EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — One after another, the Patriots didn’t mince words.
“We came out and got our a— kicked,” safety Jabrill Peppers said after Thursday’s 24-3 loss to the Jets. “Plain and simple.”
“They just beat our a—, to be honest with you,” added quarterback Jacoby Brissett.
The Jets handled the Patriots from the jump at MetLife Stadium, owning the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. The Pats held the ball for fewer than 20 minutes for the first time in almost 10 years, as New York piled up 133 rushing yards and 27 first downs in a ball-control approach. Aaron Rodgers went 27-of-35 for 281 yards and two touchdowns in his first game as an AFC East foe, unbothered by a meek pass rush and the Pats’ coverage disguises.
“Personally, I played like s—,” defensive lineman Keion White lamented. “I’m not going to lie to you.”
Rodgers even beat Pats star corner Christian Gonzalez on a touchdown pass to Garrett Wilson, whom Gonzalez shadowed most of the game. Wilson’s five catches tied for the team lead, while fellow receiver Allen Lazard bullied his way to a touchdown by dragging Pats cornerback Alex Austin toward the end zone in the first quarter.
“We just didn’t play well at all,” Peppers said. “Too many missed tackles. Missed assignments. Lack of hustle at times. Just super uncharacteristic of us.”
Defensively, the Jets set an even fiercer tone.
They collected seven sacks and 15 quarterback hits, bullying a backup Patriots offensive line that lost multiple starters to injury mid-game. According to Next Gen Stats, Brissett and rookie quarterback Drake Maye were pressured on 63% of their dropbacks, an unthinkable number. Maye ended the game on his back, having taken a sack just before time expired.
Star running back Rhamondre Stevenson finished with just 23 rushing yards, his fewest in a complete game since Week 6 of his rookie season. He also fumbled for a third straight week.
“We just gotta look at the film, just go back to the drawing board and figure it out,” Stevenson said. “Figure out how to win.”
The Pats offense managed a single play longer than 20 yards, and got buried under a barrage of blitz pressure. Before their final drive in garbage time, the Patriots picked up seven first downs. That led to Brissett getting pulled and Maye entering to suffer the same fate at the controls of an offense beat down by an unrelenting rival.
“It’s not good. We have to be better up front,” said Pats center David Andrews. “We’re going to work and try to do everything we can to be better. That’s not sustainable, and it’s not winning football.”
The Jets have now beaten the Patriots in consecutive games for the first time since Sept. 2009. The Pats will take the field again next weekend at San Francisco in a Week 4 clash.
