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The NFL season is in full swing, with contenders turning into pretenders and some teams ascending to the top of the division, or even the NFL. The New England Patriots and New York Jets are set for action in a showdown between two AFC East teams.

Both the Jets and Patriots are on opposite sides of the spectrum, with New England looking to continue its dominance and the Jets just trying to hold things together. For those who might be complaining about the Patriots’ relatively easy schedule through the 2025 season, this matchup does nothing to quiet the critics.

Let’s take a look at some of the biggest takeaways for the upcoming matchup.

Drake Maye is looking like an MVP. Jets have a tall task ahead

The Patriots may have found their franchise quarterback in Drake Maye. New England had run roughshod over the division for the better part of 20 years with Tom Brady at the helm, and is looking at a chance to win the division for the first time since 2019.

Maye has been lights out this season. After starting the year 1-2, the Patriots have gone on to win seven straight games, all while Maye has been having a career year in almost every measurable category.

Head coach Mike Vrabel has people talking Super Bowl for New England once again, with Maye completing more than 200 passes for 2,555 yards and 19 touchdowns. His 71.7% completion percentage sits only behind Lions quarterback Jared Goff. If the Jets want any hope of pulling out a victory, they’ll need to find a way to stop Maye and the Patriots’ offense.

In terms of total defense, according to Fox Sports, the Jets are 19th in the league, allowing teams 329 total yards. Surprisingly, the Jets rank eighth in passing defense and 25th in rush defense.

Another name to watch out for in the contest, especially considering the Jets’ lack of run defense, is that of rookie running back TreVeyon Henderson, who had his best game against the Buccaneers, finishing with 147 yards and two touchdowns.

For New England to secure the win, it might take another heavy dose of Henderson to exploit the weak Jets defense.

Jets are tanking, Patriots are looking dominant

It’s no surprise that it appears the Jets are tanking this season. At the trade deadline, the team moved superstar cornerback Sauce Gardner to the Colts and former All-Pro defensive tackle Quinnen Williams to the Cowboys. What’s more, one of the lone bright spots on the offense, wide receiver Garrett Wilson, looks unable to compete, leaving the Jets shorthanded.

It couldn’t come at a worse time for the Jets, who are already the worst in the league in terms of passing offense with 143.8 yards per game.

When looking at the Jets’ running attack with Breece Hall, who also voiced his displeasure with the team and appeared to want to be traded, the Jets are surprisingly doing well there. The Jets have the fourth-best rushing offense in the NFL with 141.8 yards per game.

However, the Jets’ strength is also the Patriots. Let me explain, while the Jets have the fourth-best rushing offense, guess who has the best run defense across the league? That’s right, the New England Patriots. The Patriots are only allowing 79.2 rushing yards per game, and three total touchdowns on the season to running backs.

Just how good has the Patriots’ defense been? Well, it held Buffalo’s running back James Cook to only 49 yards and Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson to 46 yards. They’ll look to carry the success they’ve had through 10 weeks into the Week 11 contest.

Score predictions and final thoughts

This game just screams like another dominant performance by New England. It’ll come down to quarterback Justin Fields being able to put up points with New England’s stout run defense trying to eliminate Breece Hall from the matchup. Surprisingly, New England’s passing defense is among the bottom third in the league. Although Fields doesn’t have too many weapons and the Jets’ passing offense has left much to be desired.

It’ll be another monster performance from Maye, who continues to ascend as one of the best quarterbacks in football, continuing his trajectory toward the MVP.

Jets 17, Patriots 32

With the AFC East tightening and both teams heading in drastically different directions, Thursday’s matchup could swing momentum in a meaningful way. New England is trying to keep pace with the conference’s elite, while the Jets are simply searching for signs of life as their season continues to slip away.

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Our A to Z Sports NFL newsletter for November 12, 2025.

Nick Roesch