What we can expected against the Pats

Last night's MNF game between the Bills and Patriots was an important game for Jets fans to watch for several reasons, none as important as the fact that we face the Patriots in 6 days.

After watching the game, I think the Jets have a very good chance against the Pats.  And here's why:

First, I think that Buffalo was somewhat effective in moving the ball against the Patriots defense.  Buffalo struggled to put points on the board the entire preseason (something like 0 points on 16 possessions) but did a good job moving the ball and picking up points.

Buffalo played the entire game from the no-huddle.  This caused some problems for the Patriots as they had a hard time substituting, plus those big D backs just didnt get much chance to rest.  You could literally see the Pats defense breaking down over the course of the game - but were able to muster enough on the final drive to put significant pressure on Edwards and end the game.

Second, Tom Brady may have a little rust to work off.  Tom overthrew several receivers in key 3rd down situations and also was sacked and was picked off.  Tom only had 8 interceptions versus 50 TDs in 2007.  Some of this may have been some hesitation or lack of confidence - which 2 scoring drives in 2 minutes may have erased, but even still, it proves that he isnt the messiah after all, and can make mistakes.

Third, Belichick likes to go for it on 4th down.  He plays to win.  But the Bills were pretty effective on 4th down.  These are key stands against a potent offense and Buffalo played well.

Fourth, I believe it was special teams that lost the game for Buffalo, not the offense (and partially not the defense).  The fumble on the kick return late in the 4th quarter was certainly a turning point (just take a knee in the endzone!) but even in the 1st quarter, Maroney was getting big returns and setting up excellent field position for the Patriots.  The Jets need to contain Maroney during kickoffs - the Patriots have enough weapons on offense that they do not need to let them drive down a shortened field.  The Pats defense also had a hard time containing Brady during the last 2 drives, and that may have been due to a lack of a serious pass rush in favor of double coverage...

Onto the pass rush...  Brady basically looked terrible on the run.  Once out of the pocket, he didnt seem effective at all, and Brady was constantly being knocked down and/or sacked throughout much of the first 58 minutes of the game.  I think his mobility is still a challenge for him and the Jets should look to force him out of the pocket and make him either throw it away or make a play on the run.  Not saying that he'll never hit Moss for 20 on the run, but his timing seemed off when flushed from behind the tackles.

The entire Pats team has changed somewhat significantly since the near perfect season of 2007.  They've lost a lot of key personnel on defense, but have also picked up some new talent and have great depth at several positions, especially RB, WR, and TE.  Sure, their team may be a whos-who of late 90s ball (Galloway, Moss, F Taylor) but veteran depth is something the Jets don't have.  We need to try to get youth and athleticism to face off against these older skilled veterans.   It will be a challenge no doubt, but I think our younger defense might be a good fit.

Lastly, until the last drive of the game, I dont really remember the Patriots getting any real pressure on Edwards.  The O line held up well, and their O line had several rookies on it.  I think our O line is going to be the key on offense - protecting Sanchez is critical.

Your thoughts?