The Jets have had two weeks to rest and hit a reset on their season. Now it’s time to get back to business.
For head coach Robert Saleh, business picks up again Sunday in New England. The Jets will look to improve on their 1-4 record.
The Patriots come into Week 7 with a 2-4 record, they’re 0-4 at home this season.
But Patriots head coach Bill Belichick has had Gang Green’s number. New England has won 11 consecutive games against the Jets and 14 of their past 15.
There’s two ways to look at this week’s matchup.
For the Jets, they could be catching the Patriots at an ideal time. Belichick’s team has played their competition tough this season, but for now they’ve been unable to put it together consistently.
Meanwhile for New England, the Jets could be the quick-fix remedy on their schedule. In their Week 2 matchup, a 25-6 Pats win, Zach Wilson threw four interceptions.
Two points of interest in this game for the Jets must be watched closely.
First, can this team avoid another slow start? The offense has had two weeks to address this glaring issue. This season, the Jets have been outscored in the first half, 75-13. They have yet to score a touchdown in the first quarter.
“You know, we feel good about it. Obviously, we’ll see Sunday,” Saleh said of what the Jets have done to address the slow starts. “We got to put up or shut up, right? We’ll get an opportunity to continue building through it. We’ve got these three games before the Thursday mini-bye to see if we can tweak something else. But we feel good about the soundness of everything. I think the guys have responded well to everything, and now it’s just a matter of going out and executing.”
Will it be enough to put points on the board? Even if it isn’t – Wilson and the offense must still show they can move the football early in games. If it’s baby steps for a team with nine rookies seeing significant playing time, then so be it.
Second, can the Jets defense exploit the instability of New England’s offensive line? The Patriots have employed 10 different starting O-linemen through six weeks – the highest number in the league.
The Jets have been strong this season with their pass rush, ranking fourth in quarterback hits (7.40) per game. Additionally, the defense ranks fifth in average time to throw, and ninth in sacks per game. They’re getting to the opposing team’s quarterback and New England’s issues on the O-Line makes this worth watching.
