MORSE: Patriots Week Three Opponent Preview: New York Jets
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This is a short week and a big advantage for the Jets playing at home on Thursday night. This is also the Jets Home Opener after playing the first two weeks on the road. Both teams come into the week 1-1. The Jets were one of the most penalized teams in the league. Because of all the penalties, they actually had to go 10.3 yards for a 1st down. That trend has continued this past week when they were penalized 7 times for 70 yards.
How did they even win 7 times last season? Yeah, they had the Patriots twice, but their Offense without Aaron Rodgers was anemic. This year they have completely revamped their Offensive Line and have Rodgers back. Rodger enters his 20th season in the league after spending time behind Brett Favre. He has seen it all. He had a torn Achilles on the 4th play of the season and was lost for the year. He was never really mobile and may be less so now.
| Starter | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | |
| QB | Aaron Rodgers | Tyrod Taylor | Jordan Travis O | – |
| RB | Breece Hall | Braelon Allen | Isaiah Davis | Israel Abanikanda |
| WR | Garrett Wilson | Xavier Gipson | Malik Taylor IR | – |
| WR | Allen Lazard | Malachi Corley | Marcus Riley IR | – |
| WR | Mike Williams | Irvin Charles | – | – |
| TE | Tyler Conklin | Jeremy Ruckert | Brenden Bates | Kenny Yeboah IR |
| LT | Tyron Smith | Olu Fashanu | – | – |
| LG | John Simpson | Jake Hanson | – | – |
| C | Joe Tippmann | Xavier Newman | – | – |
| RG | Alijah Vera-Tucker | Wes Schweitzer IR | – | – |
| RT | Morgan Moses | Carter Warren | Max Mitchell |
The Jets have a vastly improved Offensive Line. They signed Tyron Smith, the 33-year-old 14-year veteran from the Dallas Cowboys. Smith Is an 8-time Pro-Bowl, 2-time All-Pro 1st team and 3-time All-Pro 2nd team selection. In the previous 4 years, Smith has missed 37 of the 67 games. Of note is the backup and future starter Olu Fashanu the 1st Rd selection of the Jets in 2024. That is a player I wish the Patriots had drafted. Curious that Fashanu was taken with the 11th pick, a pick the Patriots could have received if they traded back with Minnesota who wanted Drake Maye. No questioning his ability, just can he stay healthy? John Simpson is another Free Agent signed away from the Ravens. He was a 4th Round (#109) pick by the Las Vegas Raiders. He will be the starting LG. Of 52 games he played in, he started 38 of those. Joe Tippmann was a 2nd round (#43) of the Jets last season. He ended up starting 14 of the 16 games he played in. RG is their best O lineman in Alijah Vera-Tucker the 2001 1st Round (#14) by The Jets. Vera-Tucker is coming off his own Achilles injury last season which cost him the last 12 games. Morgan Moses is 33 years-old and entering his 11th season. The Jets acquired him from the Ravens. Originally a 3rd Round pick (#66) by Washington in the 2014 Draft. For his career, he has started 144 of 152 games. He started 14 of 14 games he played in last year, missing 3 games.
At QB, Rodgers is no threat to run, but he won’t hold onto the ball and take sacks. He has a very quick release. In two games he has 167 and 176 yards passing in each. Passing, he was 31 of 51 in the 1st two games. On the 3rd downs they are converting at 50%.
Big things are expected from Garrett Wilson a former 1st round selection in 2022 (#10). Wilson caught 10 passes for 107 yards. Michael Williams came over from the Chargers and gives Rodgers a big target to throw to. Alan Lazard is a former teammate of Rodgers in Green Bay. In the first game Lazard had 2 TD catches. He has 8 catches for 100 yards. Breece Hall is a dangerous receiver out of the backfield. He has 12 catches for 81 yards in the two games.
At Tight End Ty Conklin is the starter. He has two catches for 16 yards and is not a big part of the offense.
