Ten Takeaways From the Patriots Thursday Night Football Loss

After playing two tightly contested games, the New England Patriots record sat at 1-1 entering their Thursday Night Football matchup against the New York Jets. Either of their first two games could have been won by either team. There was only one team that appeared to have a chance to win on Thursday night. Unfortunately for New England, it was not the Patriots. The Jets dominated wire-to-wire, winning by a final score of 24-3.

Ten takeaways from the Patriots Week 3 loss:

Can’t Afford a Slow Start

The Jets began the game with the ball. The Patriots’ defense forced a punt on the opening possession, but not before New York gained some ground. The Jets’ offense picked up two first downs and kept the Patriots’ defense on the field for 4:54 before punting. Deatrich Wise Jr. had the defensive highlight of the drive with a sack.

New England then went three-and-out with only 1:32 time of possession. New York then drove down for a 58-yard drive culminating in a 10-yard touchdown pass for the first score of the game: 7-0 New York Jets lead.

Also Read – Pro Football Hall of Fame Nominees Include 21 New England Patriots

Inept Offensive Gets Patriots Little Hope

The New England Patriots offense generated 40 yards of total offense in the first half. They went three-and-out to start the second half. Winning is difficult when the offense is struggling. Winning becomes nearly impossible when the offense struggles and the defense is not getting enough stops. After each team had one second-half possession, New York led 21-3.

8️⃣ to 5️⃣

Garrett Wilson grabs his first TD from Aaron Rodgers!#NEvsNYJ on Prime Video
Also streaming on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/FD2MMsD6pY

— NFL (@NFL) September 20, 2024

At that point, the Jets had lopsided advantages in passing yards (206-18), rushing yards (112-28), and total yards (318-46). Most glaring might have been the time of possession, which New York was leading 27:53 to 10:49.

Defense Deserves Blame Too

The New England Patriots offense has been an easy target for blame for the past two years. The team was unable to score points, wasting many impressive defensive efforts. Thursday Night Football was not one of those nights. New England’s defense was just as unproductive as their offense. Aaron Rodgers looked incredibly comfortable in the pocket all night. Even when Rodgers was forced out of the pocket, he appeared to calmly survey the field as he moved away from the rush. Aside from Wise’s sack on the first drive, Joshua Uche, at the end of the third quarter, recorded New England’s only other sack of the night.

Nothing hurt the defense more than their inability to stop the New York Jets on third down. The Jets continually kept drives alive on third-and-long situations. Even if they didn’t result in points, which they often did, it kept the Patriots’ defense on the field longer. Every time either team could make a big play to affect momentum, the Jets seemed to be the ones to make it.

Thirteen missed tackles costing the team 100 yards didn’t do themselves any favors either.

No Pass Protection for Jacoby Brissett

No Longer a Run First Team?

The New England Patriots gave up on running the ball very early in the night. New England ran the ball 39 times for 170 yards against Cincinnati in Week 1. They followed up that effort with 36 rushes for 185 yards on Sunday vs. Seattle. They stated before the season they were a “run first” team and proved to be just that. Against New York, the game plan changed drastically.

Rhamondre Stevenson carried six times for 23 yards. Antonio Gibson had no carries until the fourth quarter. He finished with five rushes for 29 yards. New England ran the ball only 15 times for 78 yards in the game, most coming in the fourth quarter with the game already out of reach. Stevenson also fumbled on his final carry of the night. It was his third fumble of the season, though the first one lost.

DeMario Douglas Gets Involved a Bit

New England failed to get DeMario Douglas involved in the offense enough in the first two games. Brissett targeted him twice, resulting in two receptions for 12 yards. It is simply not enough touches for one of the few bona fide playmakers on the Patriots offense. A more concerted effort was made to get the ball in his hands on Thursday night.

Also Read – Kelley: Why Are the Patriots Wide Receivers Lacking Pop?

Douglas finished the night with seven receptions for 69 yards. He ran the ball once for a nine-yard gain. While the numbers might look modest, it was certainly a step in the right direction. It was also a large percentage of New England’s offense, given they finished with only 139 total yards.

.@popshotta3 getting out in space.

📺: @NFLonPrime pic.twitter.com/PdZeMUgGjA

— New England Patriots (@Patriots) September 20, 2024

Aaron Rodgers is Still REALLY Good

He might be the NFL’s oldest active player, but Aaron Rodgers can still play football effectively. He finished the night 27 of 35 passing for 281 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions. He posted those numbers without looking like he broke a sweat. He might not be the MVP-caliber player he once was, but he is good enough to lead a team to victory and pick apart an overmatched opponent.

Drake Maye’s NFL Debut

With 4:24 remaining in the fourth quarter, the New York Jets leading 24-3, Drake Maye took the field with the New England Patriots offense. He played only one drive, but it resulted in the clock running out with the Patriots at the Jets’ 12-yard line. Maye completed  4 of 8 passes for 22 yards. He also rushed twice for 12 yards. New York sacked him twice. It was not a memorable performance, aside from it being Maye’s NFL debut, but it was good to see him get a taste of game action.

Drake Maye scrambles to convert 4th and long pic.twitter.com/TkxrJRnkqK

— Ben Brown 🌻 (@BenBrownPL) September 20, 2024

More Injuries for New England

The Patriots lost three players during the game due to injury. Most notable was safety Jabrill Peppers. The captain left with an ankle injury and did not return. OG Michael Jordan (knee) and CB Alex Austin (ankle) also left due to injury. Updates on their condition will be posted here as they become available.

New England Patriots Stars of the Game

It was tough picking three starts when the Patriots lost. Getting blown out makes it even tougher. Just the same:

First Star – Bryce Baringer
Second Star – Raekwon McMillan
Third Star – DeMario Douglas