The New England Patriots (2-0) have moved on from Antonio Brown and are moving on to the New York Jets (0-2) in a Week 3 AFC East matchup at Gillette Stadium.
Coming off a 43-0 beatdown of the Miami Dolphins in Week 2, the New England Patriots defense hopes to continue its dominant ways against a New York Jets team already on their third starting quarterback this season.
With Sam Darnold and backup quarterback Trevor Siemian both injured, the Jets enter the game with second-year quarterback Luke Falk as their starter.
This looks like a mismatch on paper with Falk going up against Tom Brady on the other side, the genius of Bill Belichick and a Patriots defense that has only given up 6 points in their last three games dating back to Super Bowl LIII.
However, with Le’Veon Bell running the rock and wide receivers Robby Anderson, Jamison Crowder and Demaryius Thomas as options, Jets head coach Adam Gase could find a formula to put some points on the board to keep the game a game with the talent on defense the team possess.
If the Patriots defense can’t contain Bell, the Jets can turn this into a physical slugfest as the defense will look to get after Tom Brady by testing his weakened offensive line that is now without left tackle Isaiah Wynn till later in the season.
Speaking to the media on Friday, Bill Belichick lauded the physical nature of that Jets defense:
"“That’s a very aggressive defense, they have a lot of good players. They’re a very physical group. They put a lot of pressure on you, so we’ll have to deal with that. Of course, Coach [Brant] Boyer in the kicking game – same thing there. That’s a group that has good speed, they have good size, they play very aggressively, good schemes, they do a lot of things in terms of the overall scheme that can cause you problems.”"
How to watch New York Jets vs. New England Patriots
Location: Gillette Stadium Foxborough, MA
Kickoff: Sunday, September 22, 2019 1:00 p.m. ET
TV: CBS (Check local listings)
Streaming: fuboTV
With the New England Patriots being heavy favorites in this game, the team must avoid letting the New York Jets hang around too long. Here are five X factors to defuel the AFC East rivals in this Week 3 showdown.
Dont’a Hightower, LB
As good as the New England Patriots defense has been, veteran linebacker Dont’a Hightower has been relatively quiet as far as stats go.
With the defensive line creating pressure and fellow linebackers like Jamie Collins, Kyle Van Noy, Elandon Roberts and Ja’Whaun Bentley doing their thing, there hasn’t been much pressure on Hightower.
That doesn’t mean he hasn’t been effective. Actually, we have seen a more quicker Dont’a Hightower who should be relatively active in this game vs the New York Jets.
Not only will he have the task of defending the middle of the field along with Collins, he will play a big role in slowing down Le’Veon Bell as the Jets are expected to go run heavy.
If Hightower and the Patriots defense shut down Bell and the running game, expect Bill Belichick to tee off on Luke Falk and perhaps force a couple of turnovers.
Again, the versatility of Dont’a Hightower will be utilized in this game and big plays will be there for the making all over the field for the veteran New England Patriots linebacker.
Josh Gordon, WR
With the Antonio Brown experiment quickly coming to an end, the New England Patriots have to get Josh Gordon going.
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After a quiet second game of the season, Gordon will certainly test the New York Jets secondary. If Tom Brady gets the time to throw, expect the big wideout to be targeted a few times in this game with the Jets setting their attention on taking away the middle of the field by limiting Julian Edelman and James White out of the backfield.
While it is the deep threat of Josh Gordon that may be a concern, it is his intermediate routes that will play a factor in this game.
His ability to catch the ball on quick slants and break tackles is what Brady and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels will rely on if the Jets defensive line delivers a steady pressure on the 42-year-old quarterback.
Currently ranking in the top 10 in the league with 18.4 yards per catch, the physicality of Josh Gordon will be on display with players like Jamal Adams, Marcus Maye and Trumaine Johnson looking to deliver blows in that New York Jets secondary.
Offensive line
It’s quite simple.
If the battered New England Patriots offensive line holds up in this game, they win going away.
With left tackle Isaiah Wynn on till later in the season, right tackle Marcus Cannon nursing a shoulder injury and center David Andrews out for the season, the offensive line suddenly have a lot of pressure as to how the overall offense performs.
Players like Ted Karras, Korey Cunningham and Marshall Newhouse are holding their own as replacements, but they really haven’t been challenged yet.
Expect that to change against a New York Jets very physical defense.
While Newhouse will have to play a major role in protecting Tom Brady’s blindside, it is the interior of the line that will be huge in this game.
Keep the pressure out of Brady’s face, and things should be fine.
Karras, Shaq Mason and Joe Thuney will have to hold their own. An injury to either of them would really test the coaching mastery of offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia.
Needless to say, if this turns into a typical New England Patriots, New York Jets slugfest, it will depend on how and if the offensive line holds its own against a hungry defense starving for an upset.
Rex Burkhead, RB
This could be a big game for any of the New England Patriots running backs, especially catching the ball out of the backfield as a quick outlet for Tom Brady.
Depending on how aggressive the New York Jets defense is, there could be a couple of big screen plays or even quick draws to keep them off balance.
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While expectations would be on James White to have an impact in this game, Rex Burkhead is really the X-factor in his ability to run the ball between the tackles and catch the ball.
Having him in the game on more snaps would definitely keep the Jets guessing as any predictability would make the task harder on the Patriots offensive line.
In two games so far, Rex Burkhead has a 5.0 yards per carry average and has caught a deep pass from Brady. His versatility within the offense and on special teams has earned praise from Bill Belichick.
"“Rex has been a good player for us so, everybody improves and can work on little things every year, but I’d say he’s been a pretty solid player for us,” Belichick said Wednesday. “He plays on all four downs. He can run the ball, can handle all our regular run plays. He’s a good third-down back. James White’s a great third-down back. Rex can play on all big four in the kicking game – kickoff, kickoff return, punt, punt return. He’s one of the most versatile players on our team.”"
He’ll make some plays against the New York Jets on Sunday.
Julian Edelman, WR
The targets to Julian Edelman went down with the addition of Antonio Brown in Week 2 but expect those targets to rise in Week 3 against the New York Jets.
As Tom Brady’s security blanket, the New England Patriots relentless receiver will be a focal point for the Jets.
However, as we have seen in big game after big game, Edelman finds a way to produce. Although Josh Gordon and Rex Burkhead are also X-factors in this game, it is No. 11 who will get the chains rolling and get the Patriots offense into a flow.
Through two games this season, Julian Edelman has 10 receptions for 134 yards. He may just equal that receptions total in this game with short intermediate passes that will lead to a bigger play or two in the game.
If the Jets somehow figure a way to limit Edelman, Tom Brady and the offense will be in for a long game unless another offensive playmaker steps up unexpectedly with a big game.