Not a QB whisperer
After the Bills won yesterday (7-2) and ran away with the division, it's probably game over for these two opponents in the AFC East. Well, at least for one team we can say for sure that it is game over and that would be the Jets, who are winless after the first half of the season. I wouldn't blame it on the players, because this organization is completely dysfunctional. Ownership needs to tear it down and build it from the ground up, if they want to see some improvement.
They need to start with coach Adam Gase. Known as one of those "quarterback whisperers" it was weird to see all these young QB's completely lost under his tutelage. First, he had Ryan Tannehill in Miami, where he was deemed as a bust after a couple of years playing for Gase, after which Dolphins didn't opt to extend him. After that he signed with the Titans and almost managed to get into the Superbowl with them. Sam Darnold is now another young Qb who failed to fulfil his potential.
Unfamiliar teritory
On the other side, we have Patriots, who are not used to being in this position. They are 2-5 and are currently in 3rd place in this division. Things quickly fell apart after Tom Brady left. But that was not the only problem. The problem was that they were not ready with the replacement. They didn't get what they expected in Cam Newton, who underperformed badly for them, this season. Too many throws from the pocket are so errant that he misses his receivers by a few yards. And yes, receivers... He doesn't have many that are capable of creating separation, so he's forced to throw into some tight windows.
Those Covid-19 opt-outs have proven to be pretty important as well for the Patriots. Especially on the defensive side. They are in the bottom third of the league when it comes to defending the run, allowing 4.6 yards per carry. And having a big holes up the middle in the run defense, affected the efficiency of the pass defense as well. This was an elite unit last year, but now when they need to send more help down to the line of scrimmage, it's much tougher to recreate those shutdown performances.
Jets vs Patriots betting tips
Looking at the main markets, I really have no idea where to go with this one. Patriots don't seem to be playing good enough to be laying double digits on the road, while the Jets can't be trusted. They could easily bomb this one with a couple of key turnovers that would force them to play from behind and chase with the one-dimensional offense and it would probably just get worse from there.
I already mentioned the Patriots run defense. It obviously gives an opportunity to Jets' running backs for a decent performance tonight, even though they haven't really shined so far. Frank Gore was a clear-cut lead back earlier in the season, but since Gase gave up the play-calling duties, Perine managed to get a nice share of playing time. I think his role will increase going forward. There is no logic behind an 0-8 team riding an aging veteran with no upside, instead seeing what they got in their rookie RB.
