The Patriots and Jets will meet for the 131st time when New England travels to Met Life Stadium for a Week Three Thursday night matchup. The Pats are 16-9 all-time in Thursday games, including last year’s 21-18 win at Pittsburgh on Dec. 7, 2023. They are, however, just 7-6 as the Thursday road team, which is typically a disadvantage in the short week with a travel day on Wednesday. Fortunately, it will be a short trip for New England, which could mitigate that disadvantage somewhat.
The Patriots are 4-1 vs. the Jets on Thursday night with the lone loss coming in overtime (34-31) on Nov. 13, 2008, at Gillette Stadium when Jets quarterback Brett Favre out-dueled Matt Cassell. The infamous Mark Sanchez butt fumble game also occurred on a Thursday night (Thanksgiving) during a 49-19 Patriots blowout win in the Meadowlands on Nov. 22, 2012. New England is also 34-29 at the Jets all-time including 11-3 at Met Life Stadium
New England has won eight in a row on the road vs. the Jets, but this is the first time it will face New York with Aaron Rodgers under center. Rodgers led New York to a Week 2 win over the Tennessee Titans on Sunday while New England fell to Seattle at home. Rodgers left the Packers to join the Jets last season, ruptured his Achilles in Week 1 and missed the season. Last week was his first win as the Jets QB. It’s a tad bit ironic that the only Jets win over New England on a Thursday came when another long-time Packers QB – Favre – was leading the Jets.
While much of New England’s dominance of the Jets occurred with Tom Brady was calling signals, it is still 7-1 vs. in the series post-Brady. The second meeting in 2022 ended dramatically when Marcus Jones returned a punt 84 yards for a touchdown with :05 left in the game to break a 3-3 tie for a 10-3 Patriots win.
New England is coming off a 23-20 overtime loss to Seattle and, like the Jets, sits at 1-1. The Jets defense is tough, and the Patriots struggles in the passing game – particularly in pass protection – will make continuing their dominance over New York a tall task.
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).
The series:
- The Patriots lead the all-time series, 74-55-1
- 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 35-29 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)
