New York Jets starting quarterback Zach Wilson, 23, will take his upstart 3-2 Gang Green squad to Lambeau Field this Sunday to face off with Aaron Rodgers, 38, and the 3-2 Green Bay Packers.
"I've been watching him since I was a little kid," Wilson said this week of the veteran Rodgers, via Newsday. "Trying to replicate the way he throws, the way he plays the game.
"We didn't have an NFL team in Utah. I wouldn't say I was a Packers fan. I was just an Aaron Rodgers fan. I grew up watching him. I always liked watching their games because of him and kind of where he was at. He was a quarterback I tried to replicate and steal things from."
Wilson returned two weeks ago from a preseason injury to help guide the young Jets squad to back-to-back wins over the Pittsburgh Steelers and Miami Dolphins. The young QB has managed the offense well, including career-highs in completion percentage (66.7) and passer rating (99.3) in the Week 5 win over the Dolphins.
Robert Saleh's youthful Jets have played well to open the season. The rookie class has been fantastic, with running back Breece Hall flashing playmaking, receiver Garrett Wilson becoming a go-to target and cornerback Sauce Gardner looking like a lock-down defensive back just five games into his career.
If Wilson and the youngsters continue to develop, the Jets will be a force to be reckoned with in the AFC East in coming seasons.
On Sunday, Wilson faces a Packers defense that hasn't played up to preseason expectations, given their talent level, but ranks second in the NFL against the pass through five weeks. If Wilson can outduel Rodgers, the hype in New York over Gang Green will be through the roof.
"It is really cool. Being on the same field is cool," Wilson said of Rodgers. "We're attacking their defense so it's a little bit different. It's probably the same thing as last year when we were playing Tampa Bay. We're playing Tom Brady. I watched this guy since I was born. It was just kind of crazy. I'm sure it will be the same kind of thing this game."
