Five bold predictions: what happens as the Patriots take on the Jets?
By Fran Brown
Five bold predictions for Patriots in week eleven
Patriots score at least two red zone touchdowns
This is getting bold considering New England’s red zone woes through nine games. They rank 28th in the NFL in red zone touchdown percentage scoring 12 touchdowns in 26 trips (46.2%). On the other side of the ball is a Jets team that is surprising only mediocre in the red area, ranking 17th in the league. So where do the Patriots turn?
They have tried running the ball quite a bit in the red zone but to no avail as their last touchdown inside the 20 running the ball came against the Bears. With David Andrews back and Damien Harris healthy, they might fare better running the ball. The other option is dusting off the tight ends. Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith combined to catch 10 red zone touchdowns a year ago, where have they been? Maybe the coaching staff figured things out during the bye, and we see some touchdowns near the goal line.