Jets Take Early Victory Lap… Then Remember They’re the Jets
November 14, 2025
The Jets headed into Foxborough riding a two game winning streak after their 0-7 start to the season. Surprising wins over the Bengals and Bears had them looking to add a third straight over the surging Patriots. The squad would look a little different, though, as they traded away Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams at the deadline and they continue to figure out who will be stepping up in their place.
New York took the opening possession and performed beautifully. Milking 8 minutes off the game clock and closing it off with a touchdown. It was masterful and had Patriot fans a little uneasy, given how difficult division games can be on a short week, but Drake Maye got the ball and all was forgotten as they settled in. The Patriot offense took until the second quarter to get rolling but once they put up their 14 points, they never surrendered the lead.
With Rhamondre Stevenson sidelined again, the backfield was all TreVeyon Henderson. All he did was SHINE in the spotlight by scoring all three touchdowns on the night. The first two came in the second quarter where we really got to see his quick feet and decision making. If you want to say he was pushed into the endzone on the first touchdown, I’ll give you that, but he still got himself into position for that scenario to play out while taking a few Jets ankles with him. The second touchdown was a beautiful cut followed by acceleration you often only see from guys on Jahmyr Gibbs level. Henderson, like Gibbs, appears to be playing at a different speed as everyone else and once he makes that cut, he’s gone. Drake Maye was responsible for much of the yardage getting down into the red zone as his 281 yards on the night went to multiple targets. Stefon Diggs was the big winner as he just always seemed open, tallying a 100 yard effort before the final whistle. Maye also connected with Hollins and Henry for large chunks when needed and he’d eventually connect with Henderson in the endzone to seal the victory.
The Patriot offense allowed just one sack and provided Maye with a clean pocket most of the night. Maye showed just how far he’s come in his development a few times by manipulating the pocket when pressure was getting there to buy himself more time. He had a masterful “Josh Allen-esque” play where he was running to the sideline and at the very last second found a way to dump it to Stefon Diggs before stepping out of bounds. The type of play that you typically only see from the greats in the sport. No, I will not say his name here!!
New England’s defense was just as dominant. Truthfully, Justin Fields makes it easy for any team to stop them by being so one dimensional. Defenses can crowd the line and stop the run knowing the probability that Fields will sling it downfield is low – Especially with Garrett Wilson now on IR. AD Mitchell was a piece returned in the trade from the Sauce Gardner deal that had a few bad drops. One or two could partially be blamed on a lack of chemistry with his quarterback as Fields rocketed him a pass for no reason or poorly placed it where someone like Garrett WIlson would have a feel for where the ball was going. I like Mitchell long term and think he’ll be fine as their eventual WR3, but he’ll get some heat with how things looked in the spotlight of TNF.
Mike Vrabel was hired in January and appears to be a perfect fit for this Patriots team. During his post game interview with the TNF crew, he stated that Drake Maye was the reason he came to New England and went on to say, “I knew what he would be, and it was important for me to come here. And that’s someone I wanted to coach. And so building a program is about that. It’s about putting great people around your really good players. That’s what Drake is for us.”
With Maye sitting right next to him, he was next asked what that means to hear his coach say that about him: “It means the world. It goes both ways. I can’t thank Coach enough for what he’s done, what he’s gonna do for my career, for my life. And like I said, he brings it every day. He said this, and he’ll text me later tonight about something I could have done better in the game. He’s constant, he’s awesome, and we love playing for him. I love playing for him.”
The good vibes are STRONG in New England. They’ve got their coach, they have their quarterback, and now they’re a strong 9-2 with a favorable schedule down the stretch. It was a matchup of two teams in very different situations but both have their sights set on different upcoming goals to keep them motivated and headed in the right direction.
Keith, Author
Keith runs youth flag football leagues by day, and by night he hosts the podcast and writes articles with the confidence of a man who’s been rushing quarterbacks since dial-up. A longtime flag football DE and lifelong Falcons fan, he’s no stranger to heartbreak and enjoys watching the bears get slaughtered each week. Equal parts coach, critic, and chaos, Keith calls it like he sees it… even if it hurts.
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