New York Jets vs. New England Patriots: Looking at the numbers

Going behind the numbers to look at the long-standing rivalry between the New York Jets and the New England Patriots.

It’s the continuation of a rivalry that started way back in the AFL days as the New York Jets take on the New England Patriots on Sunday afternoon. The teams took on a new disdain for each other in the Bill Parcells era and frankly, they currently hate each other. No matter what the records are there is an intensity that comes when these two teams meet that makes the game compelling.

And there have been many compelling moments in this rivalry. It’s gone as high as the playoff win to the lows of the Butt Fumble and everything in between. There has been no shortage of memorable moments when these two rivals meet up. They are not always memorable from a Jets perspective, but they are memorable.

Currently, New England leads the all-time series with a record of 59-53-1 (excluding playoffs). They have also won five out of the last six. The last time these two teams met was in December and it wasn’t pretty. The Patriots routed the Jets by the score of 41-3. New York is always tougher at home against their rivals, aside from the night of the fumble. The last time the Jets beat New England was here at MetLife in December of 2015. An overtime touchdown pass to Eric Decker gave the Jets a 26-20 win.

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As maligned as Josh McCown was coming into the season, he has been just fine. This week, he is shooting for his fourth straight game with a completion percentage of 70 or higher. His 71.4% rate for the season is good for second in the league.

If Bilal Powell is able to go, he will have a chance to continue his solid play at MetLife within the AFC East. In his last five against divisional opponents, Powell has recorded 93.8 scrimmage yards per game and two scores. Elijah McGuire has been great as well of late, with 161 scrimmage yards and rushing td in his last two games.

On defense, Kony Ealy has fit in quite well, with five passes defended, the most for any defensive lineman in the league. Jamal Adams is one of four safeties in the game with at least 25 tackles and at least one sack. I guess the numbers show what we have seen with our eyes, huh?

The second-most wins of Tom Brady‘s career have come against the Jets. His record as a starter against the Gang Green is 23-7. His overall passer rating has been a 91.9 and this season, he leads the NFL with 1,702 passing yards. Danny Amendola will be a player to watch, especially without Julian Edelman. In two of his past three meetings with the Jets, Amendola has posted eight or more catches.

Brandin Cooks steps his game up against the AFC with 96 yards per game and seven touchdowns in his last seven against the AFC.

Next: Three keys to a Jets upset over New England

Heading into this one, Devin McCourty has been active and around the football. He led the team with 11 tackles last week and has been in double-digits in three out of the last five. It’s probably not the BEST thing for a defensive back to lead the way in tackles, but maybe that’s me thinking like a Jets fan. Watch out for Kyle Van Noy who has gotten to the quarterback to the tune of 1.5 sacks in his last two games.

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