New York Jets (2-7) at New England (8-2)
Thursday 8:15 p.m. EST, Prime Video
BetMGM NFL Odds: Patriots by 11 1/2.
Against the spread: Jets 5-4; New England 7-3.
Series record: Patriots lead 75-56-1.
Last meeting: Patriots beat Jets 25-22 on Oct. 27, 2024, in Foxborough, Massachusetts.
Last week: Jets beat Browns 27-20; Patriots beat Buccaneers 28-23.
Jets offense: overall (28), rush (4), pass (32), scoring (25).
Jets defense: overall (19), rush (25), pass (8), scoring (26).
Patriots offense: overall (10), rush (16), pass (8), scoring (8).
Patriots defense: overall (8), rush (1), pass (21), scoring (6).
Turnover differential: Jets minus-10; Patriots minus-1.
Jets player to watch
RB Breece Hall. The fourth-year running back, who was the subject of trade rumors for months, has been a do-it-all source of production for New York’s otherwise struggling offense. He had 83 yards rushing and a 42-yard touchdown catch off a screen pass to account for 125 of the Jets’ 169 net yards against Cleveland. That came a game after Hall ran for 133 yards and two TDs, had two receptions for 14 yards and threw the winning TD pass in the Jets’ win at Cincinnati.
Patriots player to watch
RB TreVeyon Henderson. The rookie second-round pick is coming off his first career 100-yard game, rushing for 147 yards and two touchdowns against Tampa Bay. He also became the first Patriots player with two 50-yard TD runs, scoring from 55 and 69 yards. His 430 rushing yards lead the team and he’s tied with Rhamondre Stevenson with a team-high three rushing TDs this season.
Key matchup
Hall vs. Patriots run defense. New England has shut down opposing running backs this season, not allowing a rusher to reach 50 yards in its first nine games. That streak ended last week when Tampa Bay’s Sean Tucker finished the day with 53 yards. But the Patriots are still the NFL’s top-ranked run defense, allowing only 79.2 yards per game.
Key injuries
Jets: WR Garrett Wilson is expected to be sidelined a few weeks after reinjuring his right knee last Sunday. … DT Harrison Phillips was dealing with a foot injury and was seen wearing a walking boot in the locker room during the week. … Rookie CB Azareye’h Thomas is out while going through the concussion protocol.
Patriots: TE Austin Hooper started the week in the concussion protocol. … RB Rhamondre Stevenson (toe) was limited on Monday and Tuesday after missing the past two games. … RB Terrell Jennings was also limited both days after leaving last week’s game with a knee injury. … WR Kayshon Boutte is working his way back from a hamstring injury that kept him sidelined against Tampa Bay.
Series notes
The Jets snapped a 15-game losing streak to the Patriots in the 2023 season finale, beating New England 17-3 in Bill Belichick’s last game as coach. New York won the first meeting last season 24-3 at home, but dropped the second matchup 25-22, so the Patriots have won 16 of the last 18 games in the series.
Stats and stuff
The Jets will try for their first three-game winning streak since taking three in a row early in the 2023 season (Weeks 5, 6 and 8). … New York’s 42 net yards passing against Cleveland were the fewest by a team in a win since Carolina and former Jets QB Sam Darnold had 32 in a 10-7 victory over New Orleans in Week 18 of the 2022 season. … QB Justin Fields was 6 of 11 for 54 yards, with 42 coming on the TD screen pass to Hall, against the Browns. He threw for 244 yards in the win at Cincinnati on Oct. 26, but has just 145 yards in the three games combined around that performance: 54 against Cleveland, 46 vs. Carolina and 45 vs. Denver. … Hall’s 125 total yards against the Browns accounted for 74% of the Jets’ 169 net yards. Since 2000, he’s the only player to account for at least 74% of a team’s offense in a win, and he has done it twice, including 74.5% in the win against New England in Week 18 of the 2023 season. … Hall’s 2,997 career yards rushing rank 12th in Jets history. … DE Will McDonald tied Mark Gastineau (twice) and John Abraham for the team’s single-game sacks record with four last week. He also had nine QB pressures. … The Jets limited the Browns to 20 yards passing in the second half. They have allowed 557 yards passing in the second half of games this season, fewest in the league. … Kene Nwangu returned a kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown and Isaiah Williams brought back a punt 74 yards for a score just 36 seconds later, marking the first time in team history the Jets had one of each for TDs in the same game. … K Nick Folk has been perfect this season, going 19 of 19 on field goals and making all 12 of his extra points. … The Patriots have won seven straight games, matching their longest win streak since 2021. … A win Sunday will secure New England’s first winning season since 2021 when it finished 10-7 and qualified for the playoffs. … A victory would also give the Patriots a 4-0 record in AFC East play, which would be their best start in the division since 2019 (5-0). … QB Drake Maye entered the week second in the NFL to Detroit’s Jared Goff with a 71.7 completion percentage. … Maye has completed 50-yard passes in each of the last two games. … WR Mack Hollins had his second career 100-yard receiving game last week against the Buccaneers. … WR Kayshon Boutte is second in the NFL to Indianapolis WR Alec Pierce (20.9) with an 18.7-yard receiving average.
Fantasy tip
Even with Maye facing the league’s eighth-ranked passing defense, he has been consistent about finding a way to get the ball into the end zone. He’s thrown for at least two scores in eight of the Patriots’ 10 games this season.
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
The Associated Press
