FOXBOROUGH – Thursday night football games can be sloppy.
The short turnaround is tough physically on players, and these matchups can lead to a less-than-desirable viewing experience.
For the Patriots, this meant running the risk of losing to the lowly New York Jets. On paper, the match wasn’t close. At the NFL trade deadline, the Jets traded away two of their best players (Quinnen Williams and Sauce Gardner), and on Thursday, they also didn’t have their No. 1 receiver in Garrett Wilson.
Despite all that, the Jets still proved to be formidable.
The division foe wouldn’t go away quietly, and that’s why the Patriots entered the fourth quarter up one score.
The Patriots needed someone to step up - and on this night, it was TreVeyon Henderson. The running back scored three touchdowns, two rushing and one receiving, to become the third rookie in franchise history to score three times, joining Rob Gronkowski (2010) and Sony Michel (2018).
Led by Drake Maye and Henderson, the Patriots won their eighth-straight game, beating the Jets 27-14 on Thursday night. Mike Vrabel’s team improves to 9-2.
Here’s what happened:
Defense allows another opening score
The Jets won the coin toss and opted to receive, hoping to get off to a quick start inside Gillette Stadium. It was a smart plan as the Patriots defense entered this week having allowed a score on its opponent’s first drive seven times in 10 games this season.
The plan worked – and after the Jets were done, that number turned into eight times in 11 games.
New York converted on four third downs, running the ball down the Patriots’ throat in their opening drive en route to taking a 7-0 lead. The Jets ran the ball 11 times in their 14-play, 72-yard scoring drive. That included Justin Fields’ 5-yard touchdown run at 6:56 of the first quarter.
To make matters worse, Patriots defensive tackle Milton Williams left the game due to an ankle injury in the middle of the first drive.
Patriots offense starts fast
The Patriots offense started fast. Drake Maye’s group tied this game, 7-7, at 14:16 of the second quarter.
The Patriots were aided by an unnecessary roughness call on Jets cornerback Jarvis Brownlee Jr., who suplexed Stefon Diggs to the ground. The 15-yard penalty brought the offense near midfield. The group once again converted on fourth down as Maye hit DeMario Douglas for 7 yards on fourth-and-2.
Faced with a third-and-1 at the 10-yard line, TreVeyon Henderson ran 3 yards to set up a first-and-goal. On the next play, the rookie running back ran in for a 7-yard touchdown with at least five teammates pushing him into the end zone.
Williams returns, defense returns to form
Naturally, after a bad opening drive, the Patriots defense looked great, holding the Jets to a three-and-out in New York’s second series.
This has been the story of the team’s defensive unit this season – a slow start, followed by adjustments that make them one of the best defenses in the NFL. The Jets gained 7 total yards in their second drive, with the Patriots quickly forcing a punt.
This drive also saw Williams return to the game after briefly leaving with an ankle injury.
For the defense, this trend continued. The Patriots then held the Jets to a three-and-out in their third and fourth series as well.
After the Jets’ opening drive, New York gained 21 yards and no first downs in their next three drives.
Maye shines, Henderson scores
Maye showed everyone why he’s in the running for NFL MVP on the Patriots second drive. Henderson also showed why the team picked him in the second round.
The Patriots took a 14-7 lead at 7:54 of the second quarter. This series saw Maye complete four first-down passes with two to Hunter Henry (23 and 12 yards) and two to Mack Hollins (19 and 20 yards). Hollins’ 20-yard catch set up a first-and-goal from the 7-yard line. On the next play, Henderson took the handoff, made a great move, and darted into the end zone for his second touchdown of the night.
Maye started this game 11-of-11 for 110 yards. His first incomplete pass happened when Diggs dropped a pass on third down.
Patriots miss opportunity
It looked like the Patriots would go into halftime up 17-7. However, several miscues led to a sloppy ending of the first half.
The Patriots should’ve punted after Maye was sacked for an 11-yard loss on third down. However, an illegal contact penalty on Jets cornerback Brandon Stephens kept the Patriots offense on the field.
It looked like Maye’s next pass could’ve been intercepted, but two Jets players collided, dropping the ball. This set up an Andy Borregales kick, but the rookie kicker missed the 45-yard attempt. This was his first missed field goal since Week 1.
Diggs, Henderson step up
Henderson had himself a night on Thursday.
After Henderson’s second touchdown, the Patriots went scoreless in their next three drives. Maye’s unit went three-and-out to start the second half when Diggs dropped his second pass of the game.
The next time they came on the field, however, that changed as the Patriots extended their lead to 21-7.
Maye hit Diggs for back-to-back gains of 21 and 18 yards to set the offense up at the 11-yard line. Two plays later, Maye hit Henderson for a 7-yard touchdown at 7:46 of the third quarter.
That marked the third touchdown of the night for the rookie.
Defensive lapse proves costly
After shutting down the Jets offense, the Patriots defense was beaten handily at the end of the third quarter. The sloppy play led to New York closing the gap to 21-14.
New York traveled down the field without needing a third down, relying on short passing plays. Then, at 3:10 of the third quarter, the defense got the Jets to a third down. They opted for a safety blitz, sending Jaylinn Hawkins, but on this play, the unit forgot to cover Jets receiver John Metchie, and Fields hit him for an easy 22-yard touchdown at 3:10 of the third quarter.
Borregales extends the lead
The Patriots extended their lead to 24-14 with 12:06 left on the clock.
Maye was able to get the offense out of a hole following a holding penalty. The quarterback hit Douglas for a 26-yard pass play on third-and-10. On the next third down, Maye completed a 13-yard pass to Diggs. The Patriots made it to the red zone, but a sack for a loss of 10 yards set the group back.
This led to Borregales hitting a 44-yard field goal.
Diggs looks like a No. 1 WR
Stefon Diggs has been one of the best stories of this season. Coming off a season-ending knee injury, the 31-year-old made a miraculous recovery and has been playing like a No. 1 receiver.
That was seen on Sunday. Diggs caught nine passes for 105 yards against the Jets. That marked his third 100-yard game of this season and the 39th 100-yard game of his career. Diggs is on his way to another 1,000-yard season, which hasn’t happened in New England since 2019 (Julian Edelman)
Turnover puts it away
The Patriots hadn’t forced a turnover in the last two games. On Sunday, they got one but also received some help. Fields fumbled a snap at 7:34 of the fourth quarter. When the ball hit the turf, Anfernee Jennings dove on it, recovering the fumble.
The offense took over at the 11-yard line. Although they didn’t get in the end zone, Borregales hit a 27-yard field goal to extend the Patriots’ lead to 27-14 at 6:36 of the fourth quarter.
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