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sports Monday 3 october 2022
Wilson rallies Jets past Pickett, Steelers 24-20

By WILL GRAVES also became the first quar- The last two of the rookie
AP Sports Writer terback in Jets history to back's 66 yards rushing
PITTSBURGH (AP) — There catch a touchdown when came with his ever-churn-
was no doubt in Zach Wil- he hauled in a 2-yard pass ing legs bringing him close
son's mind. None. And the from Braxton Berrios in the enough to the end zone
second-year New York Jets second quarter in New that he was able to ex-
quarterback had no inter- York's version of the "Philly tend the ball across the
est in keeping his confi- Special" run by the Eagles goal line. Referees initially
dence to himself. in the Super Bowl. ruled Hall fumbled, a call
So walking into the huddle "I've got the best hands on that was overturned when
late in the fourth quarter on the team," Wilson said with replay showed Hall broke
Sunday, the Jets down by a laugh. the plane before the ball
three in a place the fran- He's joking. Those hands — squirted free.
chise had won just once in at least against the Steel- "We've always got that
over a half-century of try- ers — may have belonged fight," Hall said. " You know,
ing, Wilson let it be known to defensive back Michael we feel like we can come New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson (2) makes a touchdown
he wasn't settling for a field Carter II, whose diving inter- back from any deficit." catch as Pittsburgh Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick (39) de-
goal and a chance at ception with 3:34 remaining It's a feeling the Steelers fends during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Oct.
overtime. gave Wilson and company (1-3) have been searching 2, 2022, in Pittsburgh. Associated Press
Wilson leaned into the a chance to win for just the for during a shaky open-
huddle and said simply, as second time in 12 visits to ing month of the season. Trubisky. to run for two touchdowns
running back Breece Hall Pittsburgh since 1970. Trailing by four at halftime, The 20th overall pick in the in his first game. The sec-
put it: "Let's go score a ... Wilson then calmly hit on coach Mike Tomlin made draft showed flashes of ond was a 2-yard scramble
touchdown." each of his next five passes a move that long seemed why Pittsburgh was so high that gave the Steelers (1-
Ten plays, 65 yards, a hand- to put Hall in position to win inevitable by putting Pick- on him, becoming the first 3) a 20-10 lead with 13:41
ful of heady throws by Wil- it. ett in for the erratic Mitch quarterback in NFL history remaining.q
son and one outstretched
arm by Hall later, the Jets
were in the end zone and
a franchise that has been
running in place for years
took another potentially
significant step forward
with an unlikely 24-20 vic-
tory.
"It felt like that was the
first time as an offense we
didn't feel stagnant, we
didn't feel timid," Wilson
said. "Everyone was play-
ing fast. Everyone was right
on cue with what the calls
were. It's so much fun play-
ing like this."
It certainly looked like it as
the Jets put together their
second massive come-
back on the road in three
weeks. Last month in Cleve-
land it was Joe Flacco
pulling out an improbable
victory in the final seconds
while Wilson recovered
from a knee injury, suffered
during the preseason.
On the first Sunday it was
Wilson — the de facto face
of New York's latest rebuild
— spoiling Kenny Pickett's
debut in Pittsburgh by mak-
ing the kind of plays that
came only sporadically if
they came at all during his
wildly uneven rookie sea-
son in 2021.
Wilson expects 2022 to
be different. It might just
be after he finished 18
of 36 for 252 yards with a
touchdown and two in-
terceptions in his first ac-
tion since August. Wilson