FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Deatrich Wise Jr. has some Joel Embiid in him -- and a lot of Deatrich Wise Sr.
The New England Patriots defensive end saw his production spike at the end of the regular season, which is unusual for a rookie. Instead of staggering to the finish, Wise has become a legitimate pass-rushing threat in the sub package -- and that could make him an X factor against elusive Tennessee Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota in Saturday night's divisional playoff game.
Asked to explain his late-season kick, Wise said, "Dedication and trusting the process" -- a line straight from the Embiid quote book.