After a crushing loss to the Cowboys last week, the Patriots came into this week looking to bounce back against the visiting Jets at home. While it came against a weak opponent, the Patriots were flawless on offense in week seven and it led them to a 40+ point win. Scoring 54 points in a blowout win shouldn’t be overlooked as the Patriots continue to develop their offense as the season goes.
So far this season it’s fair to question some of the play calling and decision making this Patriots coaching staff has made. Maybe Offensive Coordinator Josh Mcdaniels heard the buzz, because on their first drive the Patriots ran a trick play for wide receiver Kendrick Bourne to toss a 30-yard TD to wide receiver Nelson Agholar. Mcdaniels has been known for his WR pass plays and we’ve seen it before this season, but in this game there was a bit more risk taking and creativity for the offense to work with. In addition, a fourth and short conversion by the offense was encouraging for those bothered by the conservativeness of the Patriots in those spots.
The big trick play for the offense early kick started an avalanche of scoring for the Patriots. In a game where time of possession was only separated by about five minutes, the Patriots managed to outscore the Jets by 40. The Patriots recorded points on each of their first six drives and had seven total touchdowns on the day, complete domination by their offense. A good mix of pass and run produced three passing touchdowns as well as four on the ground. Damian Harris and J.J. Taylor both had two rushing touchdowns a piece, and Hunter Henry added another TD reception as his season continued to turn around after a slow start.
After totaling four interceptions in week two against the Jets, the Patriots were able to add two more in this game as well as a fumble. The turnover battle was won three to zero in favor of the Patriots, something the Patriots have not done enough this year. The Jets rookie QB Zach Wilson left the game in the second quarter with a leg injury sustained during a big hit by linebacker Matthew Judon. Although the Jets seemed to almost do better on offense without him, Wilson’s absence took away any big play potential that the Jets offense had at their disposal. Nonetheless it was a solid day for the Patriots defense, stopping short runs and limiting the opposing passing game.
Winning a game 54-13 has got to be a confidence booster no matter who you’re facing. For the Patriots, this game will do just that. The running attack looked lethal with a total of 148 yards, while the defense held the Jets to only 62. The passing game totaled three touchdowns and Mac Jones was able to eclipse 300 yards in a single game for the first time in his career. The turnover battle was won handedly, and the Patriots cruised to a win behind a ton of positive contributions.
Now it’s time to be honest: they played the Jets. The Jets are young and developing their players. They have struggled mightily this year to do anything well, we saw it in week 2. It’s okay to be happy with your performance today and build on what you did well, but the fact of the matter is that the Patriots are 3-4 this year with all three wins coming against two of the worst teams in the league: the Jets and the Texans. If the Patriots want to be a playoff team in a seemingly open AFC conference, they need to perform against better teams. Next week against the Chargers is yet another opportunity for this team to take down a strong opponent and assert themselves in the conference.
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