The New England Patriots host the New York Jets in an ever-so-important AFC East divisional matchup on Sunday.
If the playoffs started today, all four AFC East teams would make it to the dance. That alone is a telling sign of how important this week is for the Patriots. If the Patriots wish to beat the Jets and propel their position to the top of the AFC East, this game could come down to some key positional matchups.
Let’s take a look at those matchups and see who needs to go above and beyond for New England to walk away with the victory.
Matthew Judon vs Jets OL
Matthew Judon has been on a tear, and the Jets’ offensive line is banged up and bruised. With the Jets OL struggling to keep Zach Wilson upright—and struggling to stay on the field themselves—the league’s leading pass rusher should have himself a day.
If the Patriots get Judon off to another dominating game, Zach Wilson could revert back into a turnover machine. The Jets’ second-year quarterback has not played well under pressure in the NFL, and Judon is clearly capable of giving him happy feet in the pocket, along with the vaunted Patriots’ defensive front.
Jakobi Meyers vs Sauce Gardner
Jakobi Meyers has been the Patriots’ No. 1 receiver this year in terms of targets and receptions. It hasn’t mattered if it’s Mac Jones or Bailey Zappe under center. The veteran wideout has been a true security blanket for whoever has been at the helm.
Meanwhile, Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner has been a defensive menace since being drafted and has already looked like one of the league’s best corners in 11 weeks of NFL football. Gardner and Meyers will be an interesting matchup as Jones will need to spread the ball around more, which is something he has struggled to do consistently this season.
If the Patriots can scheme Meyers open, the offense should flow a lot better against a really good Jets defense.
Matt Patricia vs Jeff Ulbrich
This isn’t a positional matchup, but it’s clearly another important one as we near the final stretch of the regular season. Matt Patricia will need to get creative with the offensive play-calling if he wants to keep his job.
This has been 13 games of offensive play-calling experience that Patricia has gained, including the preseason. So it’s time he starts spicing things up against a well-coached Jets defense.
An important chess match between Patricia and Jets defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich will take place Sunday as both teams will need to get creative to come out on top. They cannot just retread the tires from the last time they met.
If the Patriots want to win the game, they need their offense to get in sync, and this is a perfect week to do so under Patricia.
