Why They Win: Can Patriots Down Streaking Jets?
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Death, taxes, New England Patriots over the New York Jets.
Is it possible one of life's dire certainties is about to expire?
Some certainly feel that way as the Patriots, reeling on both a short and long-term level after a dreary Monday night showing in Chicago, are primed for a beating at the hands of the Jets, their victim in 12 consecutive get-togethers, with the next edition coming on Sunday afternoon in the Graden State.
New York has thrust itself back into NFL relevancy with wins in each of its last four games, the latest being a 16-9 slugfest over the Denver Broncos last weekend. So futile have the Jets' fortunes been against the Patriots that even their wins are far from easy to obtain: New York hasn't beaten New England in regulation since the monumental upset in the AFC Divisional playoffs in January 2011.
What: New England Patriots (3-4) @ New York Jets (5-2)
Where: MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
When: Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS
Who's Won: Patriots lead series 71-54-1 (Last: 54-13 NE, 10/24/21)
How will the Patriots keep their streak alive?
Zach Must Attack
It's perhaps the most New York Jets thing in the world for the team to be blessed with a plethora of young talents like Sauce Gardner, Breece Hall, Garrett Wilson, and more ... and still face issues and uncertainty at the quarterback spot.
The Jets have no reason to pull the plug on the Zach Wilson experiment just yet: they're winning ball games and the alternative is a Joe Flacco who no longer faces "elite" debates. winning games is no longer the be-all, end-all for franchise quarterbacks. Not only must one win, but one must impress as well.
To that end, Wilson is still searching for his lasting, sustainable NFL moment. Sure, he's undefeated as a starter this season, but which of those wins could truly have been with Wilson and Wilson only? It's perhaps rather telling that the Jets are 2-7 when Wilson throws at least 30 times a game, compared to 5-3 otherwise.
With Hall out for the season, Wilson will likely be relied upon for greater duties. The Patriots have seen many a franchise hopeful come and go for the Jets. Demoralizing Wilson's early surge with a healthy dose of Matthew Judon and Deatrich Wise would be one of the cruelest ... but, from a New England perspective ... most necessary metropolitan punishments yet.
Run All Night
As the Jets struggle with their own passing conundrum, the Patriots can hardly talk: the Mac Jones/Bailey Zappe saga is overshadowing some positive developments throughout the roster, including a rushing attack that has developed well on its one.
Damien Harris was extremely limited after coming off the injured list last week but the Patriots would probably be wise to hammer the ball with both him and Rhamondre Stevenson: not only has the duo proven capable of eating up yardage, but the Jets' defense has struggled against the run, allowing nearly five yards a carry (4.9), currently ranked 26th in football.
The Patriots are used to dealing with shutdown defenders in New York, having been forced to deal with Darrelle Revis for several seasons before eventually convincing him to join their side. New England shouldn't be trying to test a rookie sensation like Gardner until they know exactly what ... or who ... they're dealing with under center. If they attack the Jets' rushing weaknesses, they can buy themselves some time.
In Your Head...
If there's one thing the Patriots have been able to retain in the post-Tom Brady era, it's their dominance over the Jets. Last year's victories over Gang Green, for example, were earned by a combined 60 points. So one can't even argue that the Jets have done much in terms of closing the gap between the two sides.
Of course, some will never take the Jets seriously until they cross every item off their "back to relevancy" checklist. A win over New England resides at or near the top of that list. Defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich declared that last year's second meeting, the bigger blowout, is still fresh in the minds of both himself and his unit.
Is it possible the Jets are putting too much stock into this contest? Will they revel a bit too much in an opportunity to atone for years of humiliation at New England's hand? The feeling has to be weighing on the team at least a little bit. New England can use the mental burdens of the past to their advantage as they seek to pave a perfect path toward the future.
Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags
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