East Rutherford, N.J. – The Patriots made quick work of the Jets in a 42-10 victory at MetLife Stadium, a game that was over in the third quarter on Sunday.
Although we shouldn't look too deep into the results against the three-win Jets, the Patriots outclassed New York in a way that was reminiscent of some of New England's losses toward the end of the 2024 season. To that end, it's nice to have tangible examples of the complete turnaround from head coach Mike Vrabel's squad, with Vrabel resting his starting quarterback with 5:31 left in the third quarter with a 42-3 lead.
Vrabel spoke after the game about coaching the process, not the results, which was a theme in our game preview. Sunday's game was an opportunity to tune up some things with the postseason on the horizon, whether that's shoring up the red-zone offense, repping against certain repeat coverages the offense is seeing, or correcting issues against the run. Again, we won't overreact to results, but the Patriots put some good things on film in those areas on Sunday, including going 5-for-5 in the red zone.
Along with flexing their mettle against a division opponent, the Patriots completed a perfect 8-0 regular-season road slate for the third time in franchise history. They also blew out the Jets despite eight starters missing, showing off their roster depth and mental toughness to withstand injuries to DT Milton Williams, WR Mack Hollins, LT Will Campbell, LB Robert Spillane, WR Kayshon Boutte, OLB Harold Landry III, NT Khyiris Tonga, and LG Jared Wilson.
The Patriots didn't just survive and advance through the injuries; they dominated, and that's a sign of a great football team. Moving forward, the competition will get much tougher, but winning isn't as easy as New England made it look on Sunday.
Here are eight takeaways as the Patriots improve to 13-3 with a dominant win over the Jets in Week 17.
1. Player of the Game: QB Drake Maye Sets New Career-High with Five Touchdown Passes, Eclipses 4,000 Passing Yards and 30 Touchdowns for the 2025 Season
With 5:31 left in the third quarter, head coach Mike Vrabel went to backup quarterback Joshua Dobbs with his team leading 42-3 after QB Drake Maye led the offense on six straight touchdown drives.
Like many of his teammates, Maye hit several milestones against the Jets on Sunday, including setting a new career-high in touchdown passes (five) to bring his season total to 30, the first Pats QB since Patriots Hall of Famer Tom Brady to throw for over 30 touchdowns (2017). Maye also went over the 4,000-yard threshold, becoming the third Patriots quarterback to do so, joining Brady and team Hall of Famer Drew Bledsoe – it's been that kind of year for the MVP candidate.
On Sunday, the ball barely hit the ground when Maye dropped back to pass, finishing 19-of-21 for 256 passing yards and five touchdown passes in roughly 35 minutes. He also converted a fourth down with an 11-yard scramble, while adding +1.24 expected points in the win, landing him in the 100th percentile. At the time of publish, Maye is now second in expected points added per drop-back among 33 qualified quarterbacks, adding to his MVP resume vs. the Jets.
There were several downfield throws to choose from in Maye's performance, but it was good to see him connecting on shot plays from just outside the red zone this week. Although the Patriots were 5-for-5 in the red zone vs. the Jets, New England ranks 26th in red zone efficiency this season, so unlocking Maye's deep passing ability to take shots from the high red zone might be the formula for this offense come playoff time.
Maye's second touchdown pass of the afternoon came on a great play call by OC Josh McDaniels from just outside the red zone. With the Jets showing a single-high coverage, New York blitzes over the interior offensive line, dropping DE Eric Watts off the line of scrimmage into coverage. The Pats have the perfect shot play on with Stevenson running the deep corner route from the backfield, overlapping downfield with WR Kyle Williams' post pattern, which occupies the deep safety. Stevenson wins that foot race every time, and it's an easy 22-yard TD.
Although the Jets defense didn't offer much resistance, it's still impressive to see how in control the second-year quarterback is vs. inferior opponents. Maye already looks like a vet out there.
2. WR Efton Chism III Records First NFL Catch and Touchdown vs. Jets
With the Patriots down two starting wide receivers this week, injuries to Kayshon Boutte (concussion) and Mack Hollins (abdomen) presented an opportunity for undrafted rookie Efton Chism III.
While being active in just six games prior to Sunday, Chism had only played 25 offensive plays and didn't register a catch in those limited snaps. This week, Chism recorded his first-career catch and his first-career touchdown reception, finishing the game with two catches for 40 yards and a touchdown. Chism split time out wide (16 snaps) and in the slot (13 snaps), showing some good situational savvy to be alert to blitzes and work open in the red zone.
