Does the addition of Sam Darnold make the Jets a threat to New England?
Sam Darold made his return to the New York Jets last week after being sidelined for three weeks with mono. He led the Jets to their first win of the season over the Dallas Cowboys and eared himself AFC offensive player of the week awards. He torched the Cowboys’ defense for 338 yards and two touchdowns. A lot of people expected Darold to regress after coming back from mono because of the effects it would have on his body. Generally speaking, people with mono lose a considerable amount of weight, which is detrimental to a football player. However, Darnold looked very good in his return. His next challenge is the daunted defense of the New England Patriots.
The Patriots’ defense is well on their way to breaking multiple records if they continue to play like they have through six weeks. The Jets have played the Patriots already this season, but this was while Darnold was out with his illness. Is there a chance he can give the Jets that little extra push they need to beat the Patriots on Monday Night Football? The Patriots are currently 10 point favorites in this matchup and have been on a roll since the season started. They have 11 full days of rest and recovery, which was a huge concern going into that Thursday night game against the Giants in week 6. Besides the return of their franchise quarterback Sam Darnold, they Jets have one more thing going for them. This is a home game for the Jets and after a big win like they had over the Cowboys last week, something tells me that MetLife Stadium will be electric on Monday night.
So what does New England need to do to keep their undefeated streak alive? Above all else, they need to win the turnover battle. This has been the foundation of the Patriots‘ success for the last 20 years, and Monday night is no different. All it takes is one turnover, and that stadium will explode. If Sam Darnold starts to get hot and gets his confidence up against that defense, they have a chance to steal this game from New England. If New England can hang on to the ball and keep that rowdy crowd out of the game, they have a good chance of getting the job done. The Jets’ defense is talented and considering the Patriots’ recent struggles in the kicking department, they need to convert when they are in the red zone. I believe the defense will do their job against the Jets, but fluke plays happen. Josh McDaniels and Tom Brady need to focus on giving helping their defense out by giving them some breathing room.
Division games can always go either way, so it is important that New England get a win against an inferior Jets’ team to keep their lead over the rest of the AFC. I believe New England’s offense will come out looking much sharper than they did in week 6, but Sam Darnold will keep the Jets for the first half. A couple of costly turnovers will give New England the cushion they need to coast to the finish line. Patriots will win by a score of 34-16.