New England Patriots: Studs and duds vs. Jets in Week 7
Stud: Patriots defense
New England’s defense, which has been one of the top defenses in all of the NFL so far this season through seven weeks of action, had its way with New York Jets quarterback Sam Darnold and the entire Jets offense in the shutout victory. In the game, the Patriots were able to force the Jets into committing three fumbles, recovering two of those fumbles, while forcing Darnold into a total of four interceptions throughout the matchup.
Another positive with the New England defense and its ability to force New York into turning the ball over early and often on Monday was the fact that every turnover that the Patriots forced the Jets into, it was created by a different player each time.
More from NFL Spin Zone
- Dallas Cowboys made the trade everyone else should have made
- Pittsburgh Steelers rookie sleeper everyone should be talking about
- Anthony Richardson putting jaw-dropping talent on display immediately
- Denver Broncos’ stud wide receiver might be out for a while
- Washington Commanders: Three takeaways from win over Ravens
This New England defense has become one of the top defenses in the league entering the midway point of the 2019 campaign, and the Patriots put on a show once again on Monday Night Football.
Dud: Passing offense
There weren’t many duds in the dominant showing for the defending Super Bowl champions in Week 7 against New York, but New England’s passing offense was one aspect that didn’t necessarily shine in the win. In a game where defense was the primary story, the Patriots passing offense finished with a total of 249 yards through the air with one passing touchdown in the shutout victory.
New England quarterback Tom Brady managed to complete 31 of his overall 45 pass attempts, tallying nearly 250 yards through the air along with one touchdown. With a quarterback rating of 80.7 and not being sacked once in the contest, Brady did throw one interception in the contest.
The passing offense for the Patriots didn’t have to take the game over on Monday night in New York, especially with the way the defense was playing. But it will be important for New England to be able to hurt teams through the air like we’ve been used to seeing from it so often in year’s past.