New Head Coach Jerod Mayo’s New England Patriots have already heightened their expectations for 2024. They shocked the Bengals with a week 1 victory then took the 2-0 Seahawks into overtime last week. Now they head to New York to face a Jets team that has high expectations. A heavy Super Bowl favorite in 2023, their season fell apart on just the 4th play of the season when 4-time MVP Aaron Rodgers tore his Achilles tendon. Rodgers is healthy for 2024 and led the Jets to victory last week against the Titans after coming up short on Monday Night Football in week 1 against the defending NFC Champion 49ers.
What to Expect
They will face each other in what could be our first Thursday night clunker of the season. Patriots QB Jacoby Brissett gets the start over #3 overall pick Drake Maye and has played efficient enough to keep New England competitive. They are 5th best in the league in rushing yards per game (177.5) which aids a tough defense only allowing 16.5 points per game.
With Rodgers at the helm and Breece Hall in the backfield, look for the Jets to lean on a balanced offensive attack. They have managed only 274 yards per game on offense (29th) but are 14th in points per game at 24.5, mostly due to their high efficiency in the redzone (75%).
This should be a tight game with some intriguing matchups. Christian Gonzalez looks like a lockdown corner who I expect to follow Garrett Wilson all over the field. New Englands front seven has been tough, only allows 58 yards per game on the ground, which could make some tough going for Breece Hall.
It’s safe to anticipate a defensive struggle with a lot of work for the punters in this one. The Jets offense has a lot of weapons and a Hall of Fame trigger man in Rodgers, but they may not have all meshed enough for it to fire on all cylinders yet. However, I expect improvement from last week for the offense and a hard-fought win for the Jets to improve to 2-1. New England can steal this one if their front seven takes full advantage of the shaky Jets offensive line and makes it a long day for Aaron Rodgers and the run game.
Betting
What I like tonight via FanDuel Sportsbook:
| NE +6.5 |
| Allen Lazard O/28.5 receiving yards |
| Allen Lazard O/2.5 Receptions |
| Aaron Rodgers U/1.5 Passing TDs |
| Breece Hall Anytime TD |
| Rhamondre Stevenson O/2.5 Receptions |
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