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8 takeaways from Patriots’ blowout win over the Jets
Drake Maye dominated on Sunday, throwing five touchdowns in less than three full quarters against the Jets.
A shorthanded Patriots roster had no issue grounding the Jets on Sunday, leaving MetLife Stadium with a convincing 42-10 win.
Here are eight takeaways from Sunday’s victory.
New England takes care of business
The Patriots were viewed as clear favorites entering this road matchup against a cellar-dwelling Jets team.
Still, New England was seriously shorthanded after a hard-fought win over the Ravens last Sunday. Several starters weren’t cleared for New England’s rematch with New York, including Kayshon Boutte, Mack Hollins, Harold Landry, Robert Spillane, Khyiris Tonga, Jared Wilson, Milton Williams, and Mack Hollins.
But one would be hard-pressed to notice the difference on Sunday between New England’s depleted depth chart and a team that has established itself as a true power in the AFC, as Mike Vrabel, Drake Maye, and the Patriots thoroughly trounced the Jets in a convincing 42-10 blowout win.
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Another dominant performance from Maye under center against a woeful Jets defense clearly held the most sway over Sunday’s victory for the Patriots (13-3).
But the Patriots still put together an impressive, professional victory on the road — with younger players like Efton Chism making the most of their added snaps and the team’s banged-up defense still keeping a putrid Jets offense in check.
The Patriots turned an already terrible Jets team into a laughing stock on Sunday. In other words, they did just what great teams do to lesser opponents.
With that victory, New England posted a perfect road record (8-0) in the regular season for the third time in franchise history — joining the 2007 and 2016 teams. Both those clubs went on to the Super Bowl.
Maye further cements MVP candidacy with dominant performance
The numbers speak for themselves for Maye on Sunday afternoon.
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The 23-yard-old QB eventually got the hook by Vrabel with a little over five minutes to go in the third quarter.
At that point, New England was already ahead, 42-3, with Maye leading the charge with one of the finest performances of his young career.
By the time he was pulled from the game, Maye had completed 19-of-21 throws (90.5 completion percentage) for 256 yards, five touchdowns, and zero interceptions.
Maye — whose first incompletion came with just 1:39 to go in the first half — recorded the 10th five-TD game by a Patriots QB on Sunday, and the first since Tom Brady in September 2017.
Maye, who has now thrown for 30 touchdowns and eight interceptions this season, also became the third QB in Patriots franchise history to surpass the 4,000-yard passing mark in a single season — joining Brady and Drew Bledsoe.
As noted by the Patriots Communications X account, Maye also set a franchise record by having his five TDs go to five different players in Sunday’s win. Not too shabby for a second-year pro who is continuing to look like a legitimate MVP contender with one regular-season to go.
Run game impresses
Maye was the key spark in New England’s dominant offensive output on Sunday. But the Patriots’ run game also routinely gained chunk yardage against the Jets, especially in the early going when New England asserted itself across multiple extended drives.
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TreVeyon Henderson — cleared from concussion protocol earlier this week — led the way with 82 yards off of 19 carries (4.3 yards per carry), while Rhamondre Stevenson gained 47 yards off of just eight carries (5.9 yards per carry) .
A healthy Henderson is a positive sight for New England’s offense, but it’s also promising to see Stevenson once again settling into a groove after being hindered earlier this year with a toe injury.
Starting strong
It didn’t take long for New England to put the Jets on the ropes, as the Patriots generated a whopping 12 first downs in the opening quarter — the second-most by an NFL team in the first quarter this season.
New England opened the contest going 61 yards across seven plays, with Stevenson leading the way on the ground with a 24-yard pickup. Maye and Co. capped off the drive with a two-yard TD throw to Austin Hooper to build an early 7-0 lead.
The Patriots’ defense had coughed up points on opening drives in 10 of their first 15 drives this season. But a Jets offense led at QB by Brady Cook and averaging just 18.8 points per game this year did little to counter New England’s start — going 3-and-out and putting the ball back in Maye’s hands.
