It’s rivalry week for the New York Jets as the team takes on the New England Patriots on Thursday Night Football. It’s the first time the Jets will take on the Patriots without head coach Bill Belichick at the helm, and New York will look to give the Patriots fits in their new era of football. It’s the Jets vs. the Patriots in Week 3, and there’s plenty to look at in this matchup.
New York Jets vs. New England Patriots Matchup History and Excerpts
This will be the 131st time the Jets and Patriots will have played each other in the NFL (including playoffs). Currently, the Jets have a losing record against New England, who leads the series 74-55-1. A lot of those victories for the Patriots came at the hands of Tom Brady and Belichick, who are no longer on the team. And perhaps that will bode well for the Jets’ chances in this matchup.
When discussing the upcoming matchup against New England, Jets head coach Robert Saleh did not hesitate to speak about how well their team has played thus far.
“They’ve shown out really good in the first two games,” began Saleh. “In our mind they’re running a system they’re very familiar with. They’re very sound, very disciplined, they get after it from a defensive perspective.”
Key Players for the NY Jets
In this matchup, fans should expect Patriots’ cornerback Christian Gonzalez to be shadowing Garrett Wilson. Gonzalez is an elite cornerback, but that matchup will provide the Jets with others to exploit in this game. What’s starting to become a running theme, the Jets need other pass-catchers to step up in this offense.
Unfortunately, the Patriots pass defense has been pretty good to start the season. One area where the Jets could excel is utilizing tight end Tyler Conklin. Conklin has just two catches on the season with four targets. He needs to be involved in this offense for it to succeed, especially against a team like the Patriots.
On defense, the Jets need to be able to stop the run and provide pressure on Jacoby Brissett. Historically, Brissett has performed well against New York, so getting pressure will only help the Jets defense.
However, the team’s rushing defense has continued to be putrid – as is their tackling. On a short week with a multitude of injuries, this unit needs to vastly improve their run defense if they wish to have success.
Key Players for the Patriots
On offense, the Patriots will rely on running back Rhamondre Stevenson and Antonio Gibson. Both players have been playing fantastic to start the season running the ball. Stevenson has 201 yards and 4.4 yards per attempt with two touchdowns. Meanwhile, Gibson is averaging 6.3 yards per attempt and an excellent 5.17 yards per attempt after contact. They could cause severe problems for a Jets defense that isn’t able to stop the run.
On defense, the key player will be the aforementioned Gonzalez. While pressuring quarterback Aaron Rodgers is always important, stopping him from reaching his primary target will be key. If Gonzalez is able to put the clamps on Wilson, it forces other players on the offense to step up. And at the moment, the Jets offense has been inconsistent in that area.
Keys to the Game
For the Jets, the gameplan for this matchup should be relatively simple. They have to be able to [finally] stop the run and force pressure on Brissett. The Patriots don’t have the receiving weapons to have consistent success if they have to move away from the run game. Stopping Stevenson and Gibson will be difficult, but it must be done.
On offense, the Jets desperately need other players to step up. The offensive line has been able to keep Rodgers clean, and have blocked adequately in the run game. However, the skill players for New York have not been able to do their job, and it’s seen the Jets struggle to put up points – and pull away from lesser teams. On a short week against a division rival, New York needs other contributors. Otherwise, it’ll be a long season for the Jets.
