Aidan Hutchinson: Jets 'Just Another Team in the Way'
When news broke Friday that New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson would actually be under center, it did not surprise many on the Detroit Lions' roster.
After the vicious hit Mike White took against the Bills, many felt it would be an uphill climb for the quarterback to be cleared against the Lions, despite his desire and motivation to fight through his injuries.
With Wilson under center, the Lions' defense must contend with his mobility and the offense running more read options.
"He brings a different element to that offense," said Lions rookie EDGE Aidan Hutchinson. "So, definitely a little bit of a different mindset going in, going at a more mobile quarterback who -- the read option game is now back open. It's just got to be really solid in what we do. The gameplan doesn't really change, though. They got some dangerous pieces. We are ready to do our best and execute our gameplan and do what we got to do."
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The Jets have been able to cycle through different quarterbacks and running backs, and still have a winning record this season.
Detroit's talented defensive lineman trained with one of the Jets' young running backs before the season.
"Obviously, you got Bam (RB Zonovan Knight) in there now, who I kind of trained with in the offseason. They got a lot of good players. We're going to keep continuing on our path to our success. And, this is just another team in the way."
Knowing the Jets feature an aggressive defense, Detroit's defense is also ready to prove it has the ability to be hard-hitting and physical, as well.
"I think we got the hard hat this week on defense. We got to be the ones to really control this game," Hutchinson said. "We know our offense will get those opportunities, because we got a high-powered offense. So, just need to keep playing complementary football, doing what we're doing."
Emergence of James Houston
Detroit's 2022 sixth-round draft pick is second on the Lions in sacks, with four.
In fact, the young defensive lineman has achieved that feat in only three games played.
Houston's four sacks are second on the Lions, behind only Hutchinson's seven sacks.
"It's gonna be a long time coming. Me and him, third down is gonna be hard for a lot of NFL teams," Houston said this week.
"Yeah, it's great. You know, especially James coming along late and his kind of big rise. It's great," Hutchinson said. "It's very promising for the future of Detroit and kind of the pass rushers and the pressure that we, that we bring. I think it's great. So, man, we're going to keep rolling and keep this train going."
