This is not the same old New England Patriots. This Patriots team is not the one that beat the Jets 15 straight times before New York finally snapped the streak in the final game of the 2023 season. But that doesn’t mean that this game isn’t just as important and isn’t going to be difficult.

The New England Patriots are hardly recognizable from the 2023 version. Gone is Bill Belichick and Mac Jones, and in their place stands Jerod Mayo and Jabocy Brissett. The Patriots have a new identity and unfortunately, it plays right into the weaknesses the Jets have shown this season.

The Patriots want to run the football. On first down, they want to run the ball. On second down, they want to run the ball. On third down, they are going to run the ball. The Patriots have run the ball 75 times so far this season, tied for third in the league, through three games and that is not going to stop against a Jets team that has been gashed on defense in the run game.

Couple that with the fact that the Jets are already without star edge defender Jermaine Johnson, who confirmed this week that he tore his Achilles and will be out for the season, and are possibly going to be without middle linebacker C.J. Mosley, and the Jets could be in for a very long Thursday Night.

Mosley is considered to be a game time decision at this point, and he calls his chances of playing 50-50 on the short week. His injured toe is “still pretty bruised”. He injured it in the first series against the Tennessee Titans when he was chasing quarterback Will Levis and accidently kicked the back of a receiver’s heel.

Mosley said, “I’m still pretty sore. No breaks or cracks. It’s not the foot, but a crazy location, just kind of like tip of my big toe. So, it’s just hard to push off right now. So, it’s really just getting the swelling down and pain management.”

If Mosley is unable to go, Jamien Sherwood would replace him as the middle linebacker. You don’t have to be a football expert to know that losing your defensive signal caller and tackling-machine middle linebacker on a short week against a team that wants to run the ball is no small issue.

The good news on the injury front, is cornerback D.J. Reed, who missed the game against the Titans with a knee injury had a full practice on Tuesday. Because of the short week, practice was considered a walkthrough rather than a full practice, but Reed was a full participant.

Whether Mosley or Reed actually suit up for the Jets’ third game in 11 days remains to be seen, but either way, the Jets run defense will have it’s work cut out for them. This is not the Tom Brady and Bill Belichick lead dynasty of much of the 21^st century. But they are still the Patriots.

Jets have an obvious decision to make with Breece Hall and they don’t have a choice

The Jets currently sit at a respectable 1-1 record after defeating the Tennessee Titans 24-17 on Sunday. The game certainly wasn’t pretty, but as so many in my comments pointed out “a win is a win”. I tend to look beyond simple results and focus on more than just the final score. So, with that […]