The Patriots went into their Week 8 matchup with the Jets on a six-game losing streak with no end in sight. They hadn't fared well against their divisional rival when they met in Week 3, and although New York had been struggling far more than expected, there was little hope New England would accomplish anything more than their weak performance on Thursday Night Football.
They were considered the underdogs again, with only quarterback Drake Maye as the beacon of hope. So when he went down after an illegal (but not penalized) helmet-to-helmet hit early in the second quarter, it seemed like a done deal for the Jets to add another win to their disappointing season.
All signs pointed to that being their inevitable fate, especially knowing that Jacoby Brissett would be taking over under center and had been far from impressive during the first five games. But the impossible became possible, with the offense doing what needed to be done to win the game. It wasn't just scoring a late fourth-quarter touchdown but also a successful two-point conversion, giving the Jets the football with only 22 seconds remaining in the game.
Getting the win over an Aaron Rodgers-led team and one that had been lauded as a Super Bowl frontrunner was pretty sweet, but seeing how historical the win was makes it even better.
The Jets make unfortunate (and impossible) history in their Week 8 loss to the Patriots
Looking at the stat sheet for this game without seeing the final score, there is no reason to believe the Patriots managed to get the win. Although Rodgers was far from his MVP form, he still put together a mostly solid performance, greatly helped by wide receiver Garrett Wilson's breakout game.
It was also the second game since reuniting with Davante Adams and the welcome back game for Hasaan Reddick, but it was not enough to stop the determined Patriots.
In fact, it's the first time that a team that committed zero turnovers and held their opponent to less than 250 yards lost a game since the Packers lost to the Seahawks in 2012. To make matters even worse, a team that accomplished all of that plus scored 20+ points hasn't lost a game since 1940.
The Jets became the first team since 1940 to lose a game while:
— The 33rd Team (@The33rdTeamFB) October 28, 2024
- Scoring 20+ points
- Committing 0 turnovers
- & Holding their opponent under 250 yards of offense
Teams were previously 756-0 under those conditions 🤯
H/T @fbgchase https://t.co/TgAfq1MScB pic.twitter.com/3aDmU12rkB
The Jets' demise gives the Patriots even more reason to celebrate their unlikely win. It helps that they also essentially ended their playoff hopes this year and are now forcing the team to reevaluate every decision they've made, potentially regretting their acquisition of Rodgers via trade.
Even if New England didn't play their best, they still did enough to get the win, and it couldn't have happened against a better team. It made for an even better victory Monday.