The Jets have certainly made a name for themselves when it comes to grabbing high draft picks. Fans of Gang Green didn’t seem too concerned about the outcome of the game, knowing that losing would actually benefit their draft position.
During the road game at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, it was clear there was little jeopardy regarding their draft pick. A wave of Patriots fans filled the stadium, enjoying an afternoon devoid of tension after thoroughly dominating their rivals.
It felt much like a mismatch, reminiscent of SEC teams playing against lesser Division II opponents. The final score, 42-10, really doesn’t capture just how one-sided the game was. Honestly, New England could have ramped the score up to 70 points if they chose to.
The Jets (3-13) struggled significantly, not securing a first down until the second quarter, by which point they were already trailing 21-0. By halftime, the Patriots had stretched their lead to 28-3, with quarterback Drake Maye completing 17 of 19 passes for 229 yards and four touchdowns. To put it in perspective, New England had more touchdowns (5) than the Jets managed first downs (3). They scored on all six of their initial drives before pulling Maye midway through the third quarter.
Breece Hall made his mark by achieving over 1,000 rushing yards in a season for the first time, a milestone since Chris Ivory did so back in 2015. Hall managed to score the Jets’ only touchdown with a 59-yard run and eclipsed the 100-yard mark for the fourth game this year.
Yet, it was another disappointing outing for first-year Jets head coach Aaron Glenn. If they lose to Buffalo next Sunday, it would tie Gang Green for the second-highest loss count in a single season (14) for the franchise. Glenn now joins Rich Kotite and Robert Saleh as the third Jets coach to lose 13 games in their inaugural year.
Interestingly, Glenn was part of the 1996 team under Kotite, the only Jets squad to finish with 15 losses, which led to the pivotal hiring of Bill Parcells. The slight silver lining is that the Jets’ continued losses have helped their draft stock; the Browns beating the Steelers secured them the No. 3 pick overall.
By the time the second quarter kicked off, the Patriots were already leading 21-0. They amassed 199 total yards, while the Jets could only manage 13, and remarkably, New England racked up 13 first downs without the Jets having any.
The New England fans were in high spirits, chanting “MVP” as Maye delivered his second touchdown, connecting with Lamondre Stephenson for a 22-yard pass. Meanwhile, Jets players faced a crowd that booed them throughout the contest. If there were any Jets supporters present, they might have been inclined to join in the booing on that dismal afternoon.
It was quite an unusual scene, hearing cheers in an almost empty MetLife Stadium—something rarely experienced during the Jets and Giants’ lackluster seasons.
Of course, those cheers weren’t for the home team. One bright side for Jets fans is that the season is nearing its end.
