Patriots vs. Jets Thursday Night Football Betting Preview - September 19

A pair of 1-1 AFC East rivals meet at the Meadowlands when the New York Jets have their home opener against the New England Patriots Thursday evening.

New England caused some chaos in those survivor pools right out of the gate, stunning the Bengals in Cincinnati to begin their season. This past Sunday in Foxboro, a losing effort (by a field goal) in overtime against the Seattle Seahawks.

Meanwhile, New York arrives back in New Jersey after a sound thrashing at the hands of the San Francisco 49ers to start the season. Staring 0-2 in the face, the men of Gang Green came back to defeat the Tennessee Titans by a touchdown in Nashville. Aaron Rodgers (more about him later) threw two touchdown passes and had no interceptions, sort of a novelty with recent Jet quarterbacks.

This old AFL series dating to 1960 has the Patriots leading (including postseason), 74-55-1. New York was a 17-3 road winner in 2023’’s (and Bill Belichick’s) final game last January, thus ending a 15-game series losing streak.

Here, it’s the Jets at 6½-point favorites (total at 38), according to NFL odds.

Jets’ Costly Win

The New York Jets escaped Tennessee with a 24-17 win over the Titans Sunday afternoon, but not unscathed. They lost linebacker Jermaine Johnson to an Achilles injury (tear). This is the same team which went south after quarterback Aaron Rodgers tore his Achilles last season.

Another of the Jets’ premier defenders opined about the team’s life without Johnson.

“Jermaine is someone who works really hard for this team,” tackle Solomon Thomas said. “Jermaine doesn’t play like every other player in the league. Jermaine plays really hard. He plays hard every down.

“He pours out for his teammates. So you know, heart breaks for him personally. Heart breaks for this team because of what we’re losing.”

The injury to Johnson seemingly works in favor of the still-unsigned Haason Reddick, acquired in a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles. He’s a certified pass rusher the Jets desperately need.

Back to the game against the Titans, where the Jets’ Braelon Allen scored two touchdowns. Allen, at 20 and youngest player in the league, is about half the age of the 40-year-old Rodgers.

Passing on Passing

The New England Patriots have stayed in both games thus far with a formula consisting of a solid defense and a formidable (355 yards in two games) ground game.

Quarterback Jacoby Brissett, his second go-round with the team that originally drafted him (third round) back in 2016, does not have sparkling stats to date (270 passing yards, one touchdown).
Brissett hasn’t thrown an interception, either.

Brissett has found his circuitous way back to Foxboro after stops in Indianapolis, Miami, Cleveland and Washington.

First-round pick (third overall) Drake Maye is waiting in the wings at quarterback, but rookie Jarod Mayo has been avoiding that scenario.

Expect New England to run and run some more (Rhamondre Stevenson is one four NFL backs with at least 200 ground yards), while the opposition stacks the box in an effort to stop it.

This ain’t Tom Brady and his ownership of the Jets.

Go with Green

If you’re a fan/believer, the New York Jets are +185 second choice to win the AFC East, New England as the 25-1 (+2500) rank outsider, as per NFL division odds.

History doesn’t exactly favor the New York Jets in this pairing (see above), but with Aaron Rodgers (343 passing yards, three touchdowns, one interception) and weapons at his disposal,
it’s (theoretically) a different era.

It’s no secret the Patriots are out to control the clock and shrink the game. Our guess is that it won’t work.

The New York Jets -6½ are our selection in East Rutherford Thursday evening.