An inside look at Thursday’s Jets-Patriots NFL Week 3 matchup at MetLife Stadium:
Marquee Matchup
Jets WR Garrett Wilson vs. Patriots CB Christian Gonzalez
This is a battle of former first-round picks who are off to strong, if not dominant starts to the season. Wilson has had some really impressive catches in the first two games, coming up with clutch third-down catches. Last week, he had a huge third-down catch on the game-winning drive. But he has yet to reach the end zone, and his overall numbers (10 catches, 117 yards) don’t jump out.
Gonzalez has started the season with some tough matchups. He has guarded Ja’Marr Chase and DK Metcalf. Pro Football Focus has Gonzalez giving up eight receptions on 11 targets for 46 yards. Those are good numbers against elite receivers but he only has one pass breakup and no interceptions.
The Jets expect Gonzalez to travel with Wilson, as he has with the No. 1 receiver in the first two weeks. Wilson got a heavy dose of that last week when Titans No. 1 corner La’Jarius Sneed followed him for almost the entire game.
“It is respect,” Wilson said of having the No. 1 corner on him. Wilson acknowledged having the No. 1 corner on you all game can be difficult, but he said he is up to the challenge.
“This league is tough,” Wilson said. “That’s what it is. It’s definitely tough. You get the better player on you. It’s a game plan thing and we’ve got to be ready for it. You can’t just crown people before the game is how I feel about it.”
Costello’s Call
The Jets have been terrible on Thursday night for a long time, but they change that here. I think Aaron Rodgers and the offense put together a more complete performance and the defense dominates Jacoby Brissett and the Patriots. The Jets never trail in this one and win a laugher.
Jets 27, Patriots 10
4 Downs
Jump Start
The Jets offense has shown glimpses of what it is capable of in the first two weeks but the group has started both games slowly. They have scored one touchdown in the first quarter so far. In San Francisco, they scored on their third possession after a punt and a fumble. In Tennessee, they punted on their first three possessions before scoring.
“It’d be a boondoggle to keep doing the same thing over and over and expect different results,” quarterback Aaron Rodgers said, “so you know, we’ve got to change a couple things, we’ve got to be a little sharper, we’ve got to start faster. We’ve been starting really slow the first two weeks, so we’ve got to start faster, put something together in the first 15 [plays], give our defense a chance to play with a lead.”
Not Must-See TV
Thursday nights have not been kind to the Jets. They have not won a Thursday night game since 2017. Coach Robert Saleh is 0-3 on Thursdays. Some of the losses have been brutal, too, like the Jacksonville game in 2022 with Zach Wilson getting booed out of the building, and the Colts loss in 2021 when Mike White was injured. The Jets are 2-11 on Thursday night since 2011. Saleh said they are aware of the issue and are trying some different things to prepare for this one.
Killer B’s
The Jets look like they are developing a really nice running back tandem with Breece Hall and Braelon Allen. The 20-year-old Allen scored two touchdowns last week — one rushing and one receiving — and showed he can be a strong complement to Hall, the Jets’ do-it-all back who caught a touchdown of his own against the Titans.
Allen announced his arrival in Tennessee, but he has been thriving since he arrived from Wisconsin in the fourth round of the draft.
“What’s sneaky about him is that he’s 240 pounds and a bulldozer,” Saleh said, “but he’s also a three down back, and I’m not saying that you’re going to put him out there to win one-on-ones like you would Breece, but you’re very comfortable with him in the pass game.”
Reception Trouble
The pass defense better look good against the Patriots. New England’s wide receivers had just three catches for 19 yards in Sunday’s loss to the Seahawks. You can see why the Patriots pursued Calvin Ridley and Brandon Aiyuk this offseason. The group of Tyquan Thornton, K.J. Osborn, DeMario Douglas and Ja’Lynn Polk has not been inspiring.
The Patriots have been able to run the ball, and that was a major issue for the Jets against the 49ers and early in the Titans game. New England rushed for 185 yards Sunday and 170 in the opener against the Bengals. Rhamondre Stevenson leads the team with 201 rushing yards and two touchdowns.