The Jets dominated the Patriots in every aspect on Thursday night at MetLife Stadium, winning 24-3. The Jets are now 2-1 for the first time since 2015. Here are some thoughts and observations from the game.
1. The Jets needed a game like this. After a week of proving they can win dirty games on the road when they're not playing perfectly, they also proved they can dominate weaker opponents at home. That's what good teams do. The Jets have proven they're a good team now. They're not a great team yet. A great team would have at least pushed the 49ers to the finish on the road. But they are a good team.
The Jets are obviously in the second tier of NFL teams right now and are in a good spot three weeks into the season. They don't need to peak in September. If the Jets are playing to their potential, they'll peak in December and January.
On a night when the Patriots were terrible, it's important to remember the lessons we can learn from Patriots dynasty teams. They often get off to slow starts in the early part of the season. Bill Belichick felt like the first month was an extended preseason. How many times have we seen someone who gave up on the Patriots early win 10 games in a row on their way to the Super Bowl?
It's clear by now that the Jets lost their season opener in San Francisco to a better team in tough circumstances. But they beat two worse opponents in different ways. Thursday night's win was a dominating one in every respect. The offense racked up 400 yards and no turnovers. The defense didn't allow a touchdown and sacked the Patriots quarterback seven times.
It was a stunning win and exactly what the Jets needed to show at this point.
2. Speaking of Aaron Rodgers' night, it's hard to pick one pass that was the most memorable of the night. He didn't throw any mind-blowing “wow” passes in this game. Instead, he was just super accurate and made his receivers go long distances after the catch. The longest pass play of the night was a 27-yard pass to Allen Lazard, with most of those yards coming after the catch.
The term “game manager” has a bad connotation, but I say it as a compliment to Rodgers. He has complete control of the game and puts the Jets in the right position in every situation. It's nice to see a quarterback who doesn't panic or mis-pass. Rodgers' only interception this season came on a deflected pass. It wasn't a great pass, but it wasn't dangerous either.
Rodgers minimizes risk, which means you won't see him blasting 50 yards down the field very often, but you also won't see him shove a pass into double coverage looking to throw an interception like Jets fans have seen from their quarterback for years.
Rodgers' performance on Thursday was spectacular. He demolished the Patriots, throwing passes to eight different targets. This version of Rodgers isn't a high-scoring player, but he's so efficient that it won't matter.
3. Last week, I argued in this corner that Haason Reddick has risen to the top following Jermaine Johnson's season-ending injury and that it's time for Joe Douglas to find a solution. I still think the Jets need Reddick in the long term, but in the short term, Will McDonald is quelling the frustration. McDonald had three sacks against the Titans last Sunday and two more on Thursday night. McDonald is living up to his first-round draft credentials, and the Jets' pass rush looks fine without Reddick for now.
McDonald's emergence is huge for the Jets, who need someone to replace the performance Bryce Huff provided last year. McDonald looks like he can do that. I still think the Jets need Redick to win big games late. I'm thinking about the game at Arrowhead in January, when Patrick Mahomes might not be as easy to catch as Jacoby Brissett. The Jets need Redick alongside McDonald in those games. But McDonald's performance over the past two weeks has quelled any panic about Redick for now.
4. There was a lot to like about the Jets' offense on Thursday night, but one thing that still seemed off was the timing of Rodgers and Garrett Wilson. There were a few misses in this game, and they just didn't seem to be on the same page. Either Rodgers threw a pass before Wilson came out of his break, or Wilson made a move and Rodgers kept the ball. Rodgers praised his first three opponents for focusing on keeping Wilson away. The Patriots had top cornerback Christian Gonzalez behind Wilson on Thursday night. Sure, defenses are going to try to stop Wilson, but he's a No. 1 wide receiver and Rodgers is a four-time MVP. They should be able to counter what defenses throw at them and get more play out of Wilson, who had five catches for 33 yards and a touchdown on Thursday.
Statistical data disclosure
The Jets recorded seven sacks Thursday night, bringing their season total to 14. This is the first time the Jets have recorded that many sacks in the first three weeks of a season since sacks became an official statistic in 1982. It is the first time since 1985 that they have recorded at least three sacks in each of the season's first three games.
An astonishing number of snaps
Rookie DT Leonard Taylor played 24 snaps (46%). Obviously the Jets wanted a bit more strength in the middle of the defensive line to counter the run-heavy Patriots, but it was surprising to see Taylor, who sat out the first two games, get more playing time than fellow defensive linemen Michael Clemons, Jalyn Holmes and Javon Kinlaw.
Game ball
Rodgers played just like Jets fans dreamed he would on Thursday, completing 27 of 35 passes for 281 yards and two touchdowns and showing he still has the juices to get going, including multiple escapes from the pocket and an 11-yard run.
