The New England Patriots (5-4) host the New York Jets (6-3) on Sunday (1pm).

The Jets are coming off a bye week, after a huge win over the Bills, and will look to fold that rest and momentum into a revenge game against the Patriots. With a week to gameplan, HC Bill Belichick should have his squad in order. There were no splashy trade deadline acquisitions, so if the team is going to improve in the second half of the season, it falls on the shoulders of the same players who muddled to 5-4 in the first half.

Last week’s action

Whoah! The Patriots didn’t play last week, but there’s plenty of action to report in the AFC East.

Start with the Jets upset over the Buffalo Bills in Week 9. QB Josh Allen and the Bills looked like the class of the league going into that game, but a tough Jets defense kept the pressure on and forced enough errors to squeak out the win. Combined with a dominant win by the Dolphins over the Browns, the AFC East standings have reshuffled Miami (7-3) all the way to the top, with the Jets (6-3) in second, and the Bills (6-3) losing the tiebreaker to sit in the third spot.

That leaves the Patriots (5-4) bringing up the rear in fourth. Not ideal, sure, but first place is well within striking distance. This is the season of parity. Aside from a few stinkers, every team is dangerous and in the mix. Why not the Patriots?

What we’re wondering

Is the Patriots’ second half of the season as bad as everyone is saying? New England started off the year in the middle of the pack for strength of schedule, ranked 16th with an opponent winning percentage of .498.

Fast forward to Week 11, the Patriots remaining strength of schedule intensifies, ranked 3rd with an opponent winning percentage of .595. The team will face a string of tough opponents, including many from their own division and enjoying a great year: the Bills, the Dolphins, the Jets. At least two of those are a threat to make deep playoff runs. Other second half opponents include the Vikings (8-1) and the always dangerous Bengals (5-4) looking to break out of their early season struggles. 

Are the Patriots up for the challenge?

What we’re watching for

LB Matt Judon to go berserk, as usual. The defender has been a highlight-maker all season, reminding Patriots’ fans what a reliable, high-performing elite football player looks like. In a season with less and less to root for, tracking Judon’s horse in the league-wide sack race has been a bright spot.

Watch how the New England gameplan plays out. In fact, watch how the gameplan unfolds on each side of the field. The Patriots and Jets face each other again, with only one intervening game (plus the bye week) to review and revise their approach. When they last met, the Patriots’ defense flummoxed QB Zach Wilson while QB Mac Jones did just enough to eke out the win. Don’t count on Wilson learning from his mistakes with such a short turnaround time. That being said, his coaching staff will take care not to let their offense fall into the same traps again. The Patriots are going to have to come up with a few new tricks to bag their second win against a team that already beat the class of the division and is hungry for more.

For Boston Fans

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

LISTEN: 98.5 The Sports Hub

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