The New England Patriots rumbled with the New York Jets in a snowstorm on Sunday and came out on the losing end.
When the last whistle sounded, it signaled an end to a disappointing 2023 season for a Patriots team that only won four games. It’s a long drop-off from the perennial Super Bowl contender that was once viewed as the NFL’s gold standard.
Now, they’re a broken team that could be looking to fire their legendary head coach, Bill Belichick, in the offseason.
The offense couldn’t get anything going against the Jets on Sunday, but honestly, no one expected them to light up the scoreboard considering the weather conditions. It was an ugly back-and-forth, defensive battle before the Jets broke the game wide open in the fourth quarter.
Here are the Patriots’ studs and duds for the game:
Weather: DUD
The wintery weather made for an ugly game of football on Sunday. Players on both teams dropped passes, lost their footing and struggled overall with ball control throughout.
Although snow games are great from a visual perspective, they can be terrible from a football perspective. It wasn’t the kind of game fans wanted to see in what could potentially be Bill Belichick’s final game as the Patriots’ head coach.
Granted, neither one of the two teams involved were good offensively coming into the matchup, but the elements exacerbated things in a way that turned a story-line rich game into one of the most boring contests of the 2023 season.
Chad Ryland: STUD
Chad Ryland has had a rough season for the Patriots, but the rookie kicker ended things on a positive note by scoring the only points for the team in Sunday’s game.
A 30-yard field goal would be considered a chip shot under most circumstances, but Ryland was tasked with doing so in a snowstorm. He deserves credit for making it through the uprights, regardless of distance.
The Patriots still need to get more competitive in the kicking room. Ryland has the leg strength to be a difference-maker, but he hasn’t been consistent enough with his accuracy.
Bill O'Brien: DUD
There was way too much dropping back and passing in this game for the Patriots, considering the snowy conditions. The Jets ran the ball twice as many times and eventually pounded a hole into the defense late.
Jets running back Breece Hall had a career-high 37 carries, while Ezekiel Elliott and Kevin Harris only had a combined 16 carries. That doesn’t make sense at all.
Instead of leaning on two capable running backs, Patriots offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien allowed Zappe to drop back for 30 passing attempts in a snowstorm.
Bailey Zappe: DUD
This was another rough week at the office for Bailey Zappe, who couldn’t find the end zone with his arm for the second consecutive week. But then again, he really shouldn’t have been throwing 30 times in a snowstorm on Sunday, period.
Zappe only competed 12 passes and threw two interceptions. The number of turnovers could have easily doubled if the Jets didn’t fail to secure two more potential interceptions earlier in the game.
It’s obvious at this point that Zappe is a solid backup option at quarterback, but the Patriots can’t function successfully until they find a viable starter to put under center.
That player clearly isn’t Zappe or Mac Jones.
Christian Barmore: STUD
Christian Barmore was once again a force to be reckoned with on the field for the Patriots.
He tied Ja’Whaun Bentley with a team-high 10 tackles, while also causing problems in the offensive backfield for the Jets with two tackles for a loss and one quarterback hit.
The best is yet to come from Barmore, who stayed healthy and finally broke out as a defensive star for the Patriots. His ability to dominate up front makes him a prime candidate to become one of the foundational pieces of the eventual rebuild in New England.
Ja'Whaun Bentley: STUD
Ja’Whaun Bentley had a big game for the Patriots defensively, which clearly wasn’t easy considering the weather conditions. He saw plenty of work with the Jets putting most of their effort into their rushing attack.
That enabled Bentley to rack up 10 total tackles in the game. He was also able to come away with 0.5 sacks and two quarterback hits. So he was a force on the defensive front when it came to putting pressure on Trevor Siemian.
Bentley has emerged into a leader and difference-maker for the Patriots’ defense, and that effort should continue in 2024.
Anfernee Jennings: STUD
Anfernee Jennings has truly emerged as one of the unsung heroes of the Patriots’ defense.
The team lost Matthew Judon for the season with a biceps injury, and Josh Uche struggled to catch on as an every-down player. Yet, Jennings was the one to step up when the Patriots really needed a playmaker.
He finished Sunday’s game with seven tackles, three tackles for a loss and one quarterback hit. The defensive front put up a major fight, and Jennings was obviously a big part of that effort.
There’s no question that he should be a strong candidate to bring back when he hits free agency in March.
WR Jalen Reagor: STUD
Jalen Reagor quietly came on strong for the Patriots in recent weeks. He had a kick-off returned for a touchdown on the very first play in last week’s game against the Buffalo Bills, and on Sunday, he made the two longest plays from scrimmage as both a runner and receiver.
There’s no questioning Reagor’s versatility as a playmaker, and he’s someone the Patriots could use in the future for even more creative play-calling. After bouncing around to three different teams in the last four seasons, Reagor seems to have finally found a place where he fits.
We’ll see if he sticks around in 2024.
