The New England Patriots (3-4) visit the New York Jets (5-2) on Sunday (1pm).

The dysfunctional Jets are 5-2 while the Patriots are stuck in the mud under .500. What is going on? Let’s not accuse the long-suffering New York squad of having found a winning formula, never mind a winning QB, but the team is clearly on a hot streak. Can Belichick and company win a “spit-in-the-eye” game against an organization that he was head coach of for about half a day? For old time’s sake?

Last week’s action

Oof. The Patriots fell to the lowly Chicago Bears, 33-14. And it didn’t even feel that close by the end. 

The Boston Globe’s Chad Finn previewed the Monday Night matchup with the headline “Regardless of who plays quarterback, the Patriots shouldn’t have much trouble with the Bears.” That take didn’t hold up, but the reporter was far from alone in projecting New England dominance over the hapless Bears. 

Sure, the QB situation was a bit muddled, with Mac Jones starting before getting pulled for Bailey Zappe in the second quarter. But the defense was shaping up nicely through six games and would carry the load in the seventh, right?

Wrong. The New England Patriots made the Chicago Bears look like worldbeaters in a prime time spot. Bill Belichick and company had no solution to the Bears’ running game, which featured QB Justin Fields leading his team with yards on the ground.

Many of those yards were gained on ugly, busted play after play in which Fields opted to run for it after not seeing any targets to his liking (he rarely does). It was more than a “safety valve” or “panic button” play. It was the driving force of the Bears entire offense and the Patriots could not stop it. The middling play of QB Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe was not enough to make the day competitive.

Nice catch and effort TD by Jakobi Meyer though.

What we’re wondering

Who’s the starting quarterback? (Or, does it even matter?) Things are getting ugly in New England as fans were chanting for Bailey Zappe while Mac Jones was still figuring things out in the first half. Zappe brought some spark with a few long, beautiful passes, including a moonbeam to WR Davante Parker – exactly the kind of 50/50 ball catch that everyone has been looking for him to make. The spark was enough to pull ahead for a few moments in the second quarter, but the rookie QB’s inexperience was exposed later with drive-killing turnovers.

How’s that offensive line doing? Once upon a time standout OT Isaiah Wynn was inactive for the Bears game. He was listed with injury, but the coaching staff may be playing games with the lackluster lineman who was benched mid game earlier in the season. The pieces are still being pushed around the board for the offensive line, struggling to find the right personnel and chemistry. What combination will appear on the field versus the Jets, and will they do a better job than last week when constant pressure produced too many turnovers?

Can the Pats D rediscover its mojo? The unit was a strength of the team, but looked like a weakness against the Bears. With Jets RB Breece Hall out with injury and QB Zach Wilson never more than ordinary, New England can find ways to trouble New York, hot streak or not. Will it?

As for the Jets, their recent acquisition of RB James Robinson (from the Jaguars) shows they want more than to rebuild. After a long stretch of losing, HC Robert Saleh wants to compete and he wants to win. Now. On paper the Patriots are more than beatable for a streaking Jets squad. But can Saleh and company get over the psychological hump to win a winnable game against a Hall of Fame coach? Or will Belichick engineer a win to pass OG HC George Halas in the all-time coaching records?

What we’re watching for

Watch the eyes and body language of the Patriots’ two quarterbacks. Will one, or both, or neither of them crumble under the pressure of a contrived QB controversy? With a superior track record a healthy QB Mac Jones should get the start. But sometimes Belichick gets too enamored with his mind games, running the risk of outsmarting himself and his players.

Watch for more consistent play on the offensive line. It has been a clear area of concern over the past few games. The Patriots have a solid track record of identifying problem areas on the offensive line and fixing them. The trend should continue, even without the veteran guidance of retired-OL coach Dante Scarnecchia in the house.

Watch for another star-powered game from LB Matt Judon.

Watch for the Jets running game to hit the ground running. RB Breece Hall was special, but a successful ground game is also about good schemes, good OL personnel, good run blocking. If New York can move the ball on the ground as well as Chicago did, it’s lights out Patriots.

For Boston Fans

WATCH: Boston, Mass. WBZ-TV Ch. 4

LISTEN: 98.5 The Sports Hub

#humpFL #foreverNE #TakeFlight