On the undrafted rookie's first catch as a pro, the Jets sent the house on a cover-zero blitz, something we wanted to see how the Patriots would counter. New York overloads the left side with the Pats sliding the line toward the right, with LT Vederian Lowe correctly blocking the inside rusher. Despite the free-runner in Maye's face, the Pats QB stands in there under pressure to hit Chism, who wins across the face of CB Jordan Clark on a slant for a 30-yard gain. The Pats haven't been attacking cover zero with slants much, but did so there, and Chism uncovered quickly against the blitz to give Maye an outlet against pressure.
"I saw the 'backer go (blitz), and I knew I had a chance," Chism said. "Just wish I had stayed up on my feet to score a touchdown for [Drake Maye]."
In the second half, Chism got his first career touchdown catch on a bootleg concept from inside the red zone. With the Patriots moving the pocket to Maye's right, Chism sells the block with an inside release before breaking out on the corner route against man coverage. Maye throws the ball low where only Chism can make a play on it, and the rookie finishes through some contact for six – a nice sliding catch by Chism.
With the Patriots sending Hollins to injured reserve, there's an open spot on the game-day roster for Chism moving forward. The hope is that Boutte will return for the postseason, giving New England five healthy wide receivers: Diggs, Boutte, Douglas, Williams, and Chism. One would expect that Chism will get the fifth game-day roster spot until Hollins is able to return.
3. WR Stefon Diggs Inches Closer to Seventh-Career 1,000-Yard Receiving Season
Along with his quarterback lighting up the scoreboard, Maye's go-to target continues to be four-time Pro Bowl wideout Stefon Diggs, who had his fifth 100-yard game of the season.
Despite taking his last snap in the third quarter, Diggs finished the game with six catches for 101 yards and a touchdown. He's now 30 yards shy of hitting the 1,000-yard mark for the seventh time in his career, a milestone that he'll likely hit in next Sunday's season-finale vs. the Dolphins at Gillette Stadium. Diggs continues to torch defenses on crossing routes, hitting two more crossers for 47 yards and connecting with Maye on a big 31-yard catch early in the game.
The Patriots wideout eclipsed the 900-yard mark with a sensational 31-yard catch working off-script with Maye. Diggs initially runs an out, but sees his quarterback extend the play to his right, so Diggs wheels up the sideline to get vertical against a cover-three zone coverage. Jets CB Qwan'Tez Stiggers had jumped Diggs' out route, so he finds himself out of phase when Diggs breaks off his route upfield. Then, Diggs climbs over Stiggers' back to haul in the pass.
"Scramble drill rules, you know. I try not to make it more than what it was. Scramble drill rules," Diggs said. "When you're trying to make plays for the quarterback, and you end up coming down with them, they usually trust you a little bit more."
Over the last two weeks, Diggs has back-to-back 100-yard receiving games, accumulating 15 catches for 239 receiving yards in wins over the Ravens and Jets. After a quieter start to the month of December, Diggs is rolling again now, right in time for the Patriots playoff run. Watching him and Maye working on Sundays is a treat – two elite players at the top of their games.
4. Patriots Cycle Through Eight Different Personnel Groupings Down Two Receivers
After the Patriots placed Hollins on injured reserve earlier this weekend, another storyline worth monitoring was how New England would handle life without its versatile wide receiver.
At 6-4, 220 pounds, Hollins is a big-bodied receiver who has great versatility as a pass-catcher and blocker, allowing the Patriots to blur the lines between three-receiver sets and heavy groupings. The Pats will likely continue to recreate Hollins' skill set with a mix of different personnel groupings, as they did on Sunday, using eight different personnel groupings vs. the Jets. Although they still majored in three receiver sets (22 plays), the Pats played 16 snaps in their jump six offensive line packages and played snaps in 21 and 12 personnel.
Hollins is a unique receiver due to his blocking ability and catch radius, but it seems as though the Patriots will be using their "rhino" packages (6 OL) and veteran tight ends (Hunter Henry and Austin Hooper) to get to similar run and play-action formations without Hollins.
5. CB Christian Gonzalez Goes Toe-to-Toe With Jets WR Adonai Mitchell for Second Time
After being traded to New York in the Sauce Gardner deal, Mitchell has flashed in a Jets uniform, with a 100-yard receiving game and some moments against Gonzalez in Week 11.
