Patriots Earn Second Victory Over AFC East Rival
After squeaking out a Week One victory in Cincinnati, Patriots fans had lost faith that their team would win another game in 2024. In Week Eight, the team proved that there is a reason for the saying “any given Sunday” by besting AFC East rivals, the New York Jets. Even with rookie quarterback Drake Maye leaving the game in the second quarter with a head injury, the team managed to do just enough to tally their second victory. Running back Rhamondre Stevenson carried the team to victory, scoring the final two touchdowns, including the final blow with just 22 seconds left.
In Maye’s third start, the former Tar Heel rushed for his first touchdown, breaking 20 miles an hour on his way to the endzone, the seventh-fastest of any ball carrier during Week Eight. In his abbreviated appearance, the rookie went three-for-six for 23 yards and rushed three times for 46 yards and the score. For his development, Maye’s footwork is miles from where it started the season and lightyears from what he put on tape at UNC. That said, it is only his third game, so there is still a while for these habits to set.
After Maye left the game, captain and Week One starter Jacoby Brissett entered the game and provided his best game of the season, 15-for-26 for 132 yards, to help New England beat their rival. The big complaint with Brissett when he was at the helm came from his risk-reward processing. To win big games, you have to make big plays, to make big plays, you have to take some risk and Brissett was not willing to do this. On Sunday, Brissett showed that he could play in another way, taking shots 10 yards or further downfield on seven of his 26 passes, including a perfectly placed ball to get the team in position to win the game.
The Patriots’ patchwork defense stood up much better this time than in their Week Three matchup with New York. New England held Aaron Rodgers and the Jets to just 224 yards through the air, 113 yards on the ground, and 22 points altogether. On special teams, a boost from Marcus Jones on a 62-yard return allowed the Patriots to score their first points of the second half and set the team on the path to victory. The Patriots are back in action next Sunday against the Tennessee Titans at 1:00 p.m.