COMPLETE RESULTS

1. Rodgers, Jets show new equipment on offense. Towards the end of the third quarter, the “Aa-ron, Rod-gers” chants began in what was already the best game for Aaron Rodgers in a Jets uniform. Despite some hiccups and setbacks, the Jets took a step forward on offense in a 24-3 victory over the Patriots. Rodgers’ precision was on point from the start, pressuring the Patriots for most of the night. Their shortest drive was the first, which went 37 yards. After that punt, they scored touchdowns on three of the next four drives, with a missed field goal attempt up the middle. The Rodgers wrist slap seemed to be officially back. Perhaps even more impressive, Rodgers’ athleticism looked exceptional for a soon-to-be 41-year-old, escaping several pressure situations and fighting for two first downs. Rodgers knows the Jets still have room to grow, but his performance must have put a lot of people smiles on his face.
2. The Patriots’ offensive line was a problem. With Vederian Lowe inactive, the Patriots turned to rookie Caedan Wallace as left tackle – a position he had never played in the NFL or even in college – in his first NFL appearance. They were already in a difficult position up front, with center David Andrews (hip) and Mike Onwenu (wrist) was listed as questionable. Each of them allowed multiple pressures according to Next Gen Stats, and Wallace in particular had his hands full. Even the reliable Andrews seemed to be a shadow of his former self, allowing 1.5 sacks and committing a hold. The entire group was overwhelmed on the first series, and that set the tone for the evening. Wallace was forced into a sack on third down (and was guilty of a declined penalty) to end the second drive. He also had a hold late in the third quarter, just barely avoiding a big hit on Jacoby Brissett. Don’t forget, this happened against a Jets front that just lost Jermaine Johnson II and still has not Haason Reddick. Tough night up there.
3. Jets find balance and depth on offense. The other impressive element of the Jets’ offense was the number of players who took on leadership roles in the first three games. Breece Hall And Garret Wilson are the clear stars on offense, but the Jets apparently no longer have to force the ball on them. Braelon Allen has earned his permanent role alongside Hall. Michael Williams had two great catches on Thursday and made small progress every week. Tyler Conklin led the Jets with 95 yards on five catches. Allen Lazard is a secret performer with three touchdowns in three games. The connection between Rodgers and Wilson also grew stronger as they teamed up for a beautiful touchdown to put the game out of reach in the third quarter. This was also true of the offensive line, where Morgan Moses (Knee) went down and first-round player Olumuyiwa Fashanu stepped in and looked good in pass defense. The offense now has a little bit of everything, including the oldest player in the league (Rodgers) and the youngest (Allen). The identity of this group is still taking shape, but what we saw Thursday — and some of it before that — gives hope that this can be a diverse, balanced attack.
4. Maye made his NFL debut, but Brissett was still expected to start. For three and a half quarters, Jacoby Brissett mostly stood and watched the Jets offense work. On the rare occasions he led the Patriots offense, the group did very little. Both halves began with the Patriots going three-and-out in 92 seconds. After two punts, the Patriots’ first field goal drive consisted of 16 yards on offense and 34 penalties. But what could Brissett do? He was under fire for most of the evening; the aforementioned offensive line issues were a big part of it. That’s probably why Jerod Mayo took Brissett out of the game late in favor of Maye, who was making his NFL debut. Maye’s first pass was nearly intercepted, he was hit hard on a third-down scramble, and his first pass was no gain. But it was about resting Brissett and giving Maye a few game moments, which was a real laugh. He calmed down a bit and threw a nice pass to Demario Douglas in the red zone, but – fittingly – took a sack on the game-winning play. Mayo would be taking a big risk if he made a QB change any time soon. If they can’t block for the starter, how are they going to block for the backup?
5. The Jets’ penalties are implicitly a problem. After a fairly clean penalty play in the loss at San Francisco, the Jets have taken two steps back since then, with seven flags against the Titans and seven more on Thursday. That was probably the only reason to complain about an otherwise commanding win. The Jets looked purposeful on the opening drive, but a penalty and a sack knocked them out of field goal range. The defense was mostly excellent against the offensively limited Patriots, but penalties of 15 and 34 yards gave New England its only points of the night. To bring things full circle, Irvin Charles — last week’s special teams hero — committed a needless 15-yard fumble when the game was technically still in reach. On Thursday, the flags didn’t really cost the Jets much. But when the level of competition rises, these are the kinds of mistakes that can cost them games. They tighten the screws on the entire operation even more.

Insights into Patriots-Jets Next-Gen Stats (via NFL Pro): The Jets defense blitzed Jacoby Brissett on 40% of his dropbacks, the Jets’ highest rate in a game under Robert Saleh (since 2021). Brissett was pressured on 56.5% of his dropbacks (13 pressure attempts), the highest rate Brissett has faced in a game since 2018 (minimum 10 attempts).

NFL Research: Garrett Wilson is the first wide receiver drafted in the first round to catch a touchdown pass from Aaron Rodgers. The only other first-round pick to catch a touchdown from Rodgers is tight end Marcedes Lewis.