The New England Patriots host the New York Jets on Thursday Night Football to kick off Week 11. This AFC East battle is important, as all division games are, but the Patriots are catching a break as they won't have to deal with two starters for New York.
ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that the New York Jets ruled out receiver Garrett Wilson and cornerback Azareye’h Thomas. The Jets will be without two starters, and that bodes well for a red-hot New England team.
Jets Ruled Out 2 Starters Ahead of TNF vs. Patriots
Another reason these losses for the Jets help New England's cause is that the Patriots will be without Rhamondre Stevenson, Kayshon Boutte, Christian Ellis, and Austin Hooper for this contest, according to Mike Giardi.
The Jets' passing attack has been an utter disaster this season, as they are ranked 32nd in the NFL (143.8). Despite missing two games already, Wilson is still first on the team in catches (36), receiving yards (395), and receiving touchdowns (4).
On the defensive side of the ball, they shipped out Sauce Gardner to the Indianapolis Colts for 2026 and 2027 first-round picks. Part of the reason New York did that was due to its faith in Thomas, but the defender is in the concussion protocol.
Being down two starters is less than ideal, especially for a Jets team that is 2-7. Without Wilson on the outside in the passing game, the Patriots will focus on shutting down running back Breece Hall. He'll certainly be their go-to option in this primetime battle, but based on how the Jets offense has looked, that's a massive win.
It's not ideal that the Patriots will be down multiple starters, including Stevenson, but this is the right opponent to have these problems against. It's easier to stomach the Stevenson loss, as TreVeyon Henderson is coming off a career-high 147 rushing yards and two rushing scores in a win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last week.
Nonetheless, every divisional game is big. The Patriots have won seven straight games and own a 1.5 game lead over the Buffalo Bills (6-3). Since they have already beaten the Bills once in Week 5, it's all about continuing to build.
It certainly doesn't hurt that Drake Maye is playing at an MVP level this season, so on a short week, everyone has the utmost confidence that they can secure the win. And with New York down two starters in two premier spots, it only makes New England's job easier.