For the first time this season, the New York Jets will step into the AFC East octagon. First up, the 3-2 New England Patriots.
When wide receiver Garrett Wilson was asked about this matchup, he didn’t hold back when referencing the importance of this contest.
“We’re six games in; there’s a premium on this one because it is our first one, and I don’t know how to exactly put it, but it’s a big [expletive] game. We’re going to be ready to play [and] I’m excited for it,” Wilson told the media on Wednesday, October 14.
This Is Much More Than Just a Game
I can appreciate Wilson shooting us straight. Normally, when you’re asked about a certain opponent that has given you trouble, or an opponent with a big record, or a game in a prime-time slot, the players give you a generic response: this game is big because it’s the next game and that’s it.
Clearly Wilson understands that this just isn’t any other game. The Patriots have dominated you in recent memory.
Since 2016, the Jets are 2-18 against the Patriots.
New England has been the big bad bully in the AFC East. The Patriots have six Super Bowl rings all coming in the 21st century.
If the Jets want to shift the tone of their season, this rivalry, and the present and future of Aaron Glenn, they need to go into Foxboro and pull off the upset.
According to Vegas Insider, New England opened as a 9.5-point favorite; that line has since shrunk to 7.5 points.
Radio Icon Doesn’t Hold Back on Jets-Patriots
“If they can go into Foxboro & win next week, that changes the narrative, bro. The whole feel of this team, how we feel about [Aaron] Glenn, how we feel about this season, it all changes if they beat the Patriots in Foxboro next week. Everything changes,” Joe Benigno said on “The Jake Asman Show.”
Going to Be a Little Bit Tougher
New England is getting a significant boost ahead of the Jets matchup.
“The Patriots have designated WR AJ Brown to return from IR,” NFL Insider Ari Meirov posted on X.
Brown, 29, is a former Super Bowl champion, three-time Pro Bowler, and three-time All-Pro. He is a dynamic playmaker.
The former Ole Miss star entered the league as the No. 51 overall pick in the second round of the 2019 NFL draft. Across his eight years at the NFL level, Brown has appeared in 106 games and has made 98 starts. With those opportunities, Brown has been targeted 820 times, catching 527 receptions for 8,055 receiving yards, and has scored 57 total touchdowns.
This offseason, Brown was involved in a blockbuster trade that sent him from the Philadelphia Eagles to the Patriots. New England gave up a 2028 first-round draft choice and a 2027 fifth-rounder.
With that type of move came huge expectations. Brown appeared in one game this season back in Week 1. In that contest against the Seattle Seahawks, Brown was targeted four times, catching three passes for 26 receiving yards. He suffered a high ankle sprain and was placed on injured reserve.
New England has opened his 21-day practice window, but that doesn’t guarantee that he will play in Week 6. If he plays, that will provide a huge boost to the Patriots’ passing game.
Garrett Wilson Fires off Message Ahead of Jets Patriots Game