The New York Jets are sitting at 5-2 and are putting themselves in a good position to make a playoff run. But things aren’t going as smoothly as they look.
There’s some trouble in paradise, and they’ve got an angry New England Patriots team coming in to play them at MetLife Stadium on Sunday. BetOnline customers can see it at 1 p.m. Eastern time on a regional basis through CBS.
The quarterback controversy in New England hasn’t necessarily been overblown. Bill Belichick did not hesitate to yank Mac Jones on Monday night as he failed to move the team and then threw an interception. Bailey Zappe, who became the darling of fans, took the Patriots for two touchdown drives, but that was short-lived. He turned the ball over three times, and New England didn’t score a point in the second half as they lost 33-14 to the Chicago Bears.
Jones, who says he has no hard feelings about the situation, is now back in the saddle for the Pats, at least for this week.
The Jets have won four games in a row, but they haven’t exactly faced an All Pro group of quarterbacks in the process, save for Aaron Rodgers. But you have to give them credit because they’ve been playing defense, allowing less than 4.5 yards per play during that time.
In the NFL betting odds that have been posted on this game by the folks at BetOnline, the Patriots are laying points on the road:-
New England Patriots -2.5 (-120)
New York Jets + 2.5 (+100)
Over 40 points -110
Under 40 points – 110
New England had better get its act together on defense. Chicago ran roughshod over their front seven, and even though the Bears came into the game ranked second in the league in rushing, that was not necessarily expected. The Patriots we’re not well prepared for Justin Fields to take off with the ball, and he had 82 of his team’s 243 yards, which was the most New England had given up on the ground in twelve years.
It would probably be an overstatement to say that there’s some chaos with the Patriots right now because Belichick has had a reputation for getting things under control. But if you can’t defend, you’re in trouble.
This Jets team closes out games very well, as they have outscored opponents by 54 points in the fourth quarter. But you can’t help but look at this squad and see a team that has lost some of its zip offensively. Zach Wilson has started four games and thrown only one touchdown pass. He had 121 yards last week against Denver.
Two of the players who gave them some explosiveness are out of action. One of them is Breece Hall, a running back who was a top candidate for rookie of the year. He tore his ACL and is gone for the duration. Corey Davis, perhaps the top wide receiver on the team, will also not be available. Elijah Moore is likely to play, but last week he had nothing but complaints about not getting the ball enough and was left home.
The Jets have experienced a lot of attrition on the offensive line as well. You may recall that Mekhi Becton was lost for the season during training camp. And now Alijah Vera-Tucker, the right tackle, won’t be seen again this year. It surely will result in a ray of disappointment among fans and bettors at NFL betting sites.
Without Hall, this ground game suddenly becomes much less threatening. Michael Carter is averaging only 3.5 yards per carry, and James Robinson, who was acquired quickly this week from Jacksonville, has been stuffed over 28% of the time on his runs.
We see this making the assignment a little easier for New England, which has beaten the Jets 12 straight times. Coming off an embarrassing defeat, this is a good spot for them. So we don’t mind laying the points on the road.
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