Experts share their picks for the Patriots Week 17 matchup against the New York Jets.
Mike Reiss, ESPN:
Pick: Patriots 27, Jets 14
Managing a challenging injury situation, the Patriots' depth — which has been built up since OTAs in the spring — carries them through.
Stephania Bell, ESPN: Patriots
Matt Bowen, ESPN: Patriots
Mike Clay, ESPN: Patriots
Chris Fowler, ESPN: Patriots
Dan Graziano, ESPN: Patriots
Kalyn Kahler, ESPN: Patriots
Pamela Maldonado, ESPN: Patriots
Eric Moody, ESPN: Patriots
Jason Reid, ESPN: Patriots
Lindsey Thiry, ESPN: Patriots
Seth Wickersham, ESPN: Patriots
NFL.com
Ali Bhanpuri, NFL.com: Patriots 26, Jets 12
Brooke Cersosimo, NFL.com: Patriots 26, Jets 12
Dan Parr, NFL.com: Patriots 28, Jets 13
Gennaro Filice, NFL.com: Patriots 34, Jets 13
Tom Blair, NFL.com: Patriots 29, Jets 14
Why Gennaro picked the Patriots: Matthew Stafford remains the MVP favorite, though Drake Maye is making a compelling case for the award in a wildly efficient sophomore season. Leading the NFL in completion percentage (70.9) and ranking second -- by a hair -- in yards per attempt (8.71 to Sam Darnold's 8.73), Maye has lifted New England from worst to first in the AFC East. But the Patriots have yet to sew up the division title, with the streaking Bills hot on their heels. And seeing how New England entered this week with a decent chance to secure the AFC's No. 1 seed -- 31%, per Next Gen Stats -- Mike Vrabel shouldn't have any trouble stimulating his upstart squad against a clearly overmatched opponent. Not to mention, the Pats enjoy kicking the Jets when they're down. Vrabel's steeped in the rivalry from his playing days. Motivation won't be an issue. But health could be. New England suffered a scourge of injuries in Sunday night's comeback win at Baltimore, testing depth on both sides of the ball. That said, the Jets are bottoming out, losing by more than three touchdowns in each of the past three weeks. During that span, the Brady Cook-led offense has averaged an NFL-worst 3.6 yards per play while Aaron Glenn's defense has given up 37 points a game. Merry Christmas, New England! The Pats should roll, even in their banged-up state. Which brings me back to Maye. Having just produced his first 300-yard passing game as a pro, the 23-year-old was asked about its significance on Monday. He delivered the “I care about winning” routine like a seasoned vet. But even if Maye isn't actively chasing stats, New England's roster carnage might require him to put the team on his back and put some numbers on the board. Trevor Lawrence just dropped six touchdowns on the Jets two weeks ago. Time to pad that MVP candidacy, Drake.
Pete Prisco, CBS Sports:
Pick: Patriots 36, Jets 9
The Jets have been awful the past two weeks and wouldn't seem like much of a threat here. But the Patriots are coming off a big victory against the Ravens and might not be as focused. OK, forget it. This is going to be an easy ride for the Patriots. Blowout city.
Jared Dubin, CBS Sports: Patriots
Ryan Wilson, CBS Sports: Patriots
John Breech, CBS Sports: Patriots
Tyler Sullivan, CBS Sports: Patriots
Dave Richard, CBS Sports: Patriots
Jamey Eisenburg, CBS Sports: Patriots
Pro Football Talk
Mike Florio: Patriots 35, Jets 10
Chris Simms: Patriots 31, Jets 10
Paul Perillo, Patriots.com:
Pick: Patriots 33, Jets 6
Patriots complete perfect season on the road with dominant win over Brady (not that one) and the Jets.
Mike Dussault, Patriots.com:
Pick: Patriots 34, Jets 10
The Patriots are banged up but still have enough in the tank to beat the 3-12 Jets, capping off a perfect 8-0 road record.
Evan Lazar, Patriots.com:
Pick: Pats 31, Jets 7
There could be a moment in the first quarter where the game feels competitive, but I fully expect the Patriots to pull away in the second and third quarters then cost in the second half. A similar script to their Week 11 win over the Jets.
DISCLAIMER: The views and thoughts expressed in this article are those of the writer and don't necessarily reflect those of the organization. Read Full Disclaimer