In the backfield Breece Hall will get the majority of carries. Hall is listed at 6’ 1”, 220 pounds, which gives him prototypical size for an NFL running back. He sports an athletic build that strikes a balance between power and agility. The Jets 3rd year player has lived up to the pre-draft hype, boasting his value in both the passing and rushing attacks through two games games. The Iowa State product was the first unanimous All-American in the history of the Iowa State football program.
Braelen Allen 6’1” 235-pounds with an estimated 4.43 speed as the backup. The rookie was a 4th round pick (#134) out of Wisconsin. They also selected a 2nd running back in the 2024 draft. Isaiah Davis is a powerful runner from South Dakota State. He was a 5th Round (#173) selection. The 6’ 218 pound back ran a pedestrian 4.57 40-yard dash. Davis had 1451 yards rushing and 15 TDs for the Jackrabbits leading them to the FCS National Championship. I also like the 4th back on this team and should he get waived by the Jets I would be all over getting him. Israel Abanikanda was selected in the 2023 draft in the 5th round (#143). The Pittsburgh product carried 22 times for 70 yards and had 7 receptions for another 39 yards as a receiver. The Brooklyn native stands 5’10”, 216 pounds and runs a 4.45 40-yard dash. Abanikanda is just 21 years old.
| Starter | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | |
| LDE | Will McDonald IV | Jalyn Holmes | Eric Watts | Jermaine Johnson O |
| LDT | Javon Kinlaw | Leki Fotu IR | – | |
| RDT | Quinnen Williams | Solomon Thomas | Leonard Taylor | |
| RDE | Micheal Clemons | Takkarist McKinley | Braiden McGregor | Haason Reddick O |
| WLB | Jamien Sherwood | Zaire Barnes IR | – | – |
| MLB | C.J. Mosley Q | Chazz Surratt | – | |
| SLB | Quincy Williams | Sam Eguavoen | Jimmy Ciarlo IR | |
| LCB | Sauce Gardner | Qwan’tez Stiggers | Jarrick Bernard-Converse | |
| SS | Chuck Clark | Ashtyn Davis | – | – |
| FS | Tony Adams D | Isaiah Oliver | – | |
| RCB | D.J. Reed O | Brandin Echols | – | |
| NB | Michael Carter |
The Jets have been wracked with injuries and a significant holdout in Haason Reddick. Reddick is their best pass rusher. Leki Fotu, Zaire Barmes, Jimmy Ciarlo and Jermaine Johnson are on IR. FS Tony Adams is listed as Doubtful, DJ Reed ruled out, and CJ Mosely is Questionable. With the game coming on Thursday, there is less time to heal so someone that is listed as Questionable might just be out on Thursday night.
Defensive Tackle Quinnen Williams and Javon Kinlaw are dangerous. Williams played all 17 games last season and had 62 tackles and 5.5 sacks. He is a 2-time Pro Bowl player and a 1st Team All-Pro in 2022. Williams has 33 sacks for his career and always gives the Patriots problems. Kinlaw come from the San Francisco 49’ers. They didn’t exercise the 5th year option on the former 2020 1st Round Draft Pick (#14), making him a Free Agent. He only started 6 of 17 games for San Fran. Soloman Thomas is listed as the backup DT, but he is more of a DE at 6’3” 295. He is a former 1st round selection (#3) by San Francisco in the 2017 draft.
Left Defensive End is the 2023 1st Round (#15) selection Will McDonald. McDonald is known for his pass rushing ability at Iowa State. In 2023 he played in just 14 games for the Jets with no starts. He did have 3 sacks. So far in 2024 he has already equaled his sack total from last year in just 2 games. He is someone that will have to be accounted for. RDE is Michael Clemons a 2022 4th round (#117) selection out of Texas A&M. The 6’ 5” 263-pound edge player is a bit of a hothead, getting into fights on two different occasions in weeks 11 and 12 of 2023. He played in 16 games both years but only has one start. Takkrist McKinley is listed as the top backup. He was a 2017 1st round pick (#26) by the Falcons. McKinley is a journeyman and has bounced around the league with 7 different teams.
