We all know what happened the last time the Jets and the Patriots played. New England smoked the Jets. Gang Green was totally humiliated. I can think of two concrete pieces of impact that game will have on next Sunday.
- Everybody in the media will pick the Pats. Many will say the Jets have absolutely no chance.
- The game will be in Foxborough, not the Meadowlands.
Both of those things were impacted by subsequent games the teams played to conclude the regular season, but that game set those two things into motion.
Aside from perception and the venue, that game will not affect this one. Past games do not necessarily predict the outcome of present games. The Jets beat Miami early in the year in a shootout. The Dolphins beat New York late in the year in a defensive struggle.
The Jets beat the Pats at the Meadowlands. Everybody seems to forget how the Jets controlled the second half in handing New England one of only two losses during the regular season. That didn't stop the Patriots from handling the Jets in Foxborough. That second game does not mean the Jets enter the rubber match with no chance.
Results can change.