For the Patriots, it’s always fun to kick the Jets when they’re down.

Patriots

Sunday’s victory ended New England’s six-game losing streak.

By Chad Finn, The Boston Globe

October 28, 2024 | 7:53 a.m.

Welcome to Unconventional Review, an instant reaction to highlights, stats and stories from the Patriots’ most recent game. . .

In a broad, dispassionate sense, there really isn’t a big win for the Patriots this season. I think it’s okay to admit it because it confirms a lucid assessment of the state of things.

The patriots are in the first stages of a reconstructionwith a rookie coach. A playoff berth is unrealistic, and their priority is developing players on the roster who have a chance to contribute when they become legitimately competitive again. It’s probably best for them to have the highest possible draft pick in April.

But in an emotional sense? And in a sense that we surely needed? And in the sense that the Jets are always worth making fun of?

Oh yes. That was a big win, big picture be damned.

The patriots defeated Jets league prank25-22, when Jacoby Brissett – in place of Drake Maye, who came out with a head injury with nine minutes left in the second quarter. led a 12-play, 70-yard game-winning drivewhich culminated with Rhamondre Stevenson’s 1-yard touchdown run with 25 seconds left.

Brissett, who threw a spectacular 34-yard pass to Kayshon Boutte during the winning drive, was one of many Patriots who deserve praise for their resilience in sticking together and breaking a six-game losing streak.

Coach Jerod Mayo, who found himself in a maelstrom of controversy after calling his team soft last week – you should also feel some level of validation, if not outright vindication, given that your team responded well to your words.

A big victory? For those who played and ran the game, absolutely. And maybe that in itself has some future benefit. For us, it was as fun to watch as it was unexpected.

Some additional thoughts, after immediate review. . .

Three players worth following

Suggested Players in Unconventional Preview: Breece Hall, Kyle Dugger, Davante Adams.

Cristian Ellis: The Patriots have been desperate to find a linebacker (or two…or three) who emerges as strong and reliable. since Ja’Whaun Bentley suffered a season-ending pectoral injury against the Seahawks in Week 2. Against the Jets, that player was Elliss, who is in his second season with the Patriots after being claimed off waivers from the Eagles last December.

Elliss stuffed the stat sheet against the Jets, finishing with a team-leading nine tackles for a Patriots defense that limited the Jets to 112 yards on 28 carries. (The Patriots had allowed at least 176 rushing yards to each of their last three opponents, so counts as progress.) Elliss, a four-year veteran, already has a career-high in tackles this year, with 31.

But Elliss could have been even more effective against the Jets’ passing game. It ended with a sack, which he picked up on a third-and-8 play from the Patriots’ 18-yard line early in the quarter, one play before Jets kicker Greg Zuerlein connected on a 44-yard field goal attempt. , in addition to one pass defended and two. quarterback hits. It was the first solo sack of his career, having split one with Marte Mapu in the loss to the Texans.

His only mistake: He suffered a flagrant pass interference call late in the first quarter when he didn’t reach for the ball and ran through Breece Hall on a deep pass down the left sideline. One play later, Rodgers hit Tyler Conklin for the Jets’ first touchdown.

Rhamondre Stevenson: His stats have been less than spectacular: The Patriots’ leading rusher finished for 48 yards on 20 carries, which is 2 yards more than Maye ran for in just over a quarter of action.

But those totals don’t matter, because Stevenson certainly stepped up when the Patriots needed him most.

He scored the winning touchdown, attacking from the 1 on fourth-and-goal with 25 seconds left, the ultimate score-now-or-lose play.

And that was his second touchdown of the day. His punctuated the Patriots’ first possession of the second half, which began with a Marcus Jones’ dazzling 62-yard punt return (with the help of a JaMycal Hasty block) that put the Patriots at the Jets’ 26-yard line.

Stevenson made a nice catch on that drive for 14 yards on second-and-15, then on the next play from the Jets’ 3-yard line, he charged Jets cornerback Isaiah Oliver to help give the Patriots a lead. from 14-13.

Garrett Wilson: I wanted to go with a third Patriot here, Hunter Henry, who proved to be reliable for both Patriots quarterbacks, finishing with five catches on six targets for 45 yards.

But we’ll stick with Wilson, the only Jet who came out ahead time and time again. His five receptions for 113 yards included receptions of 30, 27, 26 and 22 yards. The Jets scored on three of the drives in which Wilson contributed a reception of 22 yards or more, including on his go-ahead touchdown drive late in the fourth quarter.

Davante Adams is the bigger name and a well-established friend of Aaron’s, but Wilson looked like the Jets’ No. 1 receiver on Sunday.

game complaint

Question: Is it a bad sign when a wide receiver (in this case, Kayshon Boutte) drops a pass early in the fourth quarter and the CBS broadcast immediately shows a montage of several other throws by New England receivers in the same game ?

Is it a bad sign? Well, I’m glad we agree.

Boutte dropped a pair of passes, the rusty Kendrick Bourne dropped another, and Tyquan Thornton kicked off the Ballad of Stone Hands when Maye’s deep throw late in the first quarter bounced off his chest, forearms and hands before landing. safely. the grass

Thornton and especially Boutte (who caught that 34-yard dart from Brissett on the winning drive) later redeemed themselves. But this might be the least reliable group of receivers the Patriots have had since Tom Brady got stuck trying to save Doug Gabriel and Reche Caldwell in 2006.

Three notes scribbled in the margins.

Predicted final score: Jets 30, Patriots 17

Final score: Patriots 25, Jets 22

One of Maye’s pleasant surprises is her judgment. He’s willing to throw the ball when there’s no play to make, which isn’t exactly a trait most young, inexperienced quarterbacks have. He also has a great sense of when to run. Although you’ll probably need to learn how to slide a little first. . . As determined as The Patriots’ run defense was to show that it is not soft.I don’t understand why the Jets didn’t run more. Hall had consecutive runs of 9 and 16 yards on his second possession, but only had 16 carries for the rest of the game. . . I had to laugh when, midway through the third quarter, color analyst Adam Archuleta pointed out to his play-by-play teammate Spero Dedes that “we’ve played a lot of games with Brissett.” No comment on Brissett, but he hasn’t exactly been on teams reminiscent of the 2007 Patriots in recent years.