The linebackers are led by CJ Mosely. On the initial Report on Monday Mosely was listed as Questionable. Entering his 11th season in the NFL, the 33-year-old is a 5 times 2nd team All-Pro, and 5X Pro Bowl selection. In the first two games he had 12 tackles. He came to New York as a Free Agent in 2019. Jamien Sherwood, a 2021 5th Round (#146) selection. He is not fast nor is he big for a linebacker and susceptible in the passing game. Coming into this season he has started 7 of 38 games he has played in, mostly as a Special Teams player. He leads the Jets in tackles through two games with 16. Quincy Williams, the brother of Quinnen Williams starts at the Strongside Linebacker spot. A 2019 3rd round (#98) pick out of Murray State, Williams was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars. He is listed as only 5’11” 225 pounds but runs a blazing fast 4.59 40-yard dash. Williams played just two injury riddled seasons with Jacksonville. In 2021 he signed on with New York. In his three seasons with New York, he has never had less than 100 tackles and last season was his best with 139 tackles.
Sauce Gardner is an elite shutdown corner in the NFL. The 2022 1st Round (#4) pick of the Jets has been selected to the first team All-Pro and Pro bowl teams in each of his first two seasons. The 6’3” 190-pound CB attended Cincinnati. Other teams don’t even look his way on the field, avoiding him at all costs. On the other side DJ Reed is probably Out. He didn’t play against Tennessee Titans. Look for his backup on the depth chart to fill in. Brandin Echols is expected to start in his place. Against the Titans he had 5 tackles of which 4 were solo. Part of the 2021 draft class, Echols was a 6th round (#200) selection of the Jets out of Kentucky. He stands only 5’10, 179-pounds, at his Pro Day he ran a 4.36 40-yard dash which got him drafted. In his rookie season he won the starting job for the 1st 9 games until a season ending injury put him on the shelf. The next two years he only played Special Teams until last week. It appears that Free Safety Tony Adams will miss the Patriots game Thursday. Look for Isaiah Oliver to jump into his place. Oliver enters his 7th season in the NFL having been a 2018 2nd Round (#58) pick by the Atlanta Falcons out of Colorado. At 6’ 202 pounds, Oliver gas good size. At the combine he ran a 4.5 40-yard dash. Oliver started 6 games for San Francisco last season. Chuck Clark was a 2017 draft pick of the Baltimore Ravens, selected in the 6th Round (#186) out of Virginia Tech. He was the starter in BAL from 2020 – 2022 registering 96, 80 and 101 tackles in those seasons. He was traded to the Jets and then proceeded to tear his ACL in OTAs and was lost for the 2023 season. Nickel back will be Michael Carter. The 2021 5th round (#154) selection by the Jets out of Duke has contributed 73, 63 and 50 tackles the last three seasons as the Nickel Back. He stands 5’10, 184 pounds and ran a blistering 4.36 40-yard dash.
| Starter | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | |
| PK | Greg Zuerlein | – | – | – |
| P | Thomas Morstead | – | – | – |
| H | Thomas Morstead | |||
| PR | Xavier Gipson | Isaiah Davis | Malachi Corley | – |
| KR | Xavier Gipson | Isaiah Davis | Malachi Corley | |
| LS | Thomas Hennessy |
Greg Zuerlein is a veteran kicker with a big leg. Zuerlein is technically the worst kicker in the NFL right now! That is only because he only attempted 1 FG which he made. Morstead is another consistent veteran. He is averaging 51.3 yards per punt with 45.6 Net yards. These numbers are slightly behind Patriots Bryce Baringer.
Xavier Gipson returns kickoffs and punts. For kickoffs he is ranked 6th with a 26.8 YPR. In the Punt Returns he is averaging 9.75 yards per return. Thomas Hennessy enters his 8th season as the Jets Long Snapper.
