Patriots end rising narrative in comeback rally to beat the Jets in Week 8

When your starting quarterback goes down, it's very easy for guys to get down on themselves and just give up. It's something nobody likes to see, even if it's just precautionary, as was the case in Patriots' rookie Drake Maye leaving Sunday's game against the New York Jets with a concussion.

Head coach Jerod Mayo said after the game that Maye wanted to go back in, but the team doctors weren't taking any chances with their prized rookie, and in stepped veteran Jacoby Brissett, who started New England's first five games before Maye took over.

It would've been easy for the Patriots to get sour and just pack it in, but instead, the team rallied around the veteran signal-caller and the result was a 25-22 win over the Jets that ended New England's six-game losing streak and eight-game home losing streak.

You have to give the Patriots credit for not giving in and picking up a much-needed victory. Things did not look pleasant when the Patriots had the ball on their own 20-yard line late in the first half with two timeouts and elected to run out the clock, resulting in a chorus of boos from the Foxborough faithful.

But a telling sign happened on the first sequence of the second half.

Patriots showed a different side of the team by scratching out the win in Week 8

The Patriots' defense forced a 3-and-out, Marcus Jones returned a punt 67 yards deep into Jets' territory, and Brissett and the offense finished that short drive off with a two-yard touchdown run by Rhamondre Stevenson.

That was a turning point in the game. The Patriots trailed 13-7 at halftime and had the Jets scored on that first drive of the third quarter; it likely would've sealed New England's fate. But Jones, the ultimate Swiss army knife, gave the Patriots a jumpstart.

Brissett went on to engineer a game-winning 12-play, 70-yard drive in the final three minutes, just after the Jets had taken a 22-17 lead. That drive epitomized Brissett's heart and character. He's a team-first guy who has done everything to help Maye since the rookie was given the starting job. That's a vital locker room dynamic and can explain why the Patriots' offense rallied around Brissett.

Mayo called his team soft after last week's loss to the Jaguars. He was on the verge of losing his locker room. Rallying around Brissett in this win against the Jets somewhat dismisses that narrative. The Patriots showed their mental toughness. They accepted their coach's challenge and met it while dealing with some in-game adversity. That's a sign of growth and a sign of toughness.

If Maye is healthy for next Sunday's game at Tennessee, there's no doubt he'll be back under center. But Sunday's win over the Jets proves why having a capable backup like Brissett is helpful. He didn't turn the ball over and only took one sack. Brissett doesn't push the ball down the field the way Maye does, but boy, did he step up when the team needed him Sunday.

Maybe this is the subtle moment that can turn this season upward for the Patriots, with a winnable game against Tennessee, which got smacked by the Lions on Sunday, looming.

More Patriots news and analysis: