New York Jets Opponent Profile: New England Patriots
By Tyson Rauch
On Sunday the New York Jets (3-11) play their final home game of the 2014 season against one of their biggest rivals, the New England Patriots (11-3). The Patriots, arguably one of the best teams in the National Football League, have won 9 of their last 10 games including a 27-25 victory over the Jets in week 7.
Brady being Brady
The New England offense starts and ends with quarterback Tom Brady, who is having another phenomenal season (3,847 passing yards, 32 tds). Brady is effectively utilizing all of his weapons, which is making it very difficult to slow down a Patriots’ unit that is scoring over 31 points a game.
Triple threat
Tight end Rob Gronkowski, who leads the team in touchdown catches (11) and receiving yards (1,093), remains a match-up nightmare for opposing defenses, especially in the red zone. Wide receiver Julian Edelman (92 receptions) is a reliable safety blanket for the New England quarterback as he routinely makes plays over the middle of the field. Brandon LaFell stretches the defense for the Patriots offense as evidenced by his 13-yard average per reception.
Running back by committee
The success of the New England passing game opens up several opportunities on the ground for the Patriots stable of running backs. Jonas Gray, LeGarrette Blount, and Shane Vereen have been sharing reps for a rushing attack that is ranked 19th in the NFL.
Stout defense
The Patriots defense is much improved as the unit is ranked 1st in points allowed and 10th against the run. The goal for New England is to stop the running game and force their opponent to pass the ball against their talented secondary. Defensive back Darrelle Revis is having an All-Pro caliber season while Brandon Browner is starting to get acclimated to Bill Belichick’s defensive philosophies.
In terms of a pass rush, the Patriots defense features several players that can get after the quarterback. Rob Ninkovick leads the team in sacks with 8, while Chandler Jones (6 sacks), Don’t’a Hightower (5 sacks), and Jamie Collins (3 sacks) add consistent pressure as well.
Tough task for the Jets
On paper this game is a complete mismatch as the Patriots strengths are the Jets weaknesses. In week 7, Gang Green was able to keep the game close with a ground and pound philosophy. That approach will remain the same on Sunday. If the Patriots are able to stymie New York’s running game it could be a very long day for Geno Smith and company.
Defensively the Jets are going to have to generate consistent pressure on Tom Brady. Gang Green cannot allow Brady time to pick apart their makeshift secondary. Rex Ryan has had some success confusing the New England quarterback in the past and will need a tremendous defensive effort to keep this game close.
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Tyson Rauch is a freelance writer covering all things NFL. His work can be found on Examiner.com.
