What We Saw: Jets @ Patriots

Henderson and Maye lead the Pats to victory!

Griffey Geiss
What We Saw 4 Hours Ago

New York Jets @ New England Patriots

Final Score: Patriots 27, Jets 14

Writer: Griffey Geiss (@ggeiss_mlb and @ggeiss_PL on Twitter)

 

The New England Patriots have recorded eight straight wins, clinching a winning record this season and continuing to climb their way up the power rankings every week. It was a solid win led by none other than MVP candidate Drake Maye, who returned to his efficient and effective self with a QBR of 83.3 and passer rating of 107.6, and breakout star TreVeyon Henderson, combining for not one, not two, but three all-purpose touchdowns in place of injured veteran Rhamondre Stevenson. The defense continues to generate fantastic results, allowing under 120 passing yards and recovering a fumble. Justin Fields may be out of a starting job, but it’s not entirely his fault (read more below). Adonai Mitchell continues to trend downwards, and Breece Hall looked like the only constant on both sides of the ball for New York in this brutal Thursday Night exhibition.

 

Three Up

  • TreVeyon Henderson: make it three consecutive weeks with dynamic performances from the young star!
  • Drake Maye: MVP! MVP! MVP! Need I say more?
  • Breece Hall: was the only constant on both sides of the ball for the Jets.

Two Down

  • Adonai Mitchell: drops continue to hold the young wideout back.
  • Justin Fields: may be out of the QB1 job in NY sooner rather than later.

 

New York Jets

 

Quarterback

 

Justin Fields: 15/26. 116 yards, TD, 1 fumble (LOST) | 11 carries, 67 yards, TD

Fields was “meh” for the most part, making some throws here and there, but still looks like a young signal caller, prone to making some questionable reads and mistakes throughout the course of the game. For example, his internal clock is off, as he doesn’t break out of the pocket in crunch time under pressure to use his legs. Instead, he took a sack and forced a tougher fourth-down play call in a couple of these instances. Fumbles have been a major issue since he entered the league, and they continued to plague him with another lost ball on Thursday night. He makes mistakes, 100%, but I want this to be abundantly clear: the personnel, both in terms of the talent and the coaching surrounding Fields, does not help his case one bit. It’s pathetic. There were multiple dropped passes, including an absolute dime from Fields that Adonai Mitchell couldn’t haul in against CB1 Christian Gonzalez. I still have faith in Fields. We’ve seen plenty of so-called “busts” turn their careers around with the right system, personnel, and scheme. I’m a big believer in the fact that organizations (in any sport, really) fail or move on too quickly from a player (or even a coach sometimes) a heck of a lot more often than the other way around. If Fields can become what we thought he could coming out of the draft, it’s not going to happen in New York.

 

Running Back

 

Breece Hall: 14 carries, 58 yards | 2 targets, 2 receptions, 6 yards

Hall became just the second running back to eclipse 50 rushing yards against a premium Patriots run defense, an impressive feat for the talented back. Hall’s 4.1 yards per attempt and long of 11 yards both ranked first among running backs with at least 5 carries in the matchup. He was able to power his way through tons of traffic to fight for extra yards all night long. Hall was also able to haul in both of his targets — while I expected more of a passing attack against a New England defense prone to allowing running back receptions, this will suffice.

 

Isaiah Davis: 2 carries, 11 yards | 1 target, 0 receptions

 

 

Wide Receiver/Tight End

 

John Metchie III: 3 targets, 3 receptions, 45 yards, TD

Metchie was the lone receiver to catch a touchdown pass all night long. He was active in the passing attack, hauling in all three of his targets in his New York debut. His 45 receiving yards are by far and away the most he’s generated this season — the last time he eclipsed 40 receiving yards was Christmas Day against Baltimore last year.

 

Mason Taylor: 4 targets, 4 receptions, 30 yards

Taylor was a hot commodity on the waiver wire at one point, but hasn’t quite taken that next step forward that fantasy owners were hoping he’d take since his roster rate increased tremendously. He’s still managed to tally 30+ receiving yards in three of his last four games, but has yet to top the back-to-back 65 and 67 yard games with 19 total targets we saw in Weeks 4 and 5.

