All the way back in 2001, the Jets squared off against the Patriots in a late afternoon Sunday showdown. There shouldn’t have been any significance in that game. It was an early-season matchup featuring two middling quarterbacks in the Jets’ Vinny Testaverde and the Patriots’ Drew Bledose. Little did the Jets know that that game would lead to the emergence of Tom Brady and the dynasty that has defined this millennium thus far. Fast forward to 2023, and Tom Brady is gone. The Patriots went on to have two of their worst seasons ever, ending at 4-13 in both 2023 and 2024. Surely this would be the Jets’ time to finally overtake them after two decades? After last night, that looks as far as possible from the truth.
Aaron Glenn Secures an Important Win as Jets Outlast Browns
Nov 9, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Jets head coach Aaron Glenn reacts after a Jets touchdown during the second half against the Cleveland Browns at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
The Jets Crumble to the Patriots on Thursday Night Football
The Patriots and Jets came into this game with inverse records this week. The Patriots were 8-2, sitting atop the AFC East once again. Meanwhile, the Jets, despite being on a two-game winning streak, were 2-7. The Jets started this game off in incredible fashion with Tanner Engstrand, the Jets offensive coordinator, orchestrating a 14-play, 72-yard touchdown drive. The scoring play came from a Justin Fields read option, where he beat Patriots edge defender Harold Landry to the pylon. The Patriots responded in kind with a touchdown of their own. The Jets offense slowed down immediately without the aid of a scripted drive, which allowed the Patriots to take a 14-7 lead following TreVeyon Henderson’s second touchdown run. The Jets just couldn’t catch up after that. It was a seven-point game going into the fourth quarter, the score being 21-14 Patriots, but the Jets offense couldn’t produce anything late. The final score was 27-14 in favor of New England.
The Jets Offense is Extremely Limited
Justin Fields was once again not very good. He had 116 passing yards, which is better than what he’s produced as of late. Excluding the win against the Bengals, who have what might be the worst defense in the NFL, Fields is averaging 65.25 passing yards per game in his last four games. That is simply not NFL caliber. His one passing touchdown in this game was a busted coverage that allowed John Metchie to run wide open. The offensive line gave him a lot of time last night as well, as they only allowed 12 pressures according to PFF. His processing of the defense is just clearly below-average. He doesn’t trust what he sees on the field.
Watch Fields on this play. Even with Metchie wide open, he double clutches and holds the ball way too long before finally letting it go. He does not trust what he sees…#Jets https://t.co/WjpNuD1jxl
— Paul Fiore (@PaulFiore) November 14, 2025
It’s time, in my opinion, to get Tyrod Taylor on the field for the foreseeable future. This needs to be done not only because of Fields’ subpar play, but because the Jets have three young wide receivers that they need to evaluate: Adonai Mitchell, John Metchie III, and Arian Smith. Mitchell had multiple drops, but some of those were not completely his fault either. As for Arian Smith, he has *ten* targets in ten games. This has to change. Tyrod Taylor gives the Jets brass the best chance of seeing what they have with these wideouts.
The Jets are Firmly Behind in the AFC East Arms Race
Last night was a showcase game for the Patriots and Drake Maye. They got on the national stage and showed the world that they have their franchise quarterback. Maye dominated the Jets defense, throwing for 281 yards and a touchdown with a completion percentage of 74%. The disparity between the Jets and Patriots was immense. The icing on the cake: Maye is the MVP favorite right now.
DRAKE MAYE IS AGAIN THE MVP FAVORITE 👀 https://t.co/aVUs67eCsg pic.twitter.com/XjDqHd1vSy
— DraftKings Sportsbook (@DKSportsbook) November 14, 2025
Looking at the rest of the division, the Bills obviously have Josh Allen, their franchise quarterback. The Dolphins are a question mark right now with Tua Tagovailoa, but he’s definitely better than what the Jets have. Justin Fields is clearly not the answer in New York. With every week that passes, it becomes clearer that the Jets must get a quarterback in the 2026 draft. They will have the ammunition to trade up if they need to, and they have a good shot at the first overall selection anyway. If the Jets want to keep up in the division and take advantage of their offensive infrastructure, they have to make a splash at quarterback.
Next Up
The Jets have a long rest before their next contest in Week 12. They’ll very much need it, as they will have to go to Maryland to face off against Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens.
Main Photo: [David Butler II] – Imagn Images