FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – They needed this. A convincing win like this, when they thoroughly dispatched an opponent, even one as mediocre as the Jets (and, quite frankly, the use of mediocre here is being generous). If for nothing more than a confidence booster, the Patriots really needed an afternoon like this one, having played an inconsistent brand of football over the previous first six weeks of this season. And several players said as much afterward.
Yes, both teams came into this game with the same number of losses this season, but having watched enough of the Jets thus far, it's clear that the Patriots are a better squad, all things considered. Heck, even Richard Seymour – in town for his induction into the Patriots Hall of Fame – called it a "Homecoming Game" for New England during his halftime address to the fans, and that's exactly what it felt like from the get-go.
Maybe for Mac Jones, he thought he was back at Alabama, when scores like this were routine. He entered this rematch with the Jets averaging roughly 250 yards passing per game and finished it having finally broken the 300 mark for the first time as a pro.
And it couldn't have come at a better time, as New England prepares to embark on a stretch of games, mostly on the road, against several high-quality opponents.
I must confess, I expected the Jets to put up much more of a fight than this, but losing their starting quarterback in the very early going certainly altered the complexion of New York's offense, and by extension, the Jets' entire game plan. Going down two touchdowns almost in the blink of an eye also put New York on its back foot.
Meanwhile, a number of lesser-known Patriots earned their "varsity letters" this afternoon – a polite way of saying that guys who normally don't play saw significant minutes in the latter stages of this lopsided victory.
Obviously, not a lot of negatives to point out (though there were a handful to mention), so, without further ado, let's analyze the mostly positive developments.
NFL teams routinely talk about the importance of starting off games fast, and today, New England accomplished that. Gunner Olszewski's opening kickoff return of 31 yards gave the Patriots a better starting point than normal. Save a holding penalty by Shaq Mason (more on him in a moment), Jones and the offense moved the ball effectively in a traditional manner.
Then, offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels dialed up a double-pass, something we've seen at crucial times in the past with New England. Wide receiver Kendrick Bourne did a nice job of selling his part of the fake when he caught the first pass and pretended to head up the field for an instant. This allowed fellow wideout Nelson Agholor to get wide open downfield and haul in the scoring pass.
No need for tricks on the next drive, as New England ran the ball effectively, in large part from a 32-yarder ripped off by Damien Harris. He set up his own eventual 1-yard TD plunge.
Meanwhile, defensively, the Patriots also got off to a great start, forcing the Jets to punt on their first possession when Myles Bryant, off a corner blitz, buried rookie Jets QB Zach Wilson on 3rd-and-6. Bryant likely got into the game right off the bat because of the absence of cornerback Jonathan Jones, who was placed on IR yesterday.
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October 25, 2021 at 04:13AM
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Game Observations: Patriots finally put it all together - Patriots.com
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