The New England Patriots desperately needed to beat the New York Jets in Week 3 after opening the season with a pair of losses, and while it wasn't particularly pretty, they managed to get the job done. The Pats controlled the proceedings for much of the day against New York, and while it was a bit too close for comfort, the 15-10 win was the only that mattered when all was said and done.

While any team should beat a team where Zach Wilson is the opposing quarterback, this loomed as a bit of a trap game for New England. Sure, they were expected to win, but the Jets have a lethal defense, a solid cast of playmakers around Wilson, and the rainy conditions at MetLife Stadium made everything more difficult. Getting a win in this one was no sure thing.

And while the offense completely fell apart in the second half, the defense did what they were expected to do by keeping Wilson quiet when it mattered most to win this game. There's no doubt that this was an ugly victory, and while it would have been nice to see New England throttle the Jets, there's no need for fans to be freaking out over a win.

Why the Patriots shouldn't panic after a close win over the Jets

After falling just short against the Philadelphia Eagles and Miami Dolphins in Weeks 1 & 2, the Patriots needed to beat the Jets. Starting the season off 0-2 is bad, but starting off 0-3 basically is a death sentence before your campaign can even get off the ground. Given the stakes, it's clear that New England came into this one with a sense of urgency.

There were a lot of positives throughout this one in the first half. Despite pretty heavy rainfall, Mac Jones was moving the ball efficiently through the air, and he was getting some help on the ground from Rhamondre Stevenson and Ezekiel Elliott. On the other side of the ball, there was really no sign that the Jets were going to be able to score against the Pats strong defense.

As the game went on, the Jets adapted on both sides of the ball and made this one interesting. New York's run defense clamped down in the box, and after having success early in the game, Jones was struggling to find open receivers against tight man coverage. Secondaries that have the ability to run man against New England are going to give them trouble, and that was clear as day in the second half.

It seemed like the Patriots were going to pay for playing with their food when they refused to go for it on 4th & 1 at the Jets 45-yard line with just under 11 minutes left in the game. The Jets proceeded to go down the field and score their only touchdown of the day, and while that would be the closest the game got, it was a frightening proposition to think that New England could lose this game.

But at the end of the day, they didn't. They did enough to overcome a tough defense on a day where the weather conditions were not good at all. Jones struggled to hit some tough throws, but for the most part, he did what was asked of him. Remember, this defense held the Buffalo Bills to just 16 points in Week 1 and forced star quarterback Josh Allen into committing four turnovers.

Defensively, New England continued to prove that they are an elite unit, even with their shorthanded secondary. Again, playing against Wilson, who was awful throughout this game, certainly helped, but the guys around him are very good. Breece Hall had no room to run in this game, and Garrett Wilson was blanketed by Christian Gonzalez (who looks like a star in the making) for pretty much the entire game.

After losing two games to open the season, it didn't really matter how this team won. Sure, beating the Jets by five points isn't wildly encouraging, but there's also no sense complaining about wins. They will have to play better against better teams, but their contests against the Eagles and Dolphins proved that, while they ultimately lost, they can hang around with these top-tier squads.

With the win over New York secured, New England can turn their attention to the Dallas Cowboys, who suddenly seem beatable after they were upset by the Arizona Cardinals in Week 3. All the Pats needed was to get the ball rolling against the Jets, and now that they have done that, they can focus on playing better football against better opponents, which is precisely what they will need to do in Week 4.