Here’s who stood out and struggled vs. Jets

FOXBOROUGH – The Patriots prevailed of their first prime time house recreation at Gillette Stadium since 2023.

Evening video games have been scarce to this point within the Drake Maye period, however the younger MVP candidate got here although with one other correct efficiency that put the Patriots in place to handle enterprise.

He received loads of assistance on Thursday night time. His offensive line held up properly. TreVeyon Henderson ran exhausting briefly yardage conditions, plunging into the top zone for a pair of 7-yard touchdowns.

Stefon Diggs put collectively a productive recreation after a shaky begin. Mack Hollins and Hunter Henry caught each move thrown their approach.

The sport adopted a well-known sample. New England as soon as once more opened with a sloppy opening drive on protection that resulted in a rating from an opponent. They took a slim lead into halftime earlier than pulling away within the third quarter.

Justin Fields offered some issues early within the recreation along with his legs, however the Patriots in the end did a pleasant job of holding him contained. The run protection was robust. They weren’t in a position to get to the quarterback a lot, however their protection within the secondary helped them get stops.

Make it eight wins in a row for the red-hot Patriots, who’re all of the sudden barrelling down the stretch with a possible playoff look in sight.

Right here’s a take a look at who stood out and struggled within the win.

Top off

Drake Maye

Maye’s poise underneath strain stood out on this one. He seems fearless when he steps up into the pocket, and his fast toes helped him keep away from would-be sacks on a number of events.

For the primary time shortly, he didn’t have any spectacular deep throws – his longest completion went 26 yards to DeMario Douglas.

However he was extraordinarily correct. He accomplished his first 11 passing makes an attempt of the sport and unfold the ball round to quite a lot of targets.

His pocket consciousness and the best way he used his athleticism to increase performs performed an enormous position in his capability to ship the ball precisely. A superb efficiency from the second-year quarterback.

TreVeyon Henderson

Final week, Henderson’s velocity proved to be an excessive amount of for at Atlanta.

The Jets, for essentially the most half, have been in a position to comprise the speedy second-year again this week, however his decided strategy to ending runs resulted in short-yardage scores.

He ran with aggression, breaking tackles and even being shoved into the top zone by a few linemen on one play after churning his toes to maintain his momentum going after contact.

He additionally slipped previous the protection for a wide-open six-yard landing catch from Maye.

Stefon Diggs

Diggs had a few drops early within the recreation, however he didn’t let that faze him.

The veteran receiver turned in his third 100-yard efficiency of the season.

His three-game landing streak received snapped, however this was his best efficiency when it comes to yards and catches since New England’s win in opposition to the Payments final month.

Robert Spillane

Spillane as soon as once more led the workforce in tackles, making performs everywhere in the area.

He crossed over the 90-tackle mark on Thursday, placing a possible third-straight 100-tackle season in play.

He averaged 153 tackles over the past two seasons when he was with the Raiders.

Anfernee Jennings

Jennings, who has been in a diminished position this season, put himself in the suitable place on the proper time with 7:33 to go when Fields botched a snap.

The ball bounced on the bottom, and Jennings pushed his blocker again and fell on prime of it.

The turnover gave the Patriots the ball contained in the crimson zone and New England rapidly scored, successfully placing the sport away.

The offensive line

Maye seemed comfy, composed, and correct and the offensive line deserves credit score for that.

They have been bodily all night time, placing Jets defenders on the bottom on a number of events.

They’ve given up simply two sacks over the past two video games.

Christian Barmore

It took him some time to interrupt by way of, however Barmore was the Patriots’ simplest rusher Thursday night time.

He had a pair of QB hits, together with a fourth-quarter sack. He additionally anchored a defensive entrance that held Breece Corridor to 67 yards.

Inventory flat

Harold Landry and Ok’Lavon Chaisson

The Jets examined the Patriots’ edge rushers’ capability to comprise outdoors runs. Fields was efficient attacking the perimeters within the first half, however was slowed down considerably.

Chaisson did a pleasant job breaking apart a trick play the place Fields ran downfield and tried to catch a move. Landry had a quarterback hit.

However neither of them have been as efficient as they usually are within the rush recreation.

Christian Gonzalez

Gonzalez was strong for essentially the most half, however there have been some events the place it seemed like Adonai Mitchell had a step on him however merely wasn’t in a position to haul in catches.

Mitchell had a reasonably apparent drop that slipped by way of his fingers, and he additionally seemed open on a deep ball that bounced proper off of one in every of his gloves.

In the end, the Jets didn’t get a lot manufacturing from Mitchell who had one catch on six targets. However he simply might have been extra harmful had he been in a position to cling onto the ball.

Inventory down

Preparedness for scripted performs

This has been a difficulty for the protection as a complete all season.

For no matter purpose, you may just about pencil in opponents to attain on their opening drive in opposition to the Patriots. The protection has additionally finished a pleasant job bouncing again as soon as they quiet down later within the recreation, however setting the tone with early stops has been a wrestle for them.

The Jets used Justin Fields’s velocity early and it labored at first, however it wasn’t sustainable. New England adjusted after the quarterback scampered for an early landing.

Kyle Williams

After a breakout efficiency in opposition to the Buccaneers, Williams went catchless in opposition to the Jets.

There appeared to be some communication points on a number of the deep targets he received, and the kind of makes an attempt that the Patriots attempt to hit him on are sometimes higher-risk high-reward sorts of performs.

However that is the seventh time in eight video games that the rookie has gone and not using a catch.

Khari A. Thompson

Sports activities Reporter

Khari Thompson covers skilled sports activities for Boston.com. Earlier than becoming a member of the workforce in 2022, Khari coated faculty soccer for The Clarion Ledger in Jackson, Miss.