The New England Patriots upheld Bill Belichick’s reputation for dominating rookie quarterbacks. They tricked, befuddled, bamboozled, deceived, hoodwinked, mislead and outwitted New York Jets rookie quarterback Zach Wilson in Week 2, with the Patriots winning, 25-6.
The impressive secondary play took pressure off a not-always-impressive Patriots offense which lacked — but didn’t need — a big play. Quarterback Mac Jones finished by completing 73.3% percent of his passes. He didn’t throw for a touchdown, because he really didn’t have to. The running game took care of its quarterback, with Damien Harris and James White scoring both of the team’s touchdowns on the ground. Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels was clearly disinterested in generating an impressive stat line for his quarterback. The Patriots did what they could to win.
But there were clear reasons for concern, even after putting up a scoreline that looked like a rout.
