The New York Jets lost 25-6 to the New England Patriots this past weekend. The loss brings the Jets’ record to 0-2, while the Patriots get back to .500 at 1-1. What was supposed to be a big come-back week for the Jets, ended up in boos from the crowd at Metlife Stadium. Here is a review of the New York Jets vs. New England Patriots game.
Zach Sees A Ghost
One of the most notorious moments of Sam Darnold‘s tenure with the Jets was during their 2019 game on Monday Night Football against the Patriots, when he was caught and heard saying “I’m seeing ghosts,” after throwing another interception. Bill Belichick haunted Darnold’s dreams, and he will likely be haunting Wilson’s dreams as well. Wilson threw four (4!) interceptions on Sunday, with no touchdowns.
It’s not all bad though. Wilson has never played against the Patriots or Bill Belichick, he has now only played a couple of NFL games and he is still a rookie. It is too early to label Wilson a bust, just look at Patrick Mahomes, who spent an entire year on the bench before he was able to come in and play an entire season the next year. The jury is still out on Wilson, who has shown a lot of positives, along with clear negatives.
The Defensive Line is STILL GOOD
The Jets recorded a sack in Week 1 against the Carolina Panthers, and against the Patriots, they recorded three more. John Franklin-Myers now has two sacks on the season, and Sheldon Rankins and Marcus Maye each added a sack. While they allowed over four yards per carry in Week 1, and they allowed over four yards per carry again in Week 2, the defensive line is looking elite.
Going into the season, it looked like it was going to be the best position group on the team, and they have been. The defensive backfield has been a pleasant surprise, and it has helped out the defensive line immensely, but this is really the heart and soul of the defense. It will have a good test this week against the Denver Broncos.
The Offensive Line is… Not Terrible?
The offensive line was simply awful in Week 1. They allowed six sacks, 10 quarterback hits and the team had than three yards per carry. In Week 2, they improved! They only let up four sacks and the team averaged nearly five yards per carry. While the pass protection is not that much better, the run game was really going.
To focus on the run game, it is a great sign for Wilson, who will need a good run game to help the passing game. The offense is supposed to use a lot of play-action, which is only unlocked if the run game is good enough to bait in the defense. Look at the Cleveland Browns, who run the ball for 5.2 yards per carry this season.
Final Takeaway
The Jets were obviously going into this season with the idea that this would be a multi-year rebuild, and it looks so far to be that way. They have a big challenge this week against the Denver Broncos, but they then can maybe upset the Atlanta Falcons or Tennessee Titans.
The Broncos are currently 2-0, and they put the Jacksonville Jaguars receivers in prison last week. They completely shut the Jaguars down, and it won’t be much different this week. This has been a review of the New York Jets vs. New England Patriots.