These Jets have proven to be good at one thing: ensuring themselves a high draft pick. Their fans haven’t had to worry about Gang Green winning a game and ruining their position.
There wasn’t even a hint of endangering their high pick Sunday in what felt like a road game at MetLife Stadium. Patriots fans poured into the building and were able to thoroughly enjoy a stress-free afternoon of humiliating their AFC East rivals.
It was as competitive as a scrimmage, like an SEC powerhouse taking on a Division II school that was paid to play the game. The final score of 42-10 didn’t do the one-sided nature of the game justice. New England could have scored 70 if it so chose.
The Jets (3-13) didn’t pick up a first down until the second quarter. It was already 21-0 by then. At halftime, the Patriots led 28-3 and quarterback Drake Maye had completed 17 of his 19 passing attempts for 229 yards and four scores. New England had more touchdowns (five) than Jets had first downs (three). The Patriots scored touchdowns on their first six drives, before pulling Maye midway through the third quarter.
Breece Hall did go over 1,000 rushing yards for the season for the first time in his career. The last Jet to reach that plateau was Chris Ivory in 2015. He scored the Jets’ lone touchdown, a 59-yard run over the right side and ran for more than 100 yards for the fourth time this year.
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But the day was another lowlight in a season full of them for first-year Jets head coach Aaron Glenn. With a loss next Sunday in Buffalo, Gang Green would equal their second most losses (14) in a season in franchise history. Glenn is now the third Jets coach to lose 13 games in his first season, joining Rich Kotite and Robert Saleh.
Glenn was part of the lone 15-loss team in Jets history, the Kotite-led 1996 group, that led to the franchise-altering hire of Bill Parcells. The only good news was the Jets improved their draft stock by continuing to lose. Courtesy of the Browns’ upset of the Steelers, they now own the No. 3 overall pick.
By the first play of the second quarter, the Patriots held a 21-0 lead. They had 199 total yards; the Jets had managed 13. They had 13 first downs, to the Jets’ zero.
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The New England crowd was enjoying itself, chanting “M-V-P” for Maye after his second scoring strike, a 22-yard touchdown pass to Rhamondre Stevenson.
They booed Jets players as they took the field. If there were any Gang Green fans at MetLife Stadium, they would’ve done the same throughout this disastrous afternoon.
It was strange, hearing cheers at half-empty MetLife Stadium. The sound was rarely heard during another waste of a season for the Jets and Giants.
Of course, it wasn’t for the home team. The one thing Jets have to be happy about is the season is almost over.
