, there’s no reason to stop thinking about the Super Bowl just because Zach Wilson is now QB1. In other words, the Jets are leaning on an adage created by Tug McGraw during the miraculous Mets season 50 years ago. Ya gotta believe. And tell that to your teammates.
“Just because of the effect that can have on people,” Garrett Wilson said this week. “Belief, people believing in you, people that you get to work with every day believing in you. Sometimes it can seem like the world is against you, but it’s never really the case. We always got our guy’s back.
“It can be tough playing ball, especially playing quarterback, in this part of the world,” Garrett Wilson said. Because of that, and all the other things, we always want to make sure we got our brother’s back. If he doesn’t know that, then I’m doing my job wrong. I want to make sure I give him all the empowerment in the world, and I know all the other guys feel the same about it.”
Zach Wilson is lucky to have a receiver like Garrett Wilson. The Wilson-to-Wilson connection Monday helped the Jets pull off the upset of the Bills after Rodgers went down with injury.
The Jets travel to play the Dallas Cowboys this Sunday at AT&T Stadium. The Cowboys blanked the Giants, 40-0, at MetLife Stadium to open the season, with the defense sacking Daniel Jones seven times. Maybe the Jets will have enough quality players on offense to put up a fight. There’s Garrett Wilson and fellow second-year player Breece Hall. The running back gained 127 yards against the Bills, with one carry taking him 83 yards.
Meanwhile, Aaron Rodgers underwent surgery in Los Angeles to repair his torn Achilles. He likely faces up to a year in recovery time before he’s healthy to play football again. Tim Boyle moves up to second team QB behind Zach Wilson, while receiver Randall Cobb is the emergency quarterback.
Rodgers, appearing on the Pat McAfee Show, appeared to leave the door open for returning to action this fall.
“I’ve known about this rehab,” he said. “I’ve had friends who have done it and fellow competitors that I know who have done it, come back from it. I think what I’d like to say is give me the doubts. Give me the doubts, give me the timetables, give me all the things that you think can, should or will happen. Because all I need is that one little extra percent of inspiration. That’s all I need. So, give me your doubts, give me your prognostications. And then watch what I do.”
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