After what happened to the Patriots on Monday night vs. the Bears, it’s probably best that we all just move on and focus on week eight.
New England will head to the Meadowlands this weekend to take on the division rival New York Jets. The game will kickoff at 1:00pm from MetLife Stadium, with Ian Eagle and Charles Davis on the call for CBS.
Here are their odds for Sunday’s game at The Meadowlands, according to our exclusive wagering partners at BetOnline.ag:
Odds – Patriots (3-4) vs. Jets (5-2)
Spread: Patriots -1.5
Total: 40.5
Moneyline: Patriots -130/Lions +110
Storylines
I’m on the record saying that the way Bill Belichick handled the Patriots quarterback room was complete and utter coaching malpractice. Not only did he not name a starting quarterback all week – he oddly split their reps, got his former first round pick booed out of his own stadium, sent the ROOKIE to the podium before himself post-game, and did not tell the rest of the offense what their plan was at the position.
Pathetic.
Apparently, Jones is set to get the start this week, and “everybody knows where we’re at.” We’ll see if that holds true some Sunday.
They’ll need everything they’ve got on Sunday, as the Patriots will travel to New York on Sunday to take on the 5-2 New York Jets. That’s right, the 5-2 Jets.
Whether it’s been Joe Flacco or Zach Wilson behind center, New York has been able to win games in 2022 thanks to their defense full of studs. Guys like CJ Mosley, Quinnen Williams, and Sauce Gardner are the few that stand out – but Lamarcus Joyner, DJ Reed, and Jordan Whitehead have all made an impact as well.
Their offense could really start to struggle this week, as star rookie running back Breece Hall tore his ACL last week in Denver. Hall paced the Jets offense with 463 yards and four touchdowns, and was turning into an every down back for Mike LeFleur’s offense. The team traded for Jaguars running back James Robinson this week to help fill the void.
Players to Watch
Patriots
Mac Jones
As indicated by ESPN’s Field Yates, 2021 first-round pick Mac Jones will get the start at QB this weekend against the Jets after taking roughly 90% of first team reps at Wednesday’s practice.
I sound like a broken record here, but run the dang Bailey Zappe offense with Mac Jones this week! He’s a chart showing just how differently New England has called their offense depending on the QB on first and second down this season (source: Evan Lazar, Patriots.com)
| Stat | Mac Jones | Bailey Zappe |
|---|---|---|
| Avg. Air Yards | 10.4 | 7.4 |
| Play-Action Rate | 11.7% | 26.3 |
| Under Center Rate | 12.5% | 21.1% |
The offense ran much smoother with Zappe. If you call this offense with the better quarterback, and you could be onto something.
Bailey Zappe
You can’t count Zappe out on Sunday! Although the reports indicate that Jones will start versus the Jets, those were the reports last week as well.
Even at his press conference on Thursday, Belichick would not call Jones the team’s long-term starter, telling reporters to, “stop trying to trap me into things about the future”.
I don’t think we’ll see Zappe play in New York this weekend, but I also didn’t think we would see him against the Bears. That’s why he’s still someone I’d keep my eye on.
Matthew Judon
Matthew Judon is by far the Patriots best player. He leads the NFL in sacks at 8.5 and paces the entire defense week in and week out.
A week after getting embarrassed by the Chicago Bears, this defense will need to rely on their stars to get them on the straight and narrow. Sunday is Judon’s time to shine.
Jets
Sauce Gardner
Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner was taken with the fourth overall pick by the Jets in this past April’s NFL Draft, and he’s has been dominant in his rookie campaign.
Gardner has 12 pass deflections and one interception in his first NFL season, and looks to only be getting better by the week. He’s the best player in a really solid Jets secondary.
Garrett Wilson
New York’s rookies have been incredibly impressive. See Garrett Wilson as proof. Taken with the 10th overall pick, Wilson leads the Jets in receptions (38) and is second in yards (314) and touchdowns (2).
Though they haven’t had a dominant offensive performance yet with Zach Wilson back at the helm, Garrett Willson – with his 4.38 40-yard dash time – has the ability to pop off at any time.
Prediction/Pick
With New England’s defense in a clear bounce back spot after last weekend the Jets losing Breece Hall to injury, I feel like New York is going to have a very hard time scoring the football.
I also think that New England finally (sort of) clearing up their quarterback saga is going to be huge for their offense. The Jets are good, but they’ll always bet the Jets.
Patriots win outright and the total goes way under.
Prediction: Patriots 21 – Jets 10
Side: Patriots +1.5
Total: UNDER 40.5
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