2 weeks Ago By Oliver Thomas
A late night in the Meadowlands ended early for the visitors from Foxborough. The New England Patriots fell to the New York Jets by a score of 24-3 Thursday at MetLife Stadium, and to 1-2 under head coach Jerod Mayo. Here’s an initial glance back on what went into the AFC East kickoff.
The vertical passing game went missing during the 1-1 start. In primetime, Jacoby Brissett couldn’t stand in the pocket long enough to bring it back. New England’s starting quarterback completed 12-of-18 passes for 98 yards against New York.
Along the way came no touchdowns nor turnovers for the 31-year-old team captain. He was on the field for 9:17 of game clock by the midway mark in a 14-3 deficit. By then, 36 yards had been logged through the air.
Breaking the huddle in “12” personnel after deferring, the opening drive became two yards and a three-and-out. The following series spanned six plays, a sack and resulted in another punt for the Patriots. Dropbacks were met by steady pressure.
A punt began the second half. Longs of 19 and 22 wound up being brief glimpses as another possession fizzled with penalty flags. In relief, Drake Maye made his NFL debut with 4:24 to go.
The No. 3 overall pick out of North Carolina logged two sacks, two scrambles and finished 4-of-8 passing for 22 yards. With Chukwuma Okorafor on the left squad list and Vederian Lowe ruled out on the final injury report due to a knee issue, a rookie made his first NFL start at left tackle.
Caedan Wallace, drafted No. 68 overall out of Penn State, had taken over there in the overtime loss to the Seattle Seahawks . He would remain the blindside protector on Thursday night while two of the three penalties against him were declined.
Nearby was 53-man promotion Michael Jordan at left guard, captain David Andrews at center, fellow rookie Layden Robinson at right guard and Mike Onwenu at right tackle. Seven sacks followed for the offensive line against a Jets defense that entered the evening with seven. Micheal Clemons and Will McDonald IV split the first.
Blitzing safety Chuck Clark got the next. And the aforementioned McDonald returned to have a hand in another pair while Quincy Williams, Javon Kinlaw and Takkarist McKinley also checked in. Sophomore guard Sidy Sow missed his third straight game due to a preseason ankle injury.
The Patriots go forward without defensive captain Ja’Whaun Bentley due to a reported torn pec . His absence leaves behind three consecutive 100-tackle campaigns and the green dot of communication. That decal would be on Jahlani Tavai’s helmet to signal calls versus the Jets.
A penalty for unnecessary roughness arrived early. And off the ball, fellow linebacker Raekwon McMillan was in the lineup for his first start in over two years. The former Ohio State national champion saw his 2021 and 2023 seasons end on injured reserve before they could begin.
He stayed in to log a team-high 10 tackles on Thursday, yet began the night with a whiff that moved the chains for 11 yards. It wouldn’t be the last missed stop for a unit losing pursuit angles. Joe Giles-Harris served as a standard elevation from the practice squad and operated in the kicking game.
Jets starting running back Breece Hall handled 16 carries for 54 yards and a touchdown. He secured 29 receiving yards by game’s end, as well. A 20-year-old rookie in Braelon Allen added 68 scrimmage yards.
New England’s front held previous opponents to 4.4 yards per carry and then 2.4 yards per carry this fall.
The Patriots had rushed for north of 170 yards in back-to-back games for the first time since 2020. And days prior to facing the Jets, the pair of running backs atop the depth chart became the first to both eclipse 80 yards on the ground since 2014. Rhamondre Stevenson could not pick up where he left off.
Called for a facemask on a stiff-arm, the starter turned six carries into 23 yards on Thursday, including a long of 13. He lost a fumble in the final quarter. It marked his third in as many weeks.
The previous were recovered. Antonio Gibson, fresh off setting a new personal long of 45, rushed for 29 yards on a handful of carries. JaMycal Hasty subbed into the backfield for the two-minute drill.
In the home opener at Gillette Stadium, tight end Hunter Henry accounted for 53 percent of the receptions and 73 percent of the receiving yards for New England. But such a career day was not a good sign for the collective aerial attack. Not when the wide receivers on the roster combined to catch three passes.
That disparity needed to be corrected in East Rutherford. Rookie Ja’Lynn Polk, who had found the end zone for the depth chart in the overtime loss, went on to find two catches for 13 yards. K.
J. Osborn went catchless as a starter alongside him. Yet after going without an official target, sudden slot DeMario Douglas stepped on to grab seven passes for 69 yards across nine opportunities.
The Liberty product’s night began by reversing field for a single yard and later included a play-action pickup of 22. All six members of the depth chart were active for the first time this fall. Tyquan Thornton drew unnecessary roughness and defensive pass interference.
Aaron Rodgers called Christian Gonzalez an “ elite player ” leading up to the divisional meeting. The four-time NFL MVP got to test the Patriots cornerback’s coverage on Thursday. A slant route for five was how it got underway.
Frequently shadowing Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson, who totaled five receptions on nine looks for 33 yards and one touchdown by evening’s end, Gonzalez started on the perimeter alongside Jonathan Jones. Marcus Jones occupied the slot in the nickel defense. Kyle Dugger and Jabrill Peppers joined them as the punt team quickly stepped on.
But longer stints on the field lied ahead. And the latter safety headed to the locker room with an ankle injury. A total of 39 official snaps had been accrued by the half.
Rodgers showed the mobility of old and finished 27-of-35 through the air for 281 yards with two touchdowns. Spreading it out with ease, his initial six passes found intended hands and a 13-play, 98-yard drive found the end zone, too. He also connected with former Green Bay Packers teammate Allen Lazard for a score.
Marco Wilson became a healthy scratch for New England’s corner group, moving Alex Austin up a rung on the ladder. With four sacks through two games, Keion White entered the night tied for second around the NFL. The converted tight end by way of Old Dominion and Georgia Tech would not add to that tally despite getting close.
White bookended a starting Patriots defensive line featuring Davon Godchaux, Daniel Ekuale and outside linebacker Anfernee Jennings. A hold was drawn versus right tackle Morgan Moses on the opening series. A twist followed along with pressures.
But No. 99 did not get home on a night where leverage was lost more often than it was won up front. The Patriots notched two sacks on the 40-year-old Jets quarterback.
Captain Deatrich Wise Jr. and Joshua Uche corralled them. On the heels of a block, Patriots kicker Joey Slye made his lone field goal against the Jets.
The conversion arrived from 44 yards away in the second quarter. His holder had more work to do. Bryce Baringer’s right leg was called upon for five punts worth 245 yards at MetLife.
A long 57 and three inside-the-20 punts were among them for the reigning PFWA All-Rookie selection. He entered the night ranked third around the league in average and second in inside-the-20s. A 21-yard return ensued after a missed tackle by core coverage player Brenden Schooler.
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