Giants DC Wink Martindale on Jets' Zach Wilson: 'You can tell that the guy has been around greatness'
Martindale says he has seen Wilson improve this season
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It is a battle of MetLife Stadium this week, with the New York Jets, and New York Giants facing off in the home they share. The game will see two quarterbacks who have had roller-coaster seasons, showing some signs of hope, but overall struggling.
When asked about the opposing quarterback, Zach Wilson, Giants defensive coordinator Wink Martindale praised the former second overall pick. Martindale commented that being around future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who joined the Jets this offseason, has helped the third-year QB.
"You can tell that the guy has been around greatness, and you guys know how I feel about Aaron Rodgers," Martindale said. "You can tell [Zach] is confident and [you can see] the guy's confidence, how it has grown playing the position."
As someone whose job it is to study and prepare for the other quarterbacks in the league, Martindale says Wilson is making strides each week.
"I've seen the improvement in the way he's running the offense," Martindale said.
Giants DC Wink Martindale is asked what he sees in Zach Wilson, & he gives praise to Wilson & Breece Hall:
— Harrison Glaser (@NYJetsTFMedia) October 26, 2023
“You can tell that Zach has been around greatness, & you guys know how I feel about Aaron Rodgers. You can tell that Zach is confident, & [you can see] how his confidence… pic.twitter.com/8xFspHeqsD
So far this season, Wilson has gone 110 of 182 for 1,097 passing yards, four touchdowns and five interceptions. He currently has the highest completion percentage of his career at 60.4 percent.
The Jets are 28th in yards per pass attempt (6), last in passing yards (1,097), 31st in passer rating (73), 30th in first down percentage (27.3) and 27th in yards loss from sacks (140 yards loss on 20 sacks).
The DC said this week his biggest challenge will be defending running back Breece Hall, who has generated the most yards on offense for non-quarterbacks. He currently has 426 rushing yards, far ahead of running back Dalvin Cook, who has the second-most rushing yards on the team with 109.
"The challenge we're gonna have is that running back, cause he's special," Martindale said. "You can tell that [Breece Hall] has really come back from his injury. He's one step and gone, so we need all 11 to get to him."
Hall has the ninth-most rushing yards in the league this season, so it is not surprising that Martindale is calling him out.
The Giants are last in the NFC East at 2-5, while the Jets sit third in the AFC East at 3-3, looking to keep a two-game win streak alive and create a wider gap ahead of the 2-5 New England Patriots.
The game is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET on Sunday, with the Giants designated as the home team.
