New England Patriots: 50 points against the Jets is good, but it was expected
There’s a bright side to beating the New York Jets and scoring over 50 points for the New England Patriots, but in retrospect, it doesn’t really say much at all.
In case you don’t know, New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick has a reputation of wanting to beat the New York Jets by as many points as possible. So to see him and his team drop 54 points on the Gang Green is enough to down a Samuel Adams and laugh hysterically, and therein lies a problem.
Must we forget the opponent and their record and their roster? Nope. The 54-13 victory moves the Patriots to 3-4 on the season and drops the Jets to 1-5, their lone win coming against a Tennessee Titans team that just dominated the Kansas City Chiefs 27-3; oh how the league works sometimes.
Make no mistake about it; a win is a win in the NFL, and winning by that much will certainly be appreciated by any team. But in retrospect, when we take a closer look at it, the win isn’t necessarily all that glorious because it was expected given Belichick’s pedigree and history.
The screen calls and the total offensive playcalling from Josh McDaniels that was lamented for so long had some success. Why? It was the Jets. The defense essentially resembled their 2000’s form and played with more ease and extra aggression. Why? Again, it was the Jets. Oh, and need we mention Belichick’s repeated pedigree of downing rookie quarterbacks?
Mac Jones tossed for over 300 yards; that’s a reason to smile. Damien Harris looked like his college self, rushing for over 100 yards and two touchdowns; that’s pretty good. Two turnovers by the defense and a trick play by Kendrick Bourne to score a touchdown. Good and good. All around, a great day. Again, however, it was the Jets.
The New England Patriots did what they were supposed to do when playing the Jets, but there is still a long road ahead.
On a lighter note, a win provides confidence, and the Patriots certainly got some confidence with this win. That said, remember, you don’t play the Jets every week. It’s only twice a year. Next up is a date with the Los Angeles Chargers, whom the Patriots defeated last year and recently lost soundly to the Baltimore Ravens.
However, this Chargers team is very different and provides an offensive attack that has glided throughout much of the year. Can Belichick neutralize them the way Baltimore did? No question he can; he has some productive edge rushers that can get after the quarterback, i.e., Matt Judon. Additionally, if the offense plays as well as it did against the Jets, there is the potential that the Chargers’ defense could be in for another awakening.
That said, Brandon Staley is a different coach than Anthony Lynn. While both men don’t take losing lightly, there’s a difference between this year’s Chargers team than last year’s. Additionally, after losing the way they did, what’s to say the Chargers aren’t ready to come out with a mindset of redemption considering they saw what happened to Kansas City against Tennessee?
The Patriots needed a win like this, and they got it. Celebrate indeed. But again, it’s the Jets. If New England produces this exact performance or a form against the Chargers, there could be something special. But let’s not get too ahead of the game yet.