The New England Patriots picked up a massive win last week to advance to 3-2 on the season, putting them back in the race to defend their AFC East crown following a win over the Bills and a demolition of the Raiders.
Drake Maye's resurgence (8 total touchdowns and 2 total turnovers) played a massive role in the team claiming both victories while missing both A.J. Brown and Christian Gonzalez, along with numerous other key players.
While the Patriots should feel justifiably confident going into their game against the Jets on Sunday, they need to be wary. This Jets team isn't the Brady Cook-led squad that trailed by 32 at halftime during Week 17 of last season. Additions like Demario Davis and Minkah Fitzpatrick have solidified Aaron Glenn's defense, while Geno Smith returned to the team that drafted him.
Smith beat New England with a subpar Raiders squad in Week 1 last year, and has yet to throw an interception in 2026. While players like Smith, Davis, Fitzpatrick, and Garrett Wilson will, of course, be on New England's radar, three other Jets stick out as players who could jeopardize a three-game winning streak.
Patriots need to be especially wary of these three Jets on Sunday
WR Tim Patrick
At face value, listing Patrick seems like an odd choice. But after the last two weeks of Patriots football, it makes plenty of sense.
The Patriots allowed a 100-yard receiver in both of their recent wins, despite both games seeing them display solid enough defensive performances. Those two players were Keon Coleman and Brock Bowers, who have one thing in common: height.
The 6-foot-3 Coleman totaled 116 yards and a touchdown on six catches, his first time hitting the century mark since Week 1 of 2025. Bowers, meanwhile, managed to get the best of Marcus Jones with his height despite sticky coverage.
Garrett Wilson is a known threat, but with Adonai Mitchell out and both Kenyon Sadiq and Omar Cooper Jr. questionable, Tim Patrick has a massive opportunity. After making two grabs for 26 yards in his debut last week, the 6-foot-5 veteran can capitalize against a team that's struggled with size.
NT T'Vondre Sweat
The Patriots' offensive line is depleted. Will Campbell was limited in practice this week and is questionable to play, while the same goes for Morgan Moses. They're also down to their third option at right guard, Ben Brown, following a season-ending injury to Mike Onwenu and Greg Van Roten being placed on injured reserve.
The running game has been far from elite this season, and with TreVeyon Henderson questionable for Sunday's game, don't expect it to get any better. Furthermore, when behemoths like T'Vondre Sweat clog the running lanes, finding consistency on the ground can be incredibly difficult.
The Jets have allowed 118 rushing yards per game thus far, but held the Browns' running backs last week to 56 yards from 15 carries (3.7 YPC). Deshaun Watson's 40 yards from six attempts accounted for the improved team average.
The Patriots may be able to take advantage of the Jets allowing nearly 7 yards per carry to Watson via Maye's legs, but Sweat and Co. pose a real threat up the middle of the offensive line, particularly with a third-string right guard and uncertainty at left tackle.
EDGE David Bailey
The Jets seem to have found a game-wrecker in No. 2 overall pick David Bailey. He's logged a 15% pressure rate while notching five sacks in as many games, with three coming in the Jets' eight-sack showing against Cleveland last week. Bailey logged a ridiculous 29% pressure rate in that game.
New England will need to stay ahead of the chains on Sunday, especially with the lack of certainty at left tackle. If rookie Caleb Lomu needs to step in for Campbell as he did on Sunday, the good news is that he won his matchup against Bailey when Utah faced off against Texas Tech last year.
Caleb Lomu vs David Bailey 👀 pic.twitter.com/1lu4T2jwcb
— Drake 10 (@HoodiDrake) April 24, 2026
Nonetheless, Bailey is coming off a dominant performance and will be out for revenge if Lomu is to start. Alternatively, the rising star could face off against a less-than-100-percent Campbell and an inconsistent Morgan Moses. Despite not allowing a sack this season, Moses conceded a season-high four pressures while being penalized twice against Vegas.
Using tight ends and running backs to chip Bailey could be a nice way to slow him down as he prepares to face New England's patchwork offensive line.
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