When the New England Patriots hosted the New York Jets in Week 3, they faced little resistance while improving to 3-0 on the year: the home team jumped to a 20-0 lead midway through the second quarter and never looked back, essentially taking the foot off the gas while cruising to a comparatively easy 30-14 victory. Since then, however, a lot has changed and tonight’s rematch therefore projects to be a more competitive affair.
The biggest name on the list of changes is, of course, quarterback Sam Darnold: the third overall selection of the NFL’s 2018 draft missed the first game against the Patriots because of mononucleosis, but did return to the field last week to promptly guide the Jets to their first victory of the season.