4 Patriots on Thin Ice After Embarrassing Week 3 Loss to Jets

WR Tyquan Thornton

How many more chances will the Patriots give to Tyquan Thornton? Not only does he always get hurt but he also fails to make an impact whenever he is out there.

After finishing the Seahawks game with zero targets in 31 offensive snaps, Thornton was a no-show once again on Thursday.

Ironically, he possibly had the biggest play of the first half for the Patriots offense when he forced a penalty on the Jets secondary. At the same time, that play signaled what has been ailing Thornton ever since he came into the league. His speed and athleticism have always been intriguing. However, he struggles getting separation due to his poor ball-tracking ability. He also lacks the strength to make catches in traffic.

He may be the least of New England's worries but it's past the time to move on from Thornton and give more of a chance to Javon Baker and the other pass-catchers on the roster.

CB Alex Austin

When talking about the poor tackling of the Patriots' defense on Thursday night, it's hard not to bring up cornerback Alex Austin. No one play epitomizes the struggles of New England against the Jets. In Allen Lazard's touchdown catch, he evades Austin with a simple juke, and the second-year defender completely misses the tackle.

In Austin's defense, this was a brutal outing for the entire Patriots secondary. Kyle Dugger, Christian Gonzalez, and Marcus Jones were all below their usual standards. However, Austin is already on the fringes of the rotation and this was his season debut. He might find himself on the chopping block if his next outing isn't significantly better than what he showed against the Jets.