 

Jeremy Ruckert: 5 targets, 4 receptions, 23 yards

Ruckert has been limited in production all year, but even when the ball has come his way, the final line hasn’t blown anyone away. The Ohio State product turned in a career-high 5 targets against New England, and his four receptions tie a season-high. Ruckert has managed to record 20+ receiving yards in four of New York’s last seven games.

 

Adonai Mitchell: 6 targets, 1 reception, 10 yards

Hold. On. To. The. Ball. Really, it should be that simple. Mitchell is, without a doubt, an uber-talented receiver. That’s been clear since he stepped onto a college campus. But drops continue to pile up for the youngster. The play that sums up his night came early in the game, where Mitchell made a nice effort on a route against top CB Christian Gonzalez, created separation, and allowed Fields to place a perfect dime into his hands. Everything was textbook until the finish, where he simply couldn’t secure the ball. It’s clearly a work in progress for the Texas product: the talent is there, but he needs to start improving in the hands department soon. It’s basic football and painful to watch.

 

Isaiah Williams: 4 targets, 1 reception, 2 yards | 1 carry, 4 yards

 

 

 

New England Patriots

 

Quarterback

 

Drake Maye: 25/34, 281 yards, TD | 4 carries, 2 yards

Yet another MVP-caliber performance from the young superstar. He was cool, calm, and collected in the pocket, taking advantage of a poor defensive matchup while efficiently and effectively distributing the ball everywhere across the field. He started the game with eleven consecutive completions — a career-best — and only lost the streak thanks to a drop over the middle by Stefon Diggs.

The key was New England’s offensive line, which allowed Maye to sit back and relax. They allowed just one sack, and Maye only had to run on two occasions (his other two carries were kneel downs for -3 yards). Without much pressure like he’s faced over the past few weeks, Maye was able to locate and dot up his receivers with ease. He made only one noticeably poor throw before halftime that resulted in an incompletion.

 

Running Back

 

TreVeyon Henderson: 19 carries, 62 yards, 2 TDs | 5 targets, 5 receptions, 31 yards, TD

YES!!! Finally, after what’s felt like forever, TreVeyon Henderson fantasy owners are FEASTING. With Rhamondre Stevenson out with a toe injury for the past three weeks, Henderson has made the most of his touches. He’s rushed for a combined 264 yards and 4 TDs over that span, plus has managed to add 67 receiving yards with a tuddy as well. Henderson fights for extra yards, has a noticeable burst in speed on the outside combined with fantastic agility, and explodes through contact. It’s almost like game planning for your electric, dynamic second-round talent you invested in may be worth doing.

 

D’Ernest Johnson: 3 carries, 6 yards

 

 

Wide Receiver/Tight End

 

Stefon Diggs: 11 targets, 9 receptions, 105 yards

Diggs had himself a day, hauling in all kinds of throws on a variety of routes, exceeding 100 yards for the first time since his revenge game against Buffalo. He should’ve tallied two more catches as well, but those were dropped. Regardless, Diggs has proved post-rehab he’s still the WR1 the Patriots invested in, not to mention has been a steady presence for fantasy owners this season with a considerable ceiling.

 

Mack Hollins: 5 targets, 4 receptions, 64 yards

Hollins’ breakout campaign continues. The North Carolina product has become a fan favorite in New England thanks to his locker room presence, unique off-the-field personality, and, of course, the recent uptick in production. He’s recorded 40+ yards in four of the Patriots’ last five games — including a combined 170 yards over the past two weeks — and with Kayshon Boutte nursing a hamstring injury, has settled into a quality dual threat role. While he hasn’t quite been a target in the red zone, Hollins may be worth a waiver wire pickup.

 

Hunter Henry: 6 targets, 4 receptions, 45 yards

Henry remains a solid, steady receiving presence in New England’s offense. It’s nothing sexy, but it works, and Maye loves to look Henry’s way in big situations, no matter the yardage situation. His snap count has started to drop with more skill players contributing, but with the way Maye distributes the ball, I wouldn’t be too worried.

 

DeMario Douglas: 3 targets, 3 receptions, 36 yards | 1 carry, -5 yards

After a slow start to the year, Douglas has recorded 30+ receiving yards in four consecutive games, tallying 12 targets over that span.

 

Kyle Williams: 3 targets, 0 receptions

 

 

Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire | Adapted by Justin Paradis (@JustParaDesigns on Twitter/X; @justinparadis.bsky.social on BlueSky