The MVP candidate then put the Patriots up by two scores in the second half with three 'plus' plays to drive the offense down the field. On the biggest play of the drive, New England runs a knife concept where the inside receiver runs a crosser and the outside receiver runs a dig to the two-receiver side. Maye transitions up in the pocket to let the edge pressure drive by and throws to an open Diggs for 21 yards.
As long as he keeps playing at this level and the Patriots continue winning, Maye will make a serious run at MVP, which only seven players in NFL history have won in their second season.
**3\. Patriots Defense Continues to be "On the Search" for Answers on Opening Drives**
Although they continue to level off, the Patriots allowed their sixth opening drive touchdown of the season, tying them with the Titans for the most in the NFL.
Along with six opening-drive touchdowns, New England has also surrendered two field goals, so that's points allowed on eight of the opponents' 11 opening drives this season. After electing to receive the opening kickoff, the Jets marched down the field in 14 plays, with 56 of their 72 yards coming on the ground. Heading into the game, we highlighted that the Jets were the third-most explosive rushing offense in football, featuring a mobile quarterback in Justin Fields. New York hit the Pats with some schemed runs on zone-reads and such and found early success.
"We're continually on the search for that first drive mishap. We so badly want to keep them out of the end zone. I know you guys want to ask what's the deal with the first drive," captain Robert Spillane said. "We're going to continue to look at the film, get it fixed, and hopefully next week we get off the field really early."
The Jets scripted runs gave the Patriots defense problems early, but New England once again clamped down as the game wore on. After rushing for 56 yards on their opening drive, New York only ran for 64 yards the rest of the game, while their longest run was a 14-yard scramble by Fields. The Pats did well enough to bottle up RB Breece Hall, who came into the game with the fifth-most explosive runs in the NFL, to 58 rushing yards on 14 carries with a long of 11 yards.
Along with their return units flipping the field on special teams, the Jets path to victory was what we saw on their opening drive. Eventually, New England's defense turned this into a drop-back passing game and held Fields to -0.10 EPA per drop-back (27th percentile).
**4\. DT Milton Williams (Ankle) Exits Game, DT Christian Barmore Logs First Sack of 2025**
Starting with the bad news, star DT Milton Williams exited the game in the first quarter, limping off the field when it appeared that he turned his left ankle. Williams returned to the game for one third-down play, where he actually logged a pressure with a bull rush, but didn't continue after that (eight total snaps). Hopefully, the Pats are just being cautious with one of their top defenders, who will have nine days between games to get healthy for the Bengals. Vrabel offered some insight into the decision to sit Williams for the rest of the game.
"I made a decision that we felt like we should probably just start treating that thing and get ahead of it and see where he's at here tomorrow, the next couple of days and try to weigh -- again, he wanted to try to go. He's out here standing with me when guys are coming in, and he's excited for them, so I appreciate his leadership, but I just made a decision that I felt like was best for the team in this instance."