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The things players focus on is
so often way different than the media.
Look, I’m not picking on the media, just keeping it real.
Here is some of his questions from today for Zach Wilson:
Q: Your first go at the Patriots, obviously, thoughts kind of going in, just kind of your opinion and what you know of the rivalry, before the first matchup?
The rivalry is immaterial to a rookie quarterback in his second start coming off a tough opening week loss. The Jets have so many things to clean up on offense coming off their loss to Carolina, the rivalry is the furthest thing from the mind of Wilson and his teammates. They could be playing the Washington Generals or Sam Houston State this week, it doesn’t matter. The Jets have a lot of things to fix entering this game, and a rivalry is irrelevant to Wilson and his teammates, especially on a roster that was turned over significantly this off-season.
Q: Do you remember the first one of their Super Bowls that you watched? I don’t know if you were with your Dad, or someone like that turning on the TV, like which one kind of sticks out?
Whether he watched old Patriots Super Bowls isn’t really anything he really is focused on this week or cares about. He’s focused on things like making good hot reads against a very good defense.
Q: Obviously, you mentioned before your goals, Super Bowl, divisional title, things like that. But considering the history between these two teams and the bitter rivals, is beating the Patriots one of the things that you want to accomplish, aside from them just being a divisional opponent?
No way this is even on his radar. You just focus on the next opponent, and that happens to be the Patriots. His checklist on things he needs to accomplish shouldn’t go beyond acing the next practice rep or film session, not the history between these two teams.
“I wouldn’t say necessarily because it’s the Patriots, but just because a win in this league is so valuable, and they’re hard to come by and teams are good,” said Wilson. “I’ve already started to realize that record doesn’t matter, if a team is 0-14 or undefeated it does not matter, this is the NFL and everyone’s going to be good and so, I think it’s just cherishing that those wins are important. And so, this week it’s kind of the same thing, I think it’s a big win for us if we get there.
Q: You guys are both first-round picks. [Mac Jones] going with the Patriots, you’re obviously here with the Jets. If all things go according to plan, you’ll be seeing each other two or three times a year for the foreseeable future. Is that a cool inner rivalry within the rivalry, for you?
Not something he needs to think about right now. Wilson needs to focus on what he can do to improve from last week, along with the team’s entire offense, especially their pass protection. Nothing can be gained by him focusing on a possible rivalry with a quarterback who, like Wilson, has played just one NFL game.
I’m telling you, there is so often a chasm between what the media focuses on, compared to what players and coaches focus on, which is generally process thinking – in other words, what can I do to ace my next rep in practice, or the next weight I have to lift, my next film session, not tertiary stuff that has nothing to do with him mastering his job.
Any player who focuses on any of the matters mentioned in the questions above is chasing windmills.
September 16, 2021
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