FOXBOROUGH — Home underdogs against the Jets at Gillette Stadium, the Patriots lost their starting quarterback in the second quarter, but were still able to pull off a stunning upset.
When Drake Maye went down with a concussion, Jacoby Brissett jumped into action, and the veteran who was benched earlier this month led his team to a 25-22 win.
“I don’t look at it as no redemption,” Brissett said. “I think this is a testament to me believing in myself and not y’all. I’m very aware of that. I was very fortunate to have this opportunity. To go out there and get a win with our guys, it was sweet. You can’t put it into words. I’m not trying to, like, be arrogant or nothing, but I’m very proud of myself today.”
Here are seven takeaways from a picturesque autumn day in Foxborough:
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Big drive from Brissett
Trailing 22-17, the Patriots got the football back with 2:57 remaining in the fourth quarter.
Brissett engineered a brisk 12-play, 70-yard touchdown drive and added a two-point conversion for good measure, too. On the drive, the veteran quarterback converted one third down with a 13-yard scramble and another with a beautiful deep ball to Kayshon Boutte. With a blitzer barreling down on him, Brissett stood tall in the pocket and delivered a 34-yard strike to the second-year wideout. It was his best throw of the season and helped set up a Rhamondre Stevenson touchdown.
“I think it’s guys just believing in each other, taking it one play at a time,” Brissett said. “The start of the drive, everybody is like, no matter what, one play at a time, one play at a time. That was the message before the two-minute started. Guys went out there and made plays. You kind of black out and play football after that.”
Nothing ‘soft’ about the finale
A week after Jerod Mayo said his team played “soft” football, the Patriots won the game in the toughest possible fashion. Facing a fourth-and-goal from inside the 1-yard line, everybody in Gillette Stadium knew they were going to hand the ball to Stevenson. He still crossed the goal line.
“We knew what (Patriots coaches) were going to call,” tackle Vederian Lowe said. “It just shows the resilience that we have as a unit. To go out there, for them to know that we’re going to run the ball… and just execute, it shows a lot of resilience.”
Maye injury puts a damper on things
The rookie quarterback was off to a terrific start before he was sidelined with a concussion. Maye had already picked up 46 yards and scored a touchdown with his legs, while looking dialed in throwing the football, too. However, when Maye was attempting to slide after an 18-yard scramble late in the first quarter, he took a helmet-to-helmet shot from New York linebacker Jamien Sherwood. The rookie stayed in the game for the rest of the series, but then was taken to the blue medical tent.
“I walked in at halftime and saw him,” Mayo said. “The competitor that he is, obviously he wanted to go back out there and play. But there’s a protocol that he has to go through. Can’t wait to get him back.”
Drops an issue
Prior to Boutte’s big play, it was a trying afternoon for the wide receivers. Boutte, Tyquan Thornton, and Kendrick Bourne had five drops and New England’s wideouts only combined for seven receptions all afternoon.
“Personally, I’ve just gotta play better, man,” said Bourne, who didn’t have a catch on three targets. “I hated that game. I just played so bad. So I’ve just gotta look in the mirror. I’ve gotta make more plays. Just as a group, we’ve gotta focus in. Play better. It was good to get a win, but there’s a lot to improve on.”
Rodgers doesn’t look quite right
Aaron Rodgers was struggling to move around in the pocket and the Patriots adjusted their pass rush accordingly. They only finished with one sack, but pressured the 40-year-old more than a dozen times and clearly made him uncomfortable.
“I think he’s struggling right now,” defensive tackle Davon Godchaux said. “Hall of Fame quarterback, hate to see him go out that way, but I’m always going to take a win against him on your resume. He definitely don’t look the same. He kept moving back there — (expletive), I could run him down and catch him. He don’t look mobile at all. That was good for us. We knew we could get after him and attack him in the passing game.”
Excellent return for Jones
Marcus Jones remains New England’s most electric ball carrier.
The 5-foot-8 speedster ripped off a 62-yard punt return in the third quarter, setting the offense up with a short field for their second touchdown of the day. It might be time to see what he can do on offense, especially if Maye’s injury keeps him sidelined for a bit.
Special teams hurts, too
While the punt return team delivered a momentum shifting play, New England’s punt team didn’t have their sharpest day. The Patriots allowed a 40-yard return from Xavier Gipson and another Bryce Baringer punt was partially blocked, only traveling 30 yards. It was a mixed bag for Jeremy Springer’s group.
