Patriots @ Jets
Final Score: Jets 24, Patriots 3
Senior Writer: Benjamin Haller (@benjaminhaller1 on Twitter)
A miserable night for the Jets…oh, wait, no, the Patriots at MetLife! Time to rewrite the script in the AFC East as Aaron Rodgers inspired the New York Jets to a big win over their long-time nemesis, the New England Patriots, in a one-sided affair from the start. Rodgers sprayed the ball around at will to feed all his offensive targets on a night that will give fans in New York immeasurable hope for the rest of the season. On the other side of the ball, the Jets’ defense outmatched a derisory Patriots offense that looks totally inept under Jacoby Brissett and behind a terrible offensive line. New England had just 93 yards of total offense midway through the fourth quarter and punted the ball back for the fifth time down 24-3 with just eight minutes left in the game. Dreadful!
Three Up
- Aaron Rodgers – he’s back and looks to be in total control of an offense with weapons through the air and out of the backfield. Rodgers enters the conversation as a fantasy streamer going into the bye weeks.
- Braelon Allen – the rookie back looks like the perfect complement to Breece Hall
- Tyler Conklin – clearly an integral part of the game plan for Rodgers when he’s orchestrating drives down the field, the big tight end averaged 18.6 yards per catch and is a solid fantasy option at the position, considering he is just 14% rostered in Yahoo!
Three Down
- Jacoby Brissett – the veteran looked slow, mechanical, and without a game plan through the air. When the run game can’t help him out (like tonight), the offense totally breaks down. Replaced by Drake Maye in the fourth quarter.
- Rhamondre Stevenson – a terrible night for the Patriots lead back, who averaged just 3.8 yards per carry on a measly six carries before fumbling the ball away in the second half
- Hunter Henry – a popular waiver wire add last week, fantasy managers will be rage-dropping the tight end after seeing Conklin do exactly what they hoped Henry would do after last week’s showing
New England Patriots
Quarterback
Jacoby Brissett: 12/18, 98 Yards, 5 Sacks
A miserable night for the veteran quarterback as he started slow and effectively ground the offense to a halt by the fourth quarter. Brissett endured pressure all night but also looked devoid of ideas on third down, holding the ball for too long and inviting sacks by being static in the pocket. After four second-half drives amounted to just 46 yards, Brissett was replaced by first-round rookie quarterback Drake Maye. This could be the end for Brissett, but at the same time, he may have just been pulled to protect him for the coming weeks.
Notes
- Starting two rookies at tackle, the Patriots’ offensive line was porous early on as the Jets put hits on Brissett on all three passing plays in the opening drive. With direct lines to pass rush, the Jets blitzed constantly on third down and sacked the Pats signal-caller on the following drive.
- Sacked five times and often on passing downs on third down – was provided no protection but also never looked likely to want to throw the ball deep downfield.
Drake Maye: 4/8, 22 Yards, 2 Sacks | 2 Carries, 12 Yards
A small cameo from the third overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft – he was asked to run out the clock with New England down big late in the fourth quarter. Maye was nearly picked on his first throw and averaged a pathetic 2.8 yards per completion as he too took a number of hits when throwing. There was nothing too much to shout about apart from a nice dropback and strong throw to Demario Douglas down the middle to work the ball into the red zone. Maye took a sack on the next play, and the Patriots let the clock run out.
Drake Maye wasn't expecting the snap but he connects with Pop Douglas to convert 4th and long anyway pic.twitter.com/9qoLm5c6EG
— Ben Brown 🌻 (@BenBrownPL) September 20, 2024
Running Back
Antonio Gibson: 5 Carries, 29 Yards | 3 Targets, 3 Receptions, 8 Yards
For the second week in a row, Antonio Gibson led the Patriots in rushing but this time it is far from a positive. The Patriots mustered just 78 yards of offense on the ground as the Jets forced numerous third-and-long situations in this game. 20 of Gibson’s 29 yards on the ground came on the final drive of the game as he was a non-factor in this game plan. He did handle all the pass-catching out of the backfield but only saw three dump-offs with nowhere to run.
Rhamondre Stevenson: 6 Carries, 23 Yards, Fumble (Lost)
A disastrous night for Stevenson, who has up to this point been impressive so far this season, seeing over 20 touches per game over the first two weeks. However, a stingy Jets defense, a terrible offensive line, and a negative game script all combined to make this a miserable night for the runner (and his team). He compounded this misery with his own mistake, allowing the ball to be stripped from him as he went to the ground in the third quarter resulting in a fumble and turnover. It ended any chance of a Patriots comeback.
Ja’Mycal Hasty: 1 Carry, 5 Yards
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Demario Douglas: 9 Targets, 7 Receptions, 69 Yards | 1 Carry, 9 Yards
After not catching a ball in Week 2, Douglas came alive in the second half of this game after being peppered with short passes to try and kick-start a dormant Patriots passing game. His biggest play of the game was a nice grab over the middle after he burst out of the slot and created separation to go up and haul in a dart from Maye on the final drive of the game for 15 yards. He had four of his nine targets on the final drive of the game. It wasn’t like he was a primary feature of the game plan.
Austin Hooper: 4 Targets, 1 Reception, 19 Yards
Ja’Lynn Polk: 2 Targets, 2 Receptions, 13 Yards
Showed excellent hands on a grab early in the second half but this was only his second target of the game. After nabbing a touchdown last week, Polk has flashed his ability to lead this receiver room. He needs an uptick in volume and more opportunity to become fantasy-relevant. The tape is impressive but there’s not much of it to start his rookie campaign.
Hunter Henry: 3 Targets, 2 Receptions, 9 Yards
Yikes! Your FAAB money went down the drain with a complete no-show from Henry after he caught eight balls for 109 yards in Week 2. Henry was just never a factor as the Jets took away the middle of the field and put intense pressure on the quarterback. Henry had no room to operate. A total dud that will hurt fantasy managers who hoped he would ball out again.
Kayshon Boutte: 2 Targets, 1 Reception, 2 Yards
Tyquan Thornton: 1 Target
Brissett hurled a ball deep down the left-hand sideline on third down with the Pats down 14-0 in the second quarter – it was too far ahead of speedster Tyquan Thornton, however, some late contact from D.J. Reed was enough to draw a flag for a huge 34-yard defensive pass interference call. It led to a field goal.
New York Jets
Quarterback
Aaron Rodgers: 27/35, 281 Yards, 2 TD, 2 Sacks | 3 Carries, 18 Yards
Penalties ruined a promising first drive for the 40-year-old veteran but he answered back with an incisive 8-play, 73-yard touchdown drive on the Jets’ next possession. Rodgers found old favorite Allen Lazard for their third touchdown connection of the season. Rodgers followed that with a signature seven-minute-plus drive to go down the field and put the Jets 14-0 ahead – Breece Hall punched the ball in from a yard out.
For much of this contest, it felt like Rodgers was in “game manager” mode and to be honest, that is exactly what the Jets are craving right now to sustain some consistency. The need for a big play, and his cornerstone ego, seems to have subsided and we are seeing a (dare I say it) unselfish Rodgers work his team down the field methodologically. That was never more evident than on a game-deciding third touchdown drive in the third quarter. Rodgers mixed the run and pass perfectly, connecting with five different receivers before finding his number one guy, Garrett Wilson, for a touchdown.
when you look up "poetry in motion" 🔥#NEvsNYJ on Prime Video
Also streaming on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/8X6nr01RCQ— NFL (@NFL) September 20, 2024
Notes
- It was encouraging to see Rodgers scramble for a first down on the opening drive – he made the line to gain comfortably and picked up a good 6-7 yards showing no signs of his Achilles bothering him. He had a similar run at the start of the second half and was hit when going out of bounds, there was no flag but no complaints either.
- Expertly manufactured a time-sapping drive at the end of the first half that gave the Pats no hope of getting the ball back only for Greg Zuerlein to miss the kick. The drive featured key third-down connections with Tyler Conklin and Mike Williams, two receivers the Jets want to get involved more.
Running Back
Breece Hall: 16 Carries, 54 Yards, TD | 5 Targets, 4 Receptions, 24 Yards
A dominant all-around performance from Hall, who amassed touches on the ground and through the air as the Jets’ improved offensive line opened up holes throughout the first half. Midway through the second quarter, Hall carried the rock on a 3rd-and-1 from the Pats 1-yard line into the end zone after the play had initially been called short. This was the third straight game with over 20 touches for Hall and his fantasy output has been terrific. There might be less of an opportunity for Hall to muster the number of catches he had last year as his quarterback is better at finding his receivers, however, he is locked in for RB1 usage in an offense that is finally trending up.
https://twitter.com/AryePulli/status/1836933957667217830
Braelon Allen: 11 Carries, 55 Yards | 3 Targets, 3 Receptions, 7 Yards
The youngest player in the NFL took the opening carry of the Jets’ second drive right down the gut for an impressive 11-yard gain. Allen showcased his power-style and big-body strength fighting for extra yards on back-to-back carries on the next drive before popping off a 12-yard run breaking tackles deep into New England territory on the Jets’ second touchdown drive of the game. The rookie ended up with 14 total touches and showed both efficiency and explosiveness. It is somewhat surprising that he is seeing this much usage behind an elite back like Hall but fantasy managers are sitting up and taking notice. The way that Rodgers sustains long drives provides opportunities for two backs to see touches. And the sight of Allen trucking a Patriots defender and charging forward was pure fire.
https://twitter.com/nyjets/status/1836938762334654578
Isaiah Davis: 3 Carries, 6 Yards
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Tyler Conklin: 6 Targets, 5 Receptions, 93 Yards
Rodgers has always loved feeding his tight end, and on a key second-and-long on the first drive of the game, the Jets quarterback ripped a ball down the seam to hit Tyler Conklin in stride for a 22-yard gain from just of the Patriots’ red zone, putting his team 1st-and-goal from the six-yard line. Conklin hauled in two more long grabs (22 yards and 18 yards) on scoring drives as he dominated over the middle of the field on successive drives. It’s certainly worth noting that the former Viking had only one grab in each of the first two games, and those who paid up for Hunter last week will be wary of doing the same with Conklin this week on waivers.
Allen Lazard: 3 Targets, 3 Receptions, 48 Yards, TD
After optioning out of an outside-zone run play on the Jets’ second drive of the game, Rodgers found Lazard one-on-one down the left sideline. Lazard shrugged off his man and reached paydirt for a 10-yard score. He then broke off a nice 27-yard gain on the next drive, dodging a couple of defenders as he cut back into the middle of the field. He had only one grab in the second half but this was prime Lazard production. Don’t expect too much more.
https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1836928159138074840
Mike Williams: 4 Targets, 3 Receptions, 31 Yards
Another increase in snaps and activity for the former Chargers wideout, who could become a fantasy asset as the season goes on. Williams did a fantastic job of coming back to an underthrown ball early in the fourth quarter to move the sticks and haul in an 18-yard gain. Rodgers went back to Williams in the red zone but good coverage from Jonathan Jones forced the ball out of his hands as he tried to come down with the ball in the end zone. Watch this space.
Garrett Wilson: 9 Targets, 5 Receptions, 33 Yards
The Jets’ number-one receiver had more of an effect on this contest than his stat line suggests. Consistently winning his battles downfield and causing numerous problems for the Patriots’ defensive backs, Wilson was a menace all night. He hauled in a fantastic catch near the sideline in the first quarter but it was ruled incomplete as it arrived just a little late and his toe slid out of bounds. That would have added a good 25+ yards to his total. He made his mark with a signature win on an out route near the goal line before catching the ball and expertly maneuvering it inside the pylon for a touchdown – it was the outstanding third-year receiver’s long-awaited first in conjunction with Rodgers and it came at a perfect time.
https://twitter.com/nyjets/status/1836952267586732358
There were a couple of incompletions where Wilson and Rodgers were not quite on the same page, however, the chemistry is building and Wilson’s good production so far has the potential to go to the next level very quickly.
Xavier Gipson: 2 Targets, 2 Receptions, 16 Yards
A Hard Knocks darling from last year, Xavier Gipson is a return man who has been seeing more opportunities out of the slot so far in 2024. He took a slant over the middle into the red zone for an 11-yard gain setting up the Jets’ first score of the game. He caught his only other target and remains a deep sleeper.
Jeremy Ruckert: 2 Targets, 2 Receptions, 15 Yards