What Mac Jones Told Zach Wilson After Patriots’ Blowout Win Over Jets

Zach Wilson’s first pass attempt against the New England Patriots was an interception. His second? Another pick.

It was that kind of afternoon for the New York Jets’ rookie quarterback.

By the time the dust settled on Wilson’s second NFL start, Wilson had thrown four interceptions and been sacked four times in a 25-6 Patriots rout.

Patriots quarterback Mac Jones, selected 13 spots after Wilson in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft, said he gave his fellow first-year pro some words of encouragement after Sunday’s lopsided result.

“I think Zach’s a really good player,” Jones told reporters at MetLife Stadium. “As rookie quarterbacks — this is what I told him after the game — we just have to continue to get better. It’s just part of the game, and our defense is really good. It’s a tough defense to go against. I’ve gone against them in practice and probably thrown a lot of picks, too. It sucks.

“Zach’s going to be a great player. He’s a really hard worker. He kept his head up. We just had some brief words there. I don’t know him that well personally, but he’s definitely going to continue to grow, just like I will, too.”

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Cornerback J.C. Jackson, who ranked second in the NFL with nine interceptions last season, picked off two Wilson passes. Wilson also threw one to safety Adrian Phillips and another to safety Devin McCourty, with both of those leading to Patriots touchdowns.

Asked whether Wilson’s early INTs rattled the young QB, Jackson replied: “Yes.”

Wilson completed 19 of 33 passes for 210 yards, with some long fourth-quarter completions padding that stat line.

“This is what we signed up for, right?” he told reporters postgame. “There’s going to be games like this and the ups and downs.”

Jones was much better, going 22-for-30 for 186 yards in his second pro start. Though he stressed the need to improve his ball security after fumbling in each of his first two games, the Alabama product has yet to turn the ball over.