The New England Patriots left the world unmoved with their performance against the Buffalo Bills in Week 8, hobbling out of a division rivalry that resulted in a 24-21 loss and adding to their losing streak. At 2-5, the woeful omens may have finished their task on New England for the season. They only rank above their next opponent in the New York Jets in terms of standings in the AFC East. Even the Miami Dolphins have been able to pull out some unexpected wins this season, forcing the Patriots to trail them for second place.
What makes matters worse for the Patriots is having to look down in the south as Tom Brady spearheads the Tampa Bay Buccaneers far past the predictions that were placed on him. The Patriots' defense also hasn't lived up to the hype, which let head coach Bill Belichick tell it was bound to occur at some point given their astounding presence in recent years on both sides of the ball.
There's not much speculation to be additionally made going into Week 9 against a winless Jets squad. It's almost like grown adult playing against a child at this point. If they win, it's because they played the Jets. If they find themselves shockingly defeated, they have to deal with possibly the strongest bombardment of headlines stating how they lost to arguably the worst team in the league.
Even so, the Patriots can't focus on that. At this stage of the season, it truly becomes a “one game at a time” mantra that this club has to take on to mount any form of success. A win against the Jets is just that, a win. This should be parallel to a practice run for a team that was projected to be atop of the division as they've always been.
With that in mind, here are four bold predictions to expect in the Patriots-Jets matchup on MNF.
1. Patriots have vintage defense, force three picks
Yes, the Patriots don't possess the same aura about them that imposed fear in offenses last year, but that shouldn't stop them from attempting to fill the stat sheet against the Jets.
Sam Darnold hasn't had an unforgettable performance this season, and the Patriots' defense should attempt to capitalize on that. The 23-year-old finished his bout against the Chiefs completing 18 of his 30 pass attempts for 133 yards, resulting in no touchdown passes thrown as well. He hasn't thrown above 65 percent halfway through the season and ranks sixth in interceptions.
Given that, the Patriots defense will force at least three interceptions out of Darnold on Monday.
2. Cam tightens up, throws for 300 yards and three TDs
This is Newton's grand moment for his best game of the season. It honestly may not come around again. He hasn't had one game this season where he's thrown for more than one touchdown, which is embarrassing given his captain-like stature. He's also only had one game this season where he's thrown above 70 percent, which is a decent step down from his Carolina Panthers days.
The Jets rank 29th in yards allowed off passing this season, which should open up the passing game for Newton, who's completed only 60 percent of his passes in both his last outings. He's also thrown three interceptions in his last two outings, all of which came at the hands of the San Francisco 49ers in Week 7. He was able to improve his passing precision in that regard in Week 8 against the Bills.
The 31-year-old field general will throw for 300-plus yards while tacking on at least three touchdowns against the Jets.
3. Damien Harris leads the Pats in rushing
With all the focus that Newton will need to have on his passing game, that leaves little time for the quarterback to focus on his rushing prowess that has bought him some glory moments this season. Because of this, someone else will have to step up from the backfield, that person being Damien Harris.
Behind Newton, Harris is the second leading rusher on the team. He's totaled 279 yards off 49 attempts through eight weeks of play, resulting in only one touchdown. In fact, RB2 Rex Burkhead has found more success in the end zone off fewer carries. He could end up being a go-to option on Sunday, but the Patriots will likely deploy to their halfback with more attempts.
The Jets rank 22nd in the league in terms of yards allowed off rushes, which can open up the gaps a bit more for Harris. If Newton doesn't somehow find success in the passing game, he could also opt for some scrambles against a weak Jets defense.
Harris will post only his third 100-yard-plus rushing effort of the season while also grabbing two touchdowns.
4. Patriots win in a blowout
This will easily be the widest scoring margin that's in favor of the Patriots this season. The Jets have only scored above 21 points once this season against the Denver Broncos that were 0-3 at the time before besting them in Week 4. Adam Gase hasn't been able to find the right formula to muster up even one win so far this season, and that likely won't change against even a struggling Patriots squad.
With a win, the Patriots will improve to 3-5 as they continue their hopeful efforts to return to their prestigious ranks amongst the elite in the league, and it all starts with the Jets. Last week was a should-win, this week is a must-win.
As a resulting of their efforts, the Patriots will hold the Jets to no more than 13 points while scoring at least 30 points on Monday.
Follow Us
Subscribe