Mitchell doesn't have the quarterback play to truly shine with the Jets yet, and he has some warts to his game at the catch point, but the Jets wideout is a savvy route-runner. He created separation on three different routes against Gonzalez in the first matchup, but dropped all three passes, which masked some of the not-so-good reps by the Patriots Pro Bowl corner.
On Sunday, Gonzalez and Mitchell matched up six times, with Gonzalez allowing one catch for eight yards on five targets. From this vantage point, this was more like it from Gonzo, who had blanket coverage on Mitchell for most of the afternoon. The only reception Gonzlaez allowed to Mitchell was an 8-yard hitch on 3rd-and-10 for a failed third-down play. Plus, Gonzalez's tight coverage was the reason why Jets QB Brady Cook was intercepted in the first half.
The Patriots played the third down in man-free coverage, with man-to-man underneath a single-high safety. Mitchell ran his fade route from a condensed split in tight to the formation to the quarterback's left, matched up on Gonzalez. The Pats Pro Bowler blankets Mitchell on the deep target, while FS Jaylinn Hawkins ranges over the top from his perch to intercept the pass.
As head coach Mike Vrabel says, New England will need its best players to play their best come playoff time. After a shakier performance vs. the Ravens, Gonzalez shut down Mitchell on Sunday.
6. Patriots Starting Defense Limits Jets RB Breece Hall in First Three Quarters
The Patriots run defense was another phase we wanted to see improve, going up against Jets explosive RB Breece Hall, who came into the game with 24 explosive runs on the season. With the score getting out of hand quickly, it's hard to gauge how effective the Patriots run defense would've been as the game wore on. Having said that, Hall was mostly held in check besides a 19-yard run in the first three quarters, with his 59-yard touchdown run coming in the fourth quarter when the Patriots had their backups in the game.
Before pulling the starters in the fourth quarter, New England held Hall to 53 rushing yards on 12 attempts with three stuffed runs and only one explosive rush (19 yards). Hall did get away from a few tackles on a 21-yard check-down, but he didn't make a huge impact on the game. Hopefully, the run defense film backs up what the box score said in the first three quarters.
7. Patriots O-Line Holds Jets to 33.3% Pressure Rate Down Two Starters
Another area where the Patriots depth was tested was along the offensive line, where New England continues to play without standout rookie LT Will Campbell (knee, IR) and was missing LG Jared Wilson (concussion). On Sunday, super-sub Ben Brown, fresh off a contract extension with the team, started for Wilson at left guard. It was the second time that the Patriots started the following O-Line combination: LT Lowe, LG Brown, C Bradbury, RG Onwenu, RT Moses.
On the stat sheet, Maye was only under pressure on eight of his 24 drop-backs, or 33.3%, which is a manageable number. The Pats also had a 41% rushing success rate (61st percentile), but if there was one nitpick offensively in this game, it was short-yardage rushing. New England was only successful on one of its three late-down rush attempts, getting stuffed on a 3rd-and-goal from the NYJ 1. Those "power" situations will be critical in the postseason, either to move the chains or punch the ball into the end zone.
8. Patriots Limit Explosive Jets Return Units, K Andy Borregales Misses From 41 Yards
Another key to the game for the Patriots heading into Sunday's matchup was limiting the Jets explosive return units, with New York's special teams ranking first in DVOA and kickoff return average this season (30.1). On Sunday, the Pats special teams held the Jets to a 28.5-yard kickoff return average with a long of 35 yards, not too bad, while forcing two fair catches on punts. After allowing three big returns vs. the Bills, it was a good test against an explosive Jets return unit that the Patriots mostly passed. That said, Borregales missed a 41-yard field goal on a Dobbs drive, and the Patriots surrendered a successful fake punt, which they corrected on the Jets subsequent fake punt attempt later on the same drive.
"We learned when we touched the hot stove when we played Buffalo the second time around. Like, that wasn't us," captain Brenden Schooler said. "We did a good job relaying the message across the team the whole week, starting on Wednesday. Reiterating how important this phase is for us."
Overall, we probably shouldn't make any grand proclamations about the results in Sunday's win due to the level of competition, but the Patriots are back to making inferior teams look inferior, and that's a sign of a great football team.
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
