New England Patriots vs. New York Jets: Complete Week 16 Preview for New York
The New York Jets are staring down the barrel of their biggest challenge of the year.
The Jets have put together a trying season, to say the least. Rex Ryan's troops have managed to win just three games, as inconsistent play from various positional units has derailed what was once a promising campaign.
Now, Gang Green has to play its biggest rival, the New England Patriots. The Patriots are in their typical dominant December form, and it looks like nothing will stop the team from claiming home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs.
Click through for a full preview and analysis, as well as a final score prediction, for the AFC East battle.
Jets' Week 15 Recap
1 of 5
For the first time since Week 1, the Jets played an inferior team.
New York opened the game playing sloppy and uninspired football. The offense failed to do anything, and the defense was consistently burned by the mobility of Jake Locker.
However, the momentum shifted dramatically late in the first half when Locker was sidelined.
With Charlie Whitehurst in at quarterback, the Jets pass rush became more visible, and the offense came alive on the opposite side of the ball.
The running game never managed to get going against Tennessee's awful defensive front, but Geno Smith stepped up his play and led two impressive scoring drives, making sharp and confident throws.
The secondary also improved upon its performance, and the Titans offense wasn't able to move the ball at all late in the game.
Nonetheless, Tennessee nearly put together a repeat of the Music City Miracle, as a wild play chalk full of laterals fell just 10 yards short of the end zone as the clock expired.
With the victory, the Jets lost any chance of claiming the No. 1 overall pick in this offseason's draft.
News and Notes
2 of 5
Rex Ryan's Last Shot at Bill Belichick
Rex Ryan was brought in for a single purpose—to beat the Patriots and turn the Jets into a legitimate Super Bowl contender.
For the first two years under his guidance, he lived up his goal. The Jets made consecutive AFC Championship Game appearances and beat New England three times in five tries.
The last of those games came in the AFC Divisional Round, and it remains the second biggest victory in franchise history.
However, New York has struggled to repeat its success in recent seasons, and it has not made the playoffs in four straight seasons. Furthermore, it has won just one of the last seven meetings against its hated rival.
Despite their struggles, the Jets have still managed to play the Patriots tough on most occasions.
On Sunday, Ryan will have his last chance to get the best of Bill Belichick and his troops and relive the glory days of 2009 and 2010.
Darrelle Revis Returns Home
Darrelle Revis may be the greatest defensive player to ever suit up in green and white.
He was absolutely dominant in his first five seasons with the team, as he emerged as the game's best corner by a wide margin.
Revis was the lifeblood of a spectacular defensive unit, and most people believed he would be a Jet for life.
However, an ACL tear in 2012 and a rebuilding mantra by general manager John Idzik led to Revis' departure in the 2013 offseason.
After one up-and-down year with the Buccaneers, Revis broke all Jets' fans hearts by signing with the Patriots.
With New England, the former first-round pick has returned to his dominant self, and he looks like the missing piece for a Patriots' Super Bowl.
In his first game back in the Meadowlands as a Patriot, Revis will receive a cold welcome from the home crowd. Nonetheless, every Gang Green supporter wishes the Jets still had him, as the secondary has fallen apart in his absence.
Sheldon Richardson the Greatest?
Sheldon Richardson is a good, if not great, player.
The 24-year-old won the Defensive Rookie of the Year in his first NFL campaign, and he's followed it up with an even better sophomore season.
He has 60 sacks and 6.5 tackles on the season, serving as the center piece of a dominant defensive front.
Most people would consider the Missouri product an elite defensive lineman, but they would steer shy of declaring him the best one.
However, Richardson believes he's among the game's best, as he compared himself to J.J. Watt this week, per Rich Cimini of ESPN New York.
Watt has 10 more sacks and is the favorite to win his second Defensive Player of the Year award in three seasons, so the comparison seems a bit drastic.
Nonetheless, Richardson, like Watt, will be paid handsomely in a couple of years.
Injury Report
3 of 5
| Player | Injury | Status |
Antonio Allen | Hand | Probable |
| Willie Colon | Knee | Probable |
| Nick Folk | Right Hip | Probable |
| Saalim Hakim | Quadriceps | Questionable |
| Percy Harvin | Ankle | Questionable |
| Jaiquawn Jarrett | Shoulder | Questionable |
| Muhammad Wilkerson | Toe | Questionable |
| Chris Johnson | Knee | Probable |
| Nick Mangold | Finger | Probable |
| Calvin Pryor | Shoulder | Probable |
Muhammad Wilkerson has missed three consecutive games with a nagging turf toe injury, and he's a major question mark for the rest of the season.
Despite practicing on a limited basis this week, he may miss the final two games of the year for precautionary measures, per Darryl Slater of The Star-Ledger.
Wilkerson is New York's best player and was on his way to a great season before the injury. However, Quinton Coples has done a fine job of replacing him in the starting lineup.
Meanwhile, Percy Harvin is expected to play despite not practicing fully all week, per Rich Cimini of ESPN New York.
Harvin suffered a significant ankle sprain a couple of weeks ago, but he was able to play in Week 15. However, his effectiveness, specifically his speed, may be hindered by the injury.
*Injury report courtesy of the official website of the New York Jets.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
X-Factor and Matchups to Watch
4 of 5
Eric Decker vs. Darrelle Revis
The big-time offseason acquisitions of the Jets and Patriots will go head-to-head Sunday afternoon.
While Revis has put together a dominant campaign, while Decker has been more up-and-down.
He's made some nice plays and has been the team's most consistent receiver by a wide margin, but he has suffered from some big drops.
In the first meeting between the two, Decker and Revis both had their moments.
The Jets receiver caught four passes for 65 yards, but Revis made several big plays in coverage.
With Harvin not at 100 percent and the rest of the receiving corps struggling, Decker has to step up and make some plays, even with Revis breathing down his neck.
Jets' Secondary vs. Rob Gronkowski
Gang Green has had more than tough time defending tight ends this season. The team has allowed a league-high nine touchdowns to the position, as well as a boatload of yardage.
Now, the secondary faces the best tight end in football at the peak of his game.
In the first meeting, Gronkowski was held to just five catches for 68 yards and no touchdowns. However, the Pro Bowler has only gotten healthier and more dominant since then.
He has at least 70 yards in every game since, along with seven touchdowns.
It will be impossible for New York to keep Gronkowski from making an impact, but the extent of his dominance needs to be contained.
D'Brickashaw Ferguson and Breno Giacomini vs. Rob Ninkovich and Chandