New York Jets – New England Patriots
USA - NFL
The New York Jets were the most hyped team in the preseason, and the reason was obvious. They signed Aaron Rodgers, one of the best quarterbacks in the 21st century. Their excitement lasted about half an hour from the moment the season began. Rodgers tore his Achilles tendon, and the question is whether he will ever play football again given that he's turning 40 soon. The Jets had to turn to their backup, Zach Wilson, who is one of the worst quarterbacks in the league. With him on the field, it's almost impossible to throw the ball down the field. The Jets created an offense to Rodgers' liking, and now it has all gone down the drain. Their defense is legit, and everything this team does this year will be thanks to them.
The New England Patriots are 0-2 after two losses at home to the Philadelphia Eagles and the Miami Dolphins. In both games, they were close and played decently, but they simply didn't have enough offensive quality. The Eagles and Dolphins are currently top 5 NFL teams, so the Patriots just had the misfortune of having a tough schedule at the start of the season. The problem is that in Week 4, they visit the Dallas Cowboys (another top 5 team), and if they don't beat the New York Jets, 0-4 is a reality. That would mean the end of any playoff hopes even before October. The return of Bill O'Brien to the position of offensive coordinator has definitely improved this offense. Mac Jones had some success in passing, but surprisingly, the Patriots' running game has stagnated. If they fix that, it might not be too late to turn things in their favor. At the end of the day, Bill Belichick is still here, and he is the best head coach in the history of American football.
Almost certainly, this will be a low-scoring affair. The New England Patriots have 14 consecutive wins against the New York Jets, and the last game ended 10:3 in Foxborough. Both defenses are far superior to the opposing offenses, and gaining yards will be very difficult. On top of that, Belichick won't allow Jones to throw the ball much in this game. The Patriots' plan will be for the offenses to last long and to wait for Wilson's inevitable mistakes on the other side. With 14 consecutive wins against the Jets, much more experience, and urgency on the side of the visitors, the Patriots are favored. With Rodgers' injury, the Jets' ambitions to make the playoffs are nonexistent. Not with Wilson under the center. The Patriots hope they can make up for the losses to the Eagles and Dolphins in the second half of the season when an easier schedule comes, but to stay in the hunt for something, they have to triumph here. If Jones doesn't have more interceptions than Wilson, they will likely succeed on “MetLife Stadium”.