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Zach Wilson Goes Off On Facing Idol Aaron Rodgers For First Time; Compares It To Facing Tom Brady For The First Time Last Season

Published 10/15/2022, 6:00 AM EDT

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Sunday’s game at Lambeau Field will be an interesting one. As the Green Bay Packers prepare to host the New York Jets, the only thing both sides have in common is the 3-2 opening to the season. And while it may not overjoy the Packers, it certainly will bring a spring to the Jets’ steps. And for the Jets’ quarterback Zach Wilson, the cherry on top is that he gets to play against the man he’s drawn inspiration from, Aaron Rodgers.

During an interview, Wilson reveals how Rodgers has been his idol right from when Wilson was a kid. “I’ve been watching him since I was a little kid, trying to replicate the way he throws, the way he plays the game.” He adds, “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.”

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USA Today via Reuters

Although Wilson has not been able to reproduce the production Rodgers has put up in his career, his performance so far this season is noteworthy. His two starts this season came against the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the Miami Dolphins, both resulting in wins. And in 2 games, he’s managed 32/57 for 462 yards, and a single touchdown, and 2 interceptions. A win this weekend could go a long way in paying back the Jets for their faith in him when picking him 2nd overall in last year’s draft. And 4-2 for the Gang Green would be a great start.

Aaron Rodgers’ Packers hope to turn the tides against Zach Wilson’s Jets

The Packers and their QB, on the other hand, will not be thrilled with their season start. With so much potential in their lines, expectations were high, and so far, they could not match them. Rodgers will be yearning for a win this weekend, to put up a decent season opener record, at least by their standards. They will also hope to recover from the disastrous game against the New York Giants in London, where they gave away 14 points in the 4th quarter alone.

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There is another aspect to this game, although not as prominent as the others, but certainly an impactful one. Packers’ head coach Matt LaFleur is going against his close friend, Robert Saleh, and his own brother, Mike LaFleur. Saleh is the Jets’ head coach, while the younger LaFleur is the Jets’ offensive coordinator. Although Packers’ Lafleur has shrugged off the encounter as “just the next opponent”, Aaron Rodgers thinks otherwise. ”Look, he’s going against his brother and his best friend,” Rodgers says. ”This game, for sure, means more to him.”

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With so much at stake, there is no doubt that Sunday’s game will be one to look out for. Which team will go 4-2? Will the Packers be able to repent for their poor performance this season? Or will the jets keep up their form, and become the second team from the Big Apple to ruin the Packers’ day, in just 2 weeks?

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Written by:

Arjun Sukumaran

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Arjun Sukumaran is a NFL content writer at EssentiallySports. A Mechanical Engineering graduate, his debating stints and voyages into research from his college days have become part and parcel of his life. He loves cheeseburgers, and so naturally, he loves the Kansas City Chiefs, and you can definitely count him in the group of people claiming Patrick Mahomes to be the next big thing.
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Edited by:

Gurjyot Singh Dadial