Stephen A. Smith goes after Zach Wilson’s personality after latest loss to Bill Belichick
Zach Wilson didn't expect to be playing against Bill Belichick anytime soon, but here he was, losing to the coach once again.
Speaking on what's going on with the backup quarterback, Stephen A. Smith took a personal shot on First Take. Here's how he put it:
"When you look at what's transpiring with Zach Wilson, he's just playing like hot garbage. But more importantly than that, he seems to be immature. Somebody that really hasn't maturated to the position and all the responsibilities that come with it."
Joe Namath drops support for Zach Wilson
Stephen A. Smith's comments came shortly after retired Jets superstar Joe Namath slammed Wilson's effort. According to NBC Sports, Namath appeared with Michael Kay on ESPN New York.
His tone was cutthroat. Here's what he said about Wilson's performance against the Patriots, particularly keying in on a play in which Wilson sat down for a sack:
“I didn’t take anything positive out of it. It was awful ... You sit down? You sit down on a play? You go right down? What happened? I thought you’re trying to win and make plays. You quit on a play? What is going on? It’s disgusting."
Zach Wilson's stats tumble after Week 1 win
Wilson was able to avenge Aaron Rodgers in Week 1, but he hasn't been able to keep up the wins. In addition, his own play has struggled considerably on a play-by-play basis. In a league where a 67% completion percentage is routine, he has completed just 52.4% of his passes.
He's also thrown twice as many interceptions as touchdowns. His worst game of the season was in Week 2 when he threw for just a 44.4% completion percentage rate and threw for one touchdown and three interceptions. Against the New England Patriots in Week 3, he wasn't much better.
In the game, he completed 50% of his passes for 157 yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions. With action logged in three separate seasons, Wilson has trended down instead of up. In 2021, he completed 55.6% of his passes for nine touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
In 2022, he completed 54.4% of his passes for six touchdowns and seven interceptions. This year, he's completed 52.4% of his throws for two touchdowns and four interceptions. Put simply, fans are bracing for this to be Zach Wilson's worst season yet.
If any of the above quotes are used, please credit First Take, ESPN New York, and H/T Sportskeeda.