The Patriots are on a roll.
Mike Vrabel’s team heads into this Thursday night game against the New York Jets with an 8-2 record and riding a seven-game win streak. In 10 weeks, the Patriots have matched the win total from the previous two seasons combined. Their win streak is the longest this franchise has seen since 2021.
That 2021 team won seven straight games before the wheels fell off. That year, the Patriots went 1-3 in their final four games. They finished with a 10-7 record, entered the playoffs as a wildcard team, and were blown out by the Buffalo Bills. The Patriots started that season 9-4 before a tough stretch crushed any hope they had.
This season, the red-hot Patriots need to finish the year by beating teams they’re supposed to. That starts Thursday with the 2-7 Jets who won’t have their top receiver (Garrett Wilson) and traded away two of their best players (Quinnen Williams and Sauce Gardner).
Here are five things to watch in this matchup:
Drake Maye
Drake Maye has gotten a taste of what it’s like to face the Patriots division rival, but has never played a full game against the Jets. Last year, in Week 3, he made his NFL debut in the fourth quarter of the Patriots 24-3 loss in New York. Then, in Week 8, Maye threw just six passes before being knocked out of the Patriots matchup with the Jets due to a head injury.
As long as health permits, this will mark Maye’s first full game against the Jets. New York hasn’t been great this season, but their pass defense is among the league’s best. The Jets rank eighth in the NFL in pass defense, allowing 190.8 yards per game. However, New York is still searching for its first interception of the season.
Run game
Who’s going to run the ball for the Patriots? This position group is battered and bruised. Rhamondre Stevenson missed the last two games due to a toe injury. He returned to practice this week, but was limited. Terrell Jennings suffered a knee injury in Tampa Bay and was also limited this week. Rookie TreVeyon Henderson, coming off his best game, started this week as limited with a knee injury.
Odds are that the Patriots lean on Henderson once again. That’s a matchup they should win. The Jets have the 25th-ranked run defense in the NFL, allowing 138.2 yards per game. Opposing teams are averaging 4.54 yards per carry against New York’s defense.
Run defense
There’s no secret when it comes to stopping the Jets offense. Quarterback Justin Fields has failed to throw for 60 passing yards in three of his last four games. Last week, he threw for 54 yards. However, the Jets still beat the Cleveland Browns, 27-20. That’s because New York leans on their run game behind Breece Hall.
This season, the Jets have the fourth-best run offense in the NFL. They’re averaging 141.8 rush yards and 5.02 yards per game this season. Their offense ranks dead last in the NFL, averaging 143.8 pass yards per game. This matchup plays into the Patriots hands as they have the No. 1 run defense in the NFL, allowing an average of 79.2 yards per game.
Turnover battle
The Patriots need to change this one in their favor. Vrabel’s team has lost the turnover battle the last two weeks, but still managed to come away with one-score victories. In Tampa Bay, Maye had a brutal interception in the end zone, but it didn’t come back to haunt the Patriots. Against Atlanta, the Patriots had two turnovers in that 1-point win.
The easy recipe for an upset is losing the ball. The Patriots are expected to win on Thursday night, and to ensure that, it would help if they won the turnover battle. This season, the Jets are last in the NFL in turnover margin at -10. They have committed 11 turnovers while recording one takeaway.
Team health
The turnaround to a Thursday night game is brutal. Historically, players have an easy day on Monday and then a recovery day on Tuesday. That leads to three practices from Wednesday to Friday before taking it easy on Saturday. There’s a lot of work that goes into getting ready for a Sunday game.
This week, the Patriots flew home on Sunday night from Tampa. They had a walkthrough on Monday, practice on Tuesday, and another walkthrough on Wednesday before their Thursday night game. The Patriots started this week with 15 players on their injury report. The team is rolling right now, but they need to stay healthy and get out of this Thursday night matchup without any serious injuries.
Prediction: Patriots 23, Jets 9
If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.