After opening the season with three out of four games on the road, the New England Patriots are back in Foxborough, hosting the last team to beat them there, the New York Jets. The Jets (2-2) are on the road for the third straight week.
We don’t have to tell you about this rivalry; it’s a heated, trash-talking-laden shit show. And we love every minute of it. The Patriots (3-1) have had the upper hand for most of the Bill Belichick era, but, if Rex Ryan isn’t yet preparing for the Super Bowl, he’s always preparing to beat the Patriots.
Remember what Ryan told the media before he even coached his first game with the Jets? Something like: “I never came here to kiss Bill Belichick’s rings. I came to win; let’s put it that way ... I’m certainly not intimidated by New England or anybody else.”
Ryan has lived up to that, too. His boys in green and white are 3-2 against the Pats under him, with last year’s divisional round playoff victory being the tiebreaker. But Sunday at 4:15 p.m. on CBS, the game amongst enemies is so much more than a chance for New England to be evened up (in the Ryan-era series) with the Jets. No, this is a chance to make a statement — something the Patriots rarely have to do these days after a dominant opening decade in the 21st century.
Who will win the quarterback battle?
On paper, it seems like a no-brainer. Which QB will outplay the other? Well, in last year’s AFC divisional playoff matchup, everyone said Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez couldn’t possibly match up with Patriots quarterback and soon-to-be-announced unanimous league MVP Tom Brady. But the truth is in the numbers.
Brady: 299 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT.
Sanchez: 194 yards, 3 TDs, 0 INT.
Sure, Brady threw for 100 more yards than Sanchez. But the two other stats are the difference makers: no interceptions and one more touchdown for the young’n. Oh, and if you didn’t know, the Jets won by a touchdown, 28-21.
Brady will be hungry to rebound from that performance in a big way.
Can the offensive line protect Brady the right way?
If you haven’t realized it by now, to beat the Patriots, you need to beat Brady. That means stirring him up in the pocket, putting him under pressure and, when given the chance, putting him on his back.
It’s what the New York Giants did in Super Bowl XLII when they upset the Patriots, spoiling their perfect season. It’s what the Jets did to the Pats in the AFC divisional game. And it’s what every team hopes to do when it’s squared up against New England.
In last year’s AFC divisional game, Brady was sacked five times. So far, through the first four games of the season, Brady has only been sacked four times. You do the math.
The big question is, can the Patriots big men do the work up front and keep the hungry Jets D-line out of the backfield? The Jets have something to prove, and this is the game they can prove it. A win on Sunday washes away back-to-back losses pretty quickly.
Can the Jets’ run game get it done?
With all the hype surrounding Shonn Greene coming into the season and the confidence built around LaDainian Tomlinson after his revival season last year, the Jets were supposed to have a top-tier ground game. So far this season, it’s hardly been.
Gang Green is ranked 30th in total rushing yards per game. To open up the passing game and utilize their lethal receiving corps, the Jets have to get something going on the ground early.
Also, look for the Patriots to use more running backs. After BenJarvus Green-Ellis carried the majority of the workload the first few weeks, last week we saw the emergence of Stevan Ridley (third-round draft pick). With Danny Woodhead still sidelined with an injury, expect Ridley’s fellow rookie Shane Vareen (second-round draft pick) to get significant work.
Also, it should be noted that, while the Patriots are tops in passing yards and total offensive yardage, their running game sits pretty at No. 9 in the league.
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