3 Matchups to Watch in Patriots' Week 9 Game vs. Jets
The last time the New England Patriots and New York Jets met on Monday Night Football, the dynamics were drastically different than they are right now.
New England was 6-0 and in contention for another Super Bowl, while New York was sitting at 1-5 and in contention for the No. 1 pick. The Jets are still bottom-dwellers this time around, but the Patriots are right there alongside them in the race for last place in the AFC East.
PatriotMaven is breaking down the three most important matchups before every game all season long, with Monday’s game against the Jets next up on the slate.
Mekhi Becton vs. John Simon
Pass-rushers haven’t been New England’s calling card in recent years, and 2020 is no different.
Monday could be their best chance to break out, though, and the team’s pass defense is depending on it.
Chase Winovich leads the Patriots with 2.5 sacks this season, but he only played nine percent of the defensive snaps against Buffalo. Shilique Calhoun ranks second on the team with 2.0 sacks, but he was also limited to just 20 percent of the team’s defensive stats last week.
With Derek Rivers and his 1.5 sacks also struggling to stay in the rotation at defensive end, that makes Simon the most important pass-rusher left on the roster.
The Patriots have yet to record more than two team sacks in a single game, but the Jets allowed three or more sacks in five of their eight games this season – including two six-sack outings.
Becton has been in and out of the lineup due to injuries all over the line, but he is certainly physically ready to be an NFL starter as a rookie. He and his 6-foot-7, 364-pound frame were picked 11th overall in the 2020 NFL Draft, and he has shown flashes of potential at times this season.
Becton’s performances against Kansas City’s Frank Clark and San Francisco’s Joey Bosa have drawn him attention and praise, but he has still only played six NFL games. Simon isn’t on the level of those two Pro Bowl pass-rushers, but his eight years in the league give him a heavy experience advantage over Becton regardless.
If he can still manage to disrupt Sam Darnold in the pocket come Monday night, the Patriots’ defense can settle in and control the game.
Frank Gore vs. Adrian Phillips
The Patriots have really missed Dont’a Hightower, Jamie Collins, Kyle Van Noy and Elandon Roberts in 2020.
And when coach Bill Belichick elected not to replace them in the linebackers room, he locked in safety Adrian Phillips as one of the key factors of the run defense this season. That run defense has been gashed for over 190 yards in back-to-back weeks, but that isn’t due to a lack of effort from Phillips.
His effort will have to remain steady heading into Monday night, even if he’s going up a Jets ground attack that ranks in the bottom half of the league with 103.1 rushing yards per game. Gore hasn’t had more than 63 rushing yards in a game this season, but he is still a veteran, physical back who could give Phillips trouble if he isn’t in all the right spots come Monday.
Tackling issues have been highlighted in a major way in recent weeks, and Gore’s bowling ball build could dig that up again.
Phillips will need to be aggressive in his safety-linebacker hybrid role in order to turn the Patriots’ run defense around and give his team a comfortable chance to win this week.
Quinnen Williams vs. Isaiah Wynn
Williams was seemingly on the trade block in recent weeks, but he wound up sticking in New York.
That could be a problem for Wynn and the Patriots, who will now have to protect Cam Newton from one of the league’s best young defensive lineman. While Williams’ three sacks in eight games aren’t anything to lose your mind over, his seven tackles for loss and five quarterback hits paint him in a better light.
Williams is a true disruptor, and it will likely be up to Wynn whether or not he can act on those tendencies.
Newton has rushed throws and coughed up fumbles multiple times in the past few weeks, which is why Wynn’s role Monday night will be so important. Wynn will also have to control the edge and make sure Rex Burkhead, Damien Lewis and James White – mostly on screens and checkdowns – have room to work with on the left side of the field.
The Patriots succeed when they run the ball well, and they win when Newton holds onto the ball. The way to ensure both of those occur is Wynn locking down Williams.
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