Instant Takeaways From Patriots' 30-27 Win Over Jets
The New England Patriots have ended their losing skid.
After losing four consecutive games, the Patriots finally put another win on the board, beating the New York Jets 30-27 in their Week 9 Monday night bout.
Here are some instant takeaways from the game.
Cam Newton Efficient But Conservative
Cam Newton and the Patriots offense kept their passes short against their division opponent Monday, which led to a very efficient but conservative game for Newton. He completed 27-of-35 passes for 274 yards and one rushing score.
Instead of trying to force the football downfield, Newton opted to throw it short early and often, which kept the football in New England's hands and didn't result in any turnovers, which has been an issue lately for the six-time Super Bowl champions.
While that type of game plan may not be as effective against a more explosive team, it got the job done against the Jets.
Nick Folk Comes in Clutch Despite Back Issue
Despite being a late addition to the Week 9 injury report due to a back issue, Nick Folk came in clutch for the Patriots against the Jets. The veteran kicker was 3-for-3 on field goals, one of which was a 51-yarder with no time left on the clock, sealing the game for a New England team desperate for a win.
As a team that has struggled to put points on the board offensively over the past month, Folk's consistency has come up big as of late for the six-time Super Bowl champions.
Terez Hall Starts Over Anfernee Jennings, Josh Uche
In a game that seemed to be a prime opportunity for the Patriots' rookie linebackers to have prominent roles, it was practice squad linebacker Terez Hall that drew the start at inside linebacker in the absence of Ja'Whaun Bentley.
Hall drawing the start highlights how the Patriots feel about their rookie defenders in the linebacker room, ie Anfernee Jennings and Josh Uche. Even with a decimated group the coaching staff isn't confident enough in Jennings or Uche to give them prominent roles yet.
Is Jakobi Meyers the Patriots' Best Receiver? Yes
With no Julian Edelman or N'Keal Harry, it was once against the Jakobi Meyers show in the passing game for New England. Meyers caught 12 passes for 169 yards in Week 9, both of which were career-highs for the second-year wideout.
Meyers being so productive once again has us all confused as to why the Patriots didn't utilize him more early in the season. While they will certainly continue to utilize him moving forward, why were they so reluctant to get him the football in September and October? It wasn't like any of the others receivers were being more productive.
Chase Winovich Finally Sees Uptick in Playing Time
After seemingly being in the doghouse over the past several games, Chase Winovich finally saw an uptick in playing time in Week 9.
Though his exact snap count in Week 9 isn't known yet, he played over 25 defensive snaps against the Jets, which is his highest count since Week 4. He recorded () total tackles.
The coaching staff must believe that Winovich is developing a more well-rounded game based on his playing time against New York.
Joe Flacco Turned Back the Clock, Torched New England's Defense
Monday night brought back memories of prime Joe Flacco during his time in Baltimore. The veteran quarterback often found his receivers downfield against the Patriots, and delivered beautiful passes to them often.
Flacco finished the game completing 18-of-25 passes for 262 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. The game was expected to be a bit easier for New England with Flacco under center, who was replacing Sam Darnold for the night. But that was far from the case. Instead, the former Super Bowl MVP had his way with the Patriots' secondary.
J.C. Jackson Struggles in Gilmore's Absence
With Stephon Gilmore sidelined for the second straight game, J.C. Jackson drew the No. 1 cornerback duties against the Jets, but didn't live up to expectations. Early in the fourth quarter ESPN's Mike Reiss shared these stats, which showed how rough of a night Jackson was having with Flacco under center for the Jets.
On top of that, Jason McCourty, New England's No. 2 cornerback in Week 9, was also torched by Flacco, per ESPN Stats & Info.
With Gilmore's future with the Patriots in question past 2020, all eyes have been on Jackson, who would seemingly take over as New England's top cornerback if Gilmore were to leave. But Monday night's performance wasn't a hopeful showing for those hoping that the dip in play from Gilmore to Jackson would be slim.
Jackson did have a 4th quarter interception, which marks his fourth straight game with an interception and gave him the league-lead with five. But that doesn't necessarily make up for the overall poor performance by the third-year cornerback.
