Prior to kickoff of the 2019 regular season, many reporters and fans around the NFL expected the New York Jets to be the team in the AFC East that gave the New England Patriots the most trouble. But a lot has happened within the first two weeks, and New England is headed into its Week 3 matchup at Gillette Stadium against New York as 22.5-point favorites, more than they were favored as before their 43-0 Week 2 trouncing of the Miami Dolphins.
Here are 6 things Patriots fans should know about the Jets before Sunday’s AFC East contest.
1. The Jets are beaten up.
The reason why New York was looked at before the season as the team in the AFC East that would give New England the most trouble was because of the Jets’ potential when their starters are fully healthy. However, New York heads into New England with their starting unit decimated by injury.
There was a lot of hype surrounding Jets starting quarterback Sam Darnold heading into his second year following an up-and-down rookie season. The Patriots won’t have to deal with Darnold on Sunday as he will be held on the New York sideline several weeks with a case of mononucleosis.
Luke Falk will be lining up taking snaps as the Jets starting quarterback Sunday, following an injury to second-string backup quarterback Trevor Siemian in this past Monday’s 23-3 loss to the Cleveland Browns.
Tight end Chris Herndon (suspension) and wide receivers Demaryius Thomas, who was picked up by the Jets after the Patriots released him last week, and Quincy Enunwa (on injured reserve) will all be out, taking away some of New York’s playmaking threats.
On the defensive side of the ball, New England quarterback Tom Brady may not have to worry about the likes defensive lineman Quinnen Williams and linebackers CJ Mosley and Jordan Jenkins rushing him in the pocket, as they were all held out of Wednesday’s practice.
2. It’s been a while since the Jets won in Foxboro.
Remember when Mark Sanchez, LaDainian Tomlinson and Santonio Holmes came into Gillette Stadium and stunned the Patriots with a 28-21 win in the 2010 divisional around?
That was the last time the Jets have won in Foxboro, losing eight straight regular season games since then at Gillette Stadium. The games haven’t been necessarily all that close either, with New England picking up a 38-3 Week 17 win in 2018, 26-6 Week 17 win in 2017, and a 41-3 Week 16 victory in 2016.
With all the injuries that New York faces, it is not a surprise that they are 22.5-point underdogs heading into this Sunday’s Week 3 matchup.
3. Luke Falk… The next coming of Tom Brady?
It would have been a treat to see Darnold face off against Brady but since he’s out with mono, it will be a Brady vs. Falk showdown. To make the matchup sound more enticing, it’s fair to say there’s a chance, albeit a miniscule one, that Falk is the next coming of Tom Brady.
How come? Well, if you remember, Brady was taken in the sixth round in the 2000 NFL Draft with the no. 199 pick. Flash-forward to 2018 and it was the Tennessee Titans who had the no. 199 pick, coming in the sixth round. They selected Falk.
So although Falk was released by the Titans and then signed by the Jets, there may be a chance that New York has found their franchise quarterback after all. It will be interesting to see what happens when Darnold is healthy to return… Haha, only kidding.
4. The Jets offense runs through LeVeon Bell.
Even if Darnold was healthy enough to play Sunday, it would be safe to assume that the offense would run through star running back LeVeon Bell. Since the Jets are on their third quarterback, the Patriots should expect a very heavy dosage of New York’s offense being generated by Bell, on the ground and through the air.
After missing all of the 2018 season due to a contract holdout in Pittsburgh, Bell has shown no signs of rust in his first two games with the Jets. The running back has been somewhat slow in terms of production in the run game, but he has made up for it by posting 93 receiving yards on 16 catches and a touchdown.
In the past, Bell has proven successful against New England, highlighted by a 2017 performance, in which he recorded 117 rushing yards and a rushing score to go along with five catches for 48 yards. Up against a vaunted Patriots defense, Bell may struggle to post similar numbers this time around.
5. Tom Brady could be in for a big day.
New York had a pretty impressive defensive performance in a Week 1 loss to the Buffalo Bills, causing four turnovers – two interceptions, two fumble recoveries – and scoring a touchdown. In Week 2, however, the Jets defense started to fade way in a loss to the Browns.
With CJ Mosley, Quinnen Williams, and Jordan Jenkins all nursing injuries, the New York defense may be in for a very long day against Brady and a Patriot offense that will look to get wide receiver Antonio Brown more incorporated, if he’s not put on the commissioner’s exempt list.
In both games last season vs. the Jets, Brady’s quarterback rating was no less than 115, as he combined to throw for six scores and 533 yards.
6. Can Adam Gase find his past magic against New England?
The last time New York head coach Adam Gase face New England, he was on the winning side when his Dolphins pulled off the Miami Miracle last December. To go along with that win, Gase has recorded two other wins when he has competed against Bill Belichick, both coming in Miami.
