Instant analysis of the Patriots’ victory against the Jets

A total of 45 points separated Mike Vrabel’s sideline from Aaron Glenn’s during the 2025 AFC East sweep.

A sufficient gap remained Sunday at Gillette Stadium, where the New England Patriots held on to defeat the New York Jets by a score of 26-19.

Here’s a look back at the 1 p.m. ET kickoff as the head coaches move forward with 4-2 and 2-4 teams.

Maye’s October continues

After accounting for one touchdown and seven turnovers in September, the schedule did more than turn around.

Drake Maye completed 18 of 32 passes for 235 yards on Sunday. The Patriots quarterback found three touchdowns and no interceptions against a much-improved Jets defense that had finished 2025 without a pick. He added 24 rushing yards on the afternoon, led by a 21-yard rush.

Taking the field with the “13” personnel, the opening drive brought a batted pass at the line of scrimmage and a three-and-out. Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels’ group, however, needed two plays to find the key on the second series, thanks to a clean pocket and a diving 42-yard touchdown to wide receiver Romeo Doubs. In just 12 seconds of game clock.

Maye didn’t complete his second pass of the drive until 6:57 into the second quarter, but he went 5 of 7 through the air and endured roughing the passer on the final drive before halftime. And with three timeouts available as well as slot receiver DeMario Douglas, it became a 17-3 game. The recent AFC Offensive Player of the Week was 9 of 17 for 130 yards, two touchdowns and a passer rating of 117.3 at the break.

Things came together out of intermission with a turnover on downs and a pair of turnovers per field for the Patriots. But a 12-play, 63-yard drive ended in the end zone with starting tight end Hunter Henry’s second touchdown in as many weeks.

New England finished 8 of 15 on third down, 1 of 2 on fourth down and 2 of 4 in the red zone. Maye’s October now spans 10 touchdowns.

Brown’s battles diminish as wideout yields two touchdowns

AJ Brown had been a limited participant for three straight practices after opening his 21-day window. And even if the return of No. 1 against the Jets was questionable, the light remained on. His official activation to the 53-man roster took place the day before kickoff at 1 p.m. ET.

June’s addition to Foxborough was the only wide receiver in the starting lineup Sunday. After Brown’s first catch was negated via a challenge, it took until his fourth target to get on the board. He finished with 27 receiving yards to a team-high 10 in his return from a sprained ankle that sent him to injured reserve after the season opener. Three falls, including the fourth and fifth, were planned with an onside kick on the hand team.

A four-man New England depth chart had three touchdowns in the last game without its Pro Bowler. A week later, a depth chart of five yielded two scores.

The aforementioned Doubs was demoted due to a shoulder injury that occurred during his last visit to the end zone. The aforementioned Douglas tied him for the team lead with his third touchdown of the fall and finished Sunday with seven receptions for 86 yards. And also with a fumble lost on a 40-yard gain in the fourth quarter.

Kiner paces Patriots backfield committee

A sprained ankle didn’t stop TreVeyon Henderson from practicing. The No. 38 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft entered the weekend as questionable. He survived the inactive list, a hit by linebacker DeMario Davis and a forced fumble by defensive end David Bailey to manage 40 yards from scrimmage on eight touches.

Still, it was a three-man backfield for the Patriots.

Starting running back Rhamondre Stevenson ran for 36 yards on 14 carries, including a long of 12. Meanwhile, Corey Kiner broke off a 38-yard kickoff return and provided more than respite on offense with 11 handoffs for a Patriots-best 57 rushing yards. The summer trade acquisition gained late support after losing a fumble Sunday ago.

Left tackle returns as trio of starters leave offensive line

The knee injury that knocked out Will Campbell midway through a 45-17 win over the Las Vegas Raiders didn’t take him out a later Sunday. The No. 4 overall pick in last year’s class remained at every snap at left tackle despite a questionable decision.

Three others couldn’t do the same for the Patriots’ starting five. Attrition has reached critical mass.

Left guard Alijah Vera-Tucker was ruled out with a hamstring injury suffered in the second quarter. An ankle injury suffered by right tackle Morgan Moses preceded it. The 35-year-old captain did not return either. And in the final quarter, right guard Ben Brown needed help getting off the field with a knee injury after rolling over to the other side of the line.

In turn, first-round rookie Caleb Lomu moved from eligible tight end to bookend, while recent 53-man additions Matt Pryor and Walter Rouse took over at the guard spots next to center Jared Wilson.

The overtime was played by a disparate offensive line which conceded no sacks and no penalties.

Smith’s no-pick streak ends against No. 0 secondary host

A shoulder injury kept Christian Gonzalez out for six practices and two games. But not on Sunday. The All-Pro cornerback remained without a game designation as part of the starting nickel secondary and helped limit former NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Garrett Wilson to 44 receiving yards.

Jets quarterback Geno Smith completed 20 of 30 passes for 252 yards in No. 0’s return. It was the veteran’s seventh career start against the Patriots since he was introduced as a rookie in 2013. And it earned him a touchdown as well as his first interception of the campaign.

New York’s first drive stopped on the edge of the red zone after 13 plays, 58 yards and an offensive pass interference penalty that turned a touchdown into a field goal. The next four possessions resulted in two punts and consecutive turnovers on downs. By the time halftime hit, the visiting offense had gone 1 of 6 on third down, 0 of 2 on fourth down and 0 of 1 in the red zone while accumulating 19:10 of playing time.

But a moonball behind New England starting safeties Craig Woodson and Kevin Byard III found the hands of rookie receiver Omar Cooper Jr. for a 48-yard touchdown to make it a 17-10 game in the third quarter. It went from a 17-13 game to a 23-13 game, then from a 23-16 game to a 26-19 game shortly after.

Along the way, Charles Woods, going for a corner depth chart, still missing Carlton Davis III with a neck injury, broke the seal with a pick along the sideline. He entered the books as the No. 1 career pick for the 2024 undrafted free agent and 2025 waiver claim. He also ended New York’s QB’s streak of 165 undrafted passes.

Ponder extends his total to 5.5 sacks in six games

Three sacks were planned for New England. Milton Williams got his first of the fall to set up a third-and-16 in the first quarter. Christian Barmore followed the ensuing snap to put the uprights behind New York and the punt unit.

The defensive tackles had company after halftime on Sunday. Elijah Ponder beat the Jets QB on third-and-5 to force a field goal and extend his Patriots record to 5.5 sacks this year. He had four in total as a rookie. Cal Poly’s 2025 UDFA opened against Dre’Mont Jones and now has at least a half-sack in five straight games.

The outside linebackers were joined at first by the club’s best tacklers off the ball. Christian Elliss and captain Robert Spillane, who had a fourth-and-1 run from 6-foot-1, 235-pound runner Braelon Allen, combined for 11 more tackles Sunday. And another stop on fourth and one.

The Jets running backs managed 94 rushing yards on 24 attempts in the absence of versatile threat Breece Hall.

Hunter, a highlight in the kicking game

Patriots kicker Andy Borregales went 2 of 2 on field goals and 2 of 3 on extra points against the Jets, with a header try wide left. The sophomore split the uprights from 32 yards out in the second quarter and 27 yards out in the fourth quarter.

His starter averaged 50 yards per game with help from a rookie linebacker as well.

Erick Hunter continued to take the field on Sunday. The undrafted linebacker from Morgan State, who signed in September, knocked down a 54-yard effort from veteran punter Mitch Wishnowsky to the opposing three-yard line. The final tackle made by New England’s special teams also went to number 49, who entered the game with six stops in the game on the kick.