Rookie wideouts lead the way on second TD drive
With key pass-catching targets like Hollins and Boutte sidelined on Sunday, the onus was going to fall on rookie wideouts like Kyle Williams and Chism to take on more reps in order to keep New England’s offense humming along.
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Both rookies made a sizable impact in New England’s second TD drive of the afternoon.
After Kyle Williams helped pick up a first down off a curl route, Chism made the most of his first NFL catch — snagging a throw over the middle and gaining 30 total yards while scrambling down the field.
Williams later helped New England put themselves on the brink of the end zone, drawing a defensive pass interference call against Brandon Stephens that moved the ball to the 1-yard line.
Stevenson — aided by a crushing block doled out by Jack Westover — then punched the ball into the end zone to make it a 14-0 game.
The Patriots’ defense once again capitalized on the ensuing Jets drive, with Jaylinn Hawkins easily snagging a throw from Cook to give the ball back to Maye and Co.
Diggs dominates again
Diggs is the first Patriots player to record at least five games with at least 100 receiving yards in a single season since Rob Gronkowski in 2015.
The 32-year-old receiver was a force on New England’s third and fourth touchdown drives of the afternoon.
While it was Stevenson who scored New England’s third score by catching a 22-yard throw from Maye, Diggs made the play of the day on that drive — leaping over Jets cornerback Qwan’tez Stiggers and making a tip-toe catch for 32 yards.
Diggs was at it again on New England’s next drive, converting on a fourth-down play in the red zone to account for the Patriots’ fourth touchdown — making it a 28-3 game with a little over three minutes to go in the first half.
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Diggs’ touchdown snag also led to a sizable payday for the wideout, as he earned a $500,000 performance bonus incentive by recording his 80th catch of the year.
Maye caps off dominant first half with another TD
Maye, Vrabel, and the Patriots didn’t let up after getting the ball back with under two minutes to go in the first half.
Perhaps further spurred by Maye taking a shot up high off a roughing-the-passer penalty, the Patriots didn’t let up in garbage time against the Jets. New England ultimately went 76 yards off of 10 plays in the span of just 1:17 of game action — ending with Maye hitting Hunter Henry for a 13-yard TD..
New England made their way off the turf at MetLife Stadium at halftime with a 35-3 lead. That 32-point lead marked New England’s largest halftime lead in a game since the team’s “Butt Fumble” game against the Jets in Week 12 of the 2012 season.
Those 35 points were also the most points generated by New England in the first half of a game since 2017, while their 344 total yards in that half were the most produced by any NFL team since Dec. 28, 2023.
Chism’s TD ends Maye’s afternoon
Vrabel and the Patriots opted to roll with Maye for one more drive in the second half, giving the ball back to their MVP candidate after New England’s defense snuffed out a fake punt by the Jets (their second of the drive) early in the third quarter.
Maye and the Patriots made short work of their favorable field position, with Maye eventually finding Chism in the end zone for a 10-yard touchdown for his first score of his NFL career.
That would be it for Maye on Sunday afternoon, with Joshua Dobbs taking over for the remainder of the game midway through the third quarter.
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Taking to the field with a 42-3 lead, Dobbs completed 3-of-4 throws for 30 yards to close out the win for New England.
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3:42: Jets run a play on 4th and goal from the end zone — but it’s incomplete. Dobbs and Co. taking over with 4 minutes to go in this one.
3:24: Jack Westover is down after getting into a big collision with a Jets player.
3:20: Breece Hall breaks through for a 59-yard touchdown.
Don’t think that’s changing the fortunes of this one. It’s 42-10 Patriots.
3:17: End Third: Patriots hold a 42-3 lead over the Jets.
3:13: Dobbs leads New England into field-goal range, but Borregales’ field goal attempt hits off the post. No good from 41 yards.
First time today that New England has not ended a drive with points.
3:07: Dobbs is in and Henry reels off a 23-yard pickup with the offensive linemen leading the charge.
3:05: Drake Maye’s day is over. Josh Dobbs is coming in midway through the third quarter.
Maye finishes 19-of-21 for 256 yards and 5 TDs, plus 22 rushing yards.
3:04: Jets turn the ball over on downs after Marcus Jones makes a tackle.