As many of you already know by now, Free Agent signee, OT Chuks Okorafor has left the team, informing them he is contemplating his future in football. The team put him on the Left Team list. I hope he doesn’t come back, and the team will get the remaining money back from his $4M salary/bonuses. I would have cut him after his awful play in week one. He was a turnstile, lasting just 12 plays and nearly got Jacoby Brissett killed.
The Patriots elevated Michael Jordan from the Practice Squad and signed him to the 53-man roster replacing Okorafor. Jordan has started for injured Sidy Sow the 1st two games.
The team signed two players to the Practice Squad. CB DJ James was signed. He played at Auburn. The 5’11”, 176-pound DB ran a 4.42 40-yard dash at his Pro Day. James was a 6th round pick (#192) of Seattle this year. He started 33 of 46 games he played in the SEC. The second player was SS Mark Perry. Perry stands 6’, 213 pounds and he also ran a 4.42 40-yard dash at his Pro Day. The TCU product, originally played at Colorado before transferring for his last two years to TCU. Despite playing 5 years in college, Perry turned 23 in April. NFL Draftbuzz stated that Perry would make a very good Special Teams player. At the end of the draft, Perry signed as a UDFA with Miami. He was cut at the final cutdown date and was signed by Houston for their Practice Squad, only to be cut on September 10th.
Corresponding moves has LB Yvandy Rigby and Safety AJ Thomas waived by the Patriots.
The Patriots also announced that OT Tyrome Wheatley accepted an injury settlement and was waived from the IR. I still can’t believe we traded 4th Round pick Pierre Strong for this bum. Strong is now the #3 back in Cleveland. Another bone headed move by Bill Belichick the GM.
Jaelon Reagor was released by the team from the Practice Squad. Reagor was disgruntled that he has not been elevated given the poor performance of the WRs in getting any separation.
Mike Reis of ESPN is reporting that ILB and Captain JuWhaun Bentley has a torn Pectoral Muscle. If true, this would knock him out for the year. There are several veteran players available to replace Bentley. If looking internally, Joe Giles-Harris would be the likely signee from the Practice Squad.
The Patriots dominated the Time of Possession, had no turnovers, ran for over 150 yards, had 300 yards Total Offense and committed only 3 penalties. Since 1983, 152 teams have had these combined stats. All of these teams won their games, 153-0. The Patriots were the 1st team to lose while accumulating those 5 metrics! I maintain that scoring 20 points against the Seattle Defense (who are very good) should have been good enough to win at home. The Defense let the team down.
Pro Football Focus rates all players every week. These are the rankings of the Patriots Offensive Line. The Rankings reflect the poor play by the line.
David Andrew 12
Michael Jordan 57
Layden Robinson 53
Vederian Lowe 59
Michael Onwenu 71
That ranking by Onwenu means that he is not even good enough to be a starting Tackle in the league since there are 64 starters in the League. His 58-run grade is awful for a player of his stature and salary. As a group they are worst in the league in QB pressure rate. Perhaps we need to look at returning Onwenu to RG and move Caeden Wallace into Right Tackle. That is easy to say, depending on the availability of Vederian Lowe at Left Tackle. They are not giving Jacoby Brissett the time to look downfield. Brissett was hit 8 times in the game despite the Houdini act he worked to wiggle his way out of sacks. Can Demontrey Jacobs or Zach Thomas play tackle? Can they do any worse than what we have seen so far.
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Looks like the Jets weakness was run D games 1,2 as even Tenn ran for 130 yds….and to add to that Mosely is out and Jermaine Johnson DE is out. Both of them are key run stoppers up front for the NJY’s. and the replacements are light in weight. The Jets DE and LB are not big. So alike the Cincy and SEA games, this game begs the pats to run the rock. Now that there is tape of real games, I’d expect NYJ to load 8 in the box to stop the run and assume the pats can’t protect… Read more »