It is a different time in the AFC East. Looking back at the last nine seasons, the division has had at least two teams finish above .500 in eight of those nine with a third team at or near .500 in several other instances. In 2018, only the Patriots finished above .500. In 2021, three AFC East teams finished with winning records.
Through seven weeks this year, only one team – the Bills – has a winning record. Miami is 2-4, the Jets are 2-5 and New England sits at the bottom of the standings at 1-6.
So a week after two 1-5 teams – the Patriots and Jaguars – met in London, the 1-6 Patriots get set to host the 2-5 Jets. So it’s not exactly a battle for AFC supremacy, but regardless of the records, it’s still a Boston-New York rivalry situation.
The Patriots expected some struggles this year as they look to rebuild with a new coach and some transitioning players, including a rookie quarterback drafted third overall. The Jets, meanwhile, expected to be in a much different position. They signed star quarterback Aaron Rodgers last year and he ruptured his Achilles in the first quarter of his first game in Jets green. With his return to the starting lineup and a solid defense, the Jets hoped to contend for the AFC East title. That still could happen as they sit three games behind the 5-2 Bills with 10 games to go, but they need to find their way quickly.
They fired head coach Robert Saleh after a 2-3 start and have proceeded to lose their last two as well, including last week after acquiring wide receiver Davanta Adams from the Raiders. One of their two wins, however, was a 24-3 win over the Patriots in Week 3 in which Rodgers had a solid night, completing 27-of-35 passes for 281 yards and two touchdowns.
Following that win, the Jets have only scored 20 points in a game once – a 23-20 loss to Buffalo – and have lost four straight. The Patriots, of course, are on a six-game losing streak, which hasn’t happened in these parts since 1993. That season – Bill Parcells’ first as head coach – New England lost its first four, won a game, and then lost its next seven to sit at 1-11 before winning its last four. The 1992 and 1990 teams had losing streaks of nine and 14, respectively.
So here we are. The Patriots are trying to find a way to get a win, which is something they haven’t done at Gillette Stadium this season. In fact, dating back to last season, New England has lost eight in a row at home including all three this season. Its last win at Gillette was a 29-25 win over Buffalo on Oct. 22, 2023. It will be 370 days since a home win when the Pats kick off against New York.
The Patriots have also lost two in a row against the Jets after winning 15 straight against their New York rival between 2016 and 2023.
The teams have played every year since 1960 when they were both part of the inaugural American Football League season (the Jets were the NY Titans from 1960-1962) making this the 65th consecutive season the Patriots and Jets have renewed their division rivalry. New England’s 74 wins vs. the Jets are the second most against any opponent (78 vs. Buffalo).
This week’s game will mark the 132nd matchup between the two clubs. It will be the first meeting that includes Jets interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich leading New York. It also will be Patriots rookie quarterback Drake Maye’s first taste of the Jets-Patriots rivalry. Maye is the first quarterback since Dan Marino to eclipse 500 passing yards and throw five touchdown passes in his first two starts. Both quarterbacks lost those first two starts. Marino’s first win came in his fourth start.
The series:
- The Patriots lead the all-time series, 74-56-1
- The Patriots longest winning streak against the Jets is 15 games (2016-2023)
- The Jets longest winning streak against New England is nine games (1966-1970)
- The Patriots are 39-26-1 at home (one “home” loss played at Legion Field in Birmingham, Ala.), and 35-30 on the road in the series
- There have been six overtime games in the series and New England is 2-4 in those games
- New England had a 15-game series winning streak broken in the 2023 season finale
- The series dates to Sept. 16, 1960 (a 28-24 Patriots win in New York)
- The Jets largest margin of victory is 38 (45-7 home win on Sept. 26, 1993)
- The Patriots largest margin of victory is 53 (56-3 home win on Sept. 9, 1979)
- The Jets have won the last two meetings, including a 24-3 win earlier this year