2:55: PATRIOTS TOUCHDOWN.
Efton Chism reels in his first career NFL touchdown.
It’s 42-3 Patriots and Maye has five touchdowns so far today.
2:53: Henderson has had some nice runs running up the gut today. 67 yards on 15 carries.
2:49: The Jets run another fake punt. This one doesn’t work for New York.
Patriots take over at the 50. Maye still in at QB.
2:46: Jets run a fake punt and pick up a first down. The highlight of the afternoon so far for New York.
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2:32: Vrabel and Christian Barmore got into a heated exchange as they were leaving the field. Something to monitor moving forward.
2:31: Drake Maye in the first half: 17-for-19, 229 Passing Yards, 4 Passing Touchdowns
2:30: HALFTIME: Patriots are up, 35-3, and this one is a laugher.
We’ll see if Maye gets some snaps in the second half.
2:24: TOUCHDOWN PATRIOTS. Maye hits Hunter Henry for a 14-yard touchdown and New England is up, 35-3.
I’d be more than ok with sitting Maye for the entire second half.
2:16: Maye gets hammered on that throw and Jets are whistled for roughing the passer and taunting.
2:15: Maye has his first incompletion of the day off a drop from Kyle Williams.
2:04: TOUCHDOWN PATRIOTS.
The rout continues. Maye hits Diggs for a 3-yard touchdown.
It’s a 28-3 game.
This is a blowout.
2:02: Maye picks up the first down on scramble.
2:00: Patriots are stopped on a 3rd-and-3 run. But they’re going for it on fourth down.
1:58: Maye throws his first incompletion, but it’s wiped out with a penalty against New York.
1:57: Henderson runs over Dean Clark and picks up 17 yards.
1:57: Another explosive gain by Diggs on that crosser. Maye is 10-for-10 on throws.
1:53: Jets get on the board with a field goal from old friend Nick Folk. Breece Hall was the main spark on offense for New York with a couple of explosive runs.
1:43: TOUCHDOWN PATRIOTS. Rhamonde Stevenson reels in a 23-yard touchdown from Maye. Maye is 9-for-9 on throws, and New England is rolling.
21-0 Patriots.
1:40: End First: Patriots up, 14-0, after the first 15 minutes. This one has a chance to be a blowout if the Jets don’t tighten up.
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1:32: What an absurd catch from Diggs after Maye goes off-script.
32-yard pickup.
1:30: All Patriots in this one. Jaylinn Hawkins picks off Cook. That’s an ugly throw.
1:22: TOUCHDOWN PATRIOTS.
After a DPI drawn by Kyle Williams brings the ball to the 1-yard line, Stevenson punches it in for another touchdown.
New England is rolling over the Jets’ defense so far in this one.
14-0 Patriots.
1:20: Efton Chism’s first NFL catch is a big one — 30 yards over the middle.
1:14: Patriots defense with a strong start, as the Jets go 3-and-out and will punt.
1:08: TOUCHDOWN PATRIOTS. Maye hits Hooper for a 2-yard touchdown.
That was a crisp, efficient drive from New England.
7-0 New England.
1:05: Nice pickup from Rhamondre Stevenson for 24 yards. He’s been stringing together some solid games as of late.
1:03: D’Ernest Johnson with a nice return to open the game. Patriots offense will start from their own 39-yard line.
1:01: Patriots lose the coin toss and the Jets defer. Maye and Co. up first.
12:48: Diggs once again gets the Patriots revved up.
12:15: Warmups are underway in East Rutherford.
11:30: A look at the Patriots inactives. A long list, as expected after Mike Vrabel’s comments earlier this week.
In terms of positive news, both TreVeyon Henderson and Pop Douglas are active for today’s game. Still, a pretty shorthanded roster will take the field today against the Jets.
11:15: Morgan Moses is set to earn a nice pay bump after reaching the 90 percent playtime threshold this season, per Adam Schefter. A nice bonus for a veteran right tackle who has played a key role in stabilizing New England’s O-line.
11:00: Drake Maye and the Patriots are on the scene in MetLife.
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