Patriots – Jets II, Key Matchups; Who Has the Razor’s Edge?

Jets RBs vs NE Front Seven – Razor’s Edge New England
Chris Ivory was having a fantastic season until he started to slow down about a month ago. But he’s showing signs of getting hot again although the Cowboys slowed him down last week in Dallas. Ivory needs only 49 yards to go over 1000 for the season. Bilal Powell is their change of pace back with Tommy Bohanon the FB, leading the way for short-yardage.

The Patriots have been much better against the run this season and have consistently been in the top-10. The front seven has been very stout at the point of attack with Alan Branch, rookie Malcom Brown and active linebackers led by Dont’a Hightower who may miss this game. In the past the Jets have ran right at DE Chandler Jones and although he’s improved at setting the edge, I expect them to do the same in this one.

Jets WRs vs NE Secondary- Razor’s Edge New York
The Jets have been much more reliant on the passing game with Ryan Fitzpatrick who is in the midst of his best season. He has the trust of his coaches and the Jets are using the 3-4 wide receiver spread more than any other team. New York has a pair of big WRs in Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker and it is tall WRs that give the Pats secondary a lot of trouble.

The Patriots secondary has performed very well this year although the past few weeks has shown a slight trend in giving up big plays in the passing game. We expect a redux of October with Logan Ryan with safety help doubling Marshall and Malcolm Butler on Decker. The key for the Jets will be getting those 3^rd and 4^th options (Enunwa, Thompkins) involved and getting Powell involved out of the backfield.

The Patriots front seven didn’t get a ton of pressure on Fitzpatrick in the first game and he’s only been sacked 20 times this season. They’ll have to do a better job at that and be aware of those bootleg plays he runs. The pass rush or lack thereof will go a long way in determining the winner on Sunday.

Special Teams- Razor’s Edge New England
The Patriots STs units are always traditionally one of the better units in the league. With Kicker Stephen Gostkowski and punter Ryan Allen, they have a pair of very talented kickers who are among the best in the league. But the team has developed an alarming trend of turning the ball over on STs that will have to be rectified moving forward. Keshawn Martin had a 75-yard kickoff return last week which was the longest in the AFC this season.

The Jets STs haven’t been up to their usual snuff in 2015 as when Mike Westhoff roamed the sidelines. They brought in kicker Randy Bullock because of injury and also have punter Ryan Quigley. The Jets punt coverage units have struggled this season and have allowed two touchdowns. This would be a great time for the Patriots to take advantage of that and either give the offense a short field or put some points on the board via STs.

Next up, our prediction on who wins and why…

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About Steve Balestrieri

A former US Army Special Forces NCO and Officer, Steve has been following the Patriots since their days at Fenway Park. Steve has worked in the film industry and wrote as an Military Editor at SpecialOperations.com, 1945.com as a reporter for the Millbury Daily Voice, Millbury-Sutton Chronicle, and the Grafton News. He's also a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA)

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