Beyond the fact they'll meet twice a year as members of the New England Patriots and New York Jets, quarterbacks Mac Jones and Zach Wilson will be forever linked as members of the 2021 NFL Draft class.
Through one meeting, it's a decided advantage for Jones, who watched his counterpart throw four interceptions against no touchdowns in a losing effort Sunday.
But in a brief meeting between the two after the game at MetLife Stadium, Jones revealed that he offered words of encouragement for Wilson, who was the second overall pick -- and second quarterback taken -- compared to his fifth.
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"I think Zach's a really good player," Jones said. "As rookie quarterbacks, it's what I told him after the game, we have to continue to get better. It's just part of the game. Our defense is really good, it's a tough defense to go against. I go against them in practice and probably throw a lot of picks, too."
Key takeaways from Patriots' Week 2 win over Jets, Zach Wilson
Through two games, Wilson and the Jets are 0-2. The former BYU star has thrown two touchdown passes against five interceptions; Jones, meanwhile, has gone two straight games without turning over the ball, though he's thrown just one touchdown pass.
New England Patriots
Wilson was picked off twice by J.C. Jackson Sunday and once each by Devin McCourty and Adrian Phillips. In throwing interceptions on each of his first two pass attempts, Wilson became the first quarterback in the NFL to do so in a decade.
"Zach's going to be a great player," Jones said. "He's a really hard worker...he's definitely going to continue to grow, just like I will, too."
The two will meet again on Oct. 24 at Gillette Stadium, where the Jets haven't beaten the Patriots since the 2010 AFC divisional playoffs.