The New England Patriots play the New York Jets Sunday and here are 3 predictions about that crucial early game for the Patriots in the AFC East.
The Patriots are favored. Not sure that’s positive. So, why is a week two game against the Jets so critical?
Divisional games are magnified in importance, especially if you lose them. The Patriots have already lost at home (worse) against the Dolphins.
It’s not a great idea at all to start with two divisional losses. They won’t and here are three ancillary predictions that if true will help make that win prediction a reality.
3 bold predictions of the New England Patriots vs. the Jets
Predictions here are very interesting. Yet, they must be taken cum grano salis. That’s Latin for “with a grain of salt”. The predictions here aren’t so Nostradamus-like. Far from it.
But this week, they will prove accurate. There is absolutely no doubt about that. (If not, I can’t stomach eating another plate of crow, so help me.) Here are three good ones for Sunday.
New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones will throw for 70+ percent
This may be a shock to some, but not to those who have followed the young slinger closely. The young man is a 70+ percentage completion machine all day long. And that ain’t easy.
Yet, in his first game in the red, white, blue, and silver Mac Jones racked up a completion percentage of 74.3 percent.
But that may not be high enough for Mac Jones, the former Alabama thrower who completed a whopping 77.4 percent of his passes last season for the FBS Championship-winning Alabama Crimson Tide.
Not only is that good, but it’s also sick, and the best ever, at least for about the past 60 years anyway. That was against the top competition in the country no less. Mac Jones is that good.
Just wait Patriots Nation, until this young phenom gets a little more experience. He has only that one game under his belt. Mac Jones is going to rip the NFL to shreds.
The prediction, Mac Jones, now experienced with one game under his belt, will complete 75+ percent of his passes with three touchdowns in the beating of the Jets.
New England Patriots wide receiver Kendrick Bourne will bust out with a great game
Kendrick Bourne had only one catch last week. Not a great first game. Yet, a 33-yard catch from Mac Jones was nullified by a holding penalty against Justin Herron.
Kendrick Bourne is a reliable target with an attribute lacking in the Patriots’ arsenal the past two years (absent whenever Julian Edelman played), good hands.
If Kendrick Bourne plays, he catches the ball if it’s thrown his way. It’s time for Offensive Coordinator Josh McDaniels to give Kendrick Bourne an opportunity.
He needs a big opportunity to show his stuff. He’ll get the job done. This young man can play, no doubt about it.
The main contributor to this potentiality will be if Bill Belichick cans his stubbornness and utilizes his best offensive line players where they belong Sunday.
That would be to have Michael Onwenu playing right tackle in place of the likely missing Trent Brown, and Ted Karras at left guard. How does this impact Bourne?
Better protection for the rookie quarterback means an even higher completion percentage rate. A higher completion rate means more opportunities for Kendrick Bourne and others to excel.
The prediction here, Kendrick Bourne hauls in five passes for 70 yards from Mac Jones Sunday. All this young talent needs is a chance. Mr. McDaniels, please provide that chance Sunday.
New England Patriots Chase Winovich breaks out with a double sack day
This prediction will be brief.
Disclosure: Chase Winovich is a personal favorite. No question about that. This writer had hoped for his being drafted by New England and he was. Very rare, indeed.
Also hoped for was that Chase Winovich would become a double-digit sack master belying his status as only a third-round pick. In his first season, great promise with 5.5 sacks.
Chase Winovich’s second season, wracked by the aura of the pandemic leveled off at that same 5.5 sacks. This season, he should be ready to wreak havoc on AFC East and other opponents.
Whomever the defensive coordinator of the New England Patriots is, the team is should let Chase Winovich loose like the Kracken, to help the Patriots sack and sink the Jets. It’s only right and just.
His energy is infectious. It says here in prediction No. 3, that if they do, Chase Winovich will respond with two keys sacks and maybe a tackle for loss, as well.
So that’s three key predictions for week two against the Jets. What are your top predictions for Sunday? We’d like to hear them.