EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - No excuses, no naps, and no nonsense from the Patriots on Sunday at a lifeless MetLife Stadium. Despite a long list of starters and key contributors not being in the lineup, the Pats delivered a thorough beatdown of the Jets. It was the kind of performance we’ve seen from the Pats in their glorious past, and seeing it again in the present is the gift that keeps on giving.
Challenged without his starting left tackle, left guard, and two of his top three wideouts, offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels crafted a brilliant plan (albeit against a defense that long ago lost their soul). On the opening drive, McDaniels called seven plays out of seven different personnel groupings (they all worked), leaning on the run game. Later, the Pats' offensive coordinator spread the Jets out a little bit more, but every lever he pulled seemed to be the right call in the right moment. New York was so off-balance and, eventually, so overwhelmed that I detected the heavy odor of surrender (for those unaware, it smells like Newark).
“What Josh and the offensive staff were able to do, managing guys and different personnel and using everybody was really good,” Mike Vrabel said (yes, complimenting McDaniels).
“I go through ‘em every Friday night,” Drake Maye said of the playsheet. “I star the ones that I like, that we like, and I feel like can get us a first down. I starred a lot of them this week.”
“I can't say enough good things about Josh,” Hunter Henry smiled. “I was so glad that he came back this year, and then it's just been a blast to play for him. When he gets dialed in and locked in, he's pretty hard to beat.”
The Patriots had five first-half possessions. All five went 60-plus yards, and all ended up in the end zone. Read’ em and weep (those are happy years):
- 7 plays, 61 yards, 4:18 time of possession
- 7 plays, 85 yards, 4:07
- 7 plays, 66yards, 3:40
- 11 plays, 74 yards, 6:55
- 10 plays, 91 yards, 1:17
The last possession was an important one, even in a lopsided game. It was a two-minute drive authored by Maye. It stands to reason that at some point in the playoffs, this offense may find itself in a two-minute got-to-have-it spot. In this case, they barely used over a minute, but went the length of the field. The drive got kick-started by a roughing-the-passer penalty on the first set of downs (more on that in a second), then it was a surgical procedure that removed the Jets' last essential organs. Maye wisely took the check downs when they were there, found Stefon Diggs all alone for 26 yards, then finished the drive off by buying time with his legs before hitting a wide open Henry. for his fourth TD pass in the half.
“Just trying to be