The Jets dominated the Patriots in every way possible, winning 24-3 at MetLife Stadium on Thursday night. The Jets are now 2-1 for the first time since 2015. Here are some thoughts and observations from the game.
1. The Jets needed this game. A week after showing they can win a dirty game without having to do it perfectly on the road, they showed they can dominate an inferior opponent at home. That’s what good teams do. The Jets have now shown that they are a good team. They are not a great team yet. If they were, they would have at least taken the 49ers to the end on the road. But they are a good team.
The Jets are clearly in the second tier of NFL teams right now, and it’s a good thing they’re there in Week 3 of the season. They don’t have to be at their peak in September. If the Jets have their way, they’ll be at their peak in December and January.
On nights when the Patriots looked terrible, it’s important to remember the lessons learned from the Patriots’ dynasty teams. They often start slow early in the season. Bill Belichick thought the first month was an extension of the preseason. How many times have people given up on the Patriots early and watched them win 10 games in a row on their way to the Super Bowl?
It’s clear now that the Jets lost that opening in San Francisco to a better team in a tough situation. But the Jets have now beaten two less important opponents in different ways. Thursday night’s win was dominant in every way. The offense rushed for 400 yards and committed no turnovers. The defense allowed no touchdowns and sacked the Patriots quarterback seven times.
This was a huge mistake and this is what the Jets needed to do here.
2. Here’s the thing about Aaron Rodgers’ night: I’d be hard pressed to name one throw that I found most impressive on the night. He didn’t make a single “wow” throw in this game. Instead, he was deadly accurate and forced receivers to make long runs after the catch. The longest pass of the night was a 27-yarder to Allen Lazard, and most of that came after the catch.
The term “game manager” has a bad connotation, but I say it as a compliment to Rodgers. He’s in complete control of the game and puts the Jets in the right position in every situation. It’s amazing to see a quarterback who doesn’t panic and doesn’t make bad passes. Rodgers’ interceptions this season came on deflected passes. They weren’t good passes, but they weren’t dangerous passes either.
Rodgers minimizes risk, which means you won’t often see him bomb the ball down the field 50 yards, nor will you see him pointlessly throw into double coverage for an interception, something Jets fans have seen from quarterbacks for years.
Rodgers’ performance on Thursday was a sight to behold. He split the Patriots apart, throwing to eight different targets. This version of Rodgers won’t put up huge numbers, but he’s so efficient that it won’t matter.
3. Last week in this space, I argued that Haason Reddick had been a force after Jermaine Johnson’s season-ending injury and that it was time for Joe Douglas to find a solution. I still think the Jets need Reddick long-term, but Will McDonald has silenced the whining in the short term. McDonald had two sacks Thursday night after recording three against the Titans last Sunday. McDonald is living up to his first-round draft pedigree, and the Jets pass rush looks just fine without Reddick right now.
McDonald’s injury is significant for the Jets, who need someone to replace the productivity they got from Bryce Huff last year. McDonald seems like he can do it. I think the Jets need Reddick to win big games down the stretch. I’m thinking about a game at Arrowhead in January, when Patrick Mahomes might not be as easy to get as Jacoby Brissett. The Jets need Reddick along with McDonald for those games. But McDonald’s performance over the past two weeks has put Reddick’s fears to rest for now.
4. There was a lot to like about the Jets offense Thursday night, but one thing that still didn’t quite work out was the timing between Rodgers and Garrett Wilson. They missed each other multiple times in the game, and it seemed like they weren’t on the same page. Rodgers threw before Wilson got off the break, or Wilson moved and Rodgers got the ball. Rodgers passed the ball to his first three opponents, who were focused on taking Wilson out. The Patriots had the best cornerback in Christian Gonzalez behind Wilson Thursday night. Yes, it’s true that defenders try to stop Wilson, but he’s the No. 1 wideout and Rodgers is a four-time MVP. They need to be able to counter what defenders throw and get more production out of Wilson, who had five catches for 33 yards and a touchdown on Thursday.
Disclosure of statistics
The Jets have 14 sacks this season after seven on Thursday night. It’s the first time the Jets have had this many sacks in the first three weeks of a season since sacks became an official statistic in 1982. It’s also the first time the Jets have had at least three sacks in each of their first three games of the season since 1985.
Amazing number of snaps
Rookie DT Leonard Taylor played 24 snaps (46%). The Jets were hoping for some extra muscle in the middle of the defensive line against the run-heavy Patriots, but were surprised to see Taylor, who had been inactive the first two games, get more playing time than fellow defensive linemen Michael Clemons, Jaylen Holmes and Javon Kinlaw.
Game ball
Rodgers was everything Jets fans dreamed of on Thursday. He completed 27 of 35 passes for 281 yards and two touchdowns and showed he can still move. He got out of the pocket several times and even ran for 11 yards.
