Double Garrett Wilson on passing downs Force Zach Wilson to be patient

Not only is first-round rookie Garrett Wilson the Jets’ leading receiver in every major statistical category, he is their top deep threat.

Wilson burned the Pats for catches of 54, 23 and 18 yards in their last meeting, plays the coaching staff surely highlighted in meetings this week. Curiously, Bill Belichick opted to double Wilson on the Jets’ first third down of the game, then hardly doubled him the rest of the game. Expect to see a higher rate of double teams (or safeties over the top) on Sunday.

If he’s eliminated, Zach Wilson will need to turn to his other leading receivers, tight end Tyler Conklin and running back Michael Carter, who are far less likely to break for an explosive gain or a touchdown on a given play. That’s a win for the Pats

Before Patriots defensive back Myles Bryant faced off with Wilson twice last year and once last October, he went head-to-head with the young gunslinger in college.

His University of Washington defense owned Wilson’s BYU passing attack over a 45-19 win in 2019, a day Bryant said he helped execute a game plan similar to what the Patriots have done in each of their last three meetings with the Jets. They played two-deep coverages and forced Wilson to be patient, knowing he would eventually force a throw and make a mistake.

“I played Zach when he was at BYU and it was the same kind of thing. … I think a quarterback like that, when you have that kind of arm, you want to put that on film and put that in the game plan,” Bryant told the Herald. “So he’s going to take his shots.”

In addition to keeping two safeties back, look for the Patriots to get creative with their four-man rushes to fluster Wilson. Last month, he threw his first interception against the Pats after Matt Judon hurried him as part of a four-man pressure that confused the Jets’ offensive line. Because as Judon rushed, fellow outside linebacker Josh Uche dropped into a short zone in Cover 2 zone while a blitzer came up the middle. Pressure, impatience, pick. Bingo.