FOXBOROUGH, Mass. _ As Antonio Brown was losing his mind on Twitter, on Sunday morning, it became clear that the Patriots were better off without the troubled wide receiver. As the offense took the field, it seemed like things would continue to work efficiently without that troubled playmaker, who was here for a forgettable 11 days before being released on Friday.
As this contest went on, however, it also became clear that the Patriots need to stay healthy. As Julian Edelman left the field for a chest injury and Josh Gordon left the field multiple times for multiple injuries, the Pats' war of attrition came into focus.
The Patriots are better off without Brown. They still have a team that remains Super Bowl favorites. They still have a defense that looks like one of the best in the league. Without Brown, however, the Pats needs to keep a clean bill of health on the offensive end.
Following Edelman's exit, at the end of the second quarter, the offense wasn't nearly efficient, scoring 10 points in the second half. Against the New York Jets, however, it was certainly enough as the Patriots won 30-14 to improve to 3-0.
Brady completed 28/42 passes for 306 yards and two touchdowns. Gordon (77 yards), Edelman (62 yards, touchdown) and Dorsett (53 yards, touchdown) all chipped in.
In their first series since dumping Brown, the Patriots offense looked the same en route to an early, 6-0 lead. Brady hit five different players on the opening drive, including tight end Ryan Izzo for a gain of 41 yards. Sony Michel capped off the drive with a 5-yard touchdown run at 4:31 of the first quarter. Stephen Gostkowski missed the extra point.
On Sunday, the Pats moved Phillip Dorsett up to their third receiver spot and used rookie Jakobi Meyers on the field during those four wide out sets. To make the Jets heads spin, the Pats also used an offense with two backs, Rex Burkhead and Brandon Bolden.
It took Brady's group three plays to score on the second drive. After Gordon caught a 17-yard pass, the Jets simply forgot to cover Dorsett on a play-action fake. The receiver turned that mistake into a 25-yard touchdown at 4:25 of the first.
