New York Jets (2-3) @ New England Patriots (3-2)
Sunday, October 18, 1:00 PM ET
This is going to be a very interesting matchup between the New England Patriots and the New York Jets.
In what would otherwise seem to be relatively straightforward (as in, the Patriots simply needing to show up to get a win), there are some interesting factors at play here that could cause this game to be a bit tighter than many seem to expect early on.
The Patriots are 7-point favorites at home to open the week, and the Jets haven’t exactly looked like Super Bowl contenders this season. However, we’ve seen Drake Maye struggle against really good pass rushes this season, and the Jets are coming off a game in which they sacked Deshaun Watson 8 times.
Rookie pass rusher David Bailey has been exactly as advertised for the Jets so far this season. They believed he was the best non-quarterback in the 2026 NFL Draft, and so far, he’s proving them right.
Bailey was a game-wrecker against the Browns, and the Jets will need more of the same from him if they’re going to go on the road and upset the Patriots.
What we’ve seen from the Patriots in the last two weeks – wins against the Bills (on the road) and Raiders – is much more in alignment with what we expected from them going into the season. Especially in the case of quarterback Drake Maye, who has seemingly returned to form after an ugly start to the year.
With Maye playing as well as he has been the past couple of weeks, it’s hard to pick against the Pats at home, even with the threat of Bailey off the edge. But maybe the Jets find a way to keep it close.
Prediction: Patriots win 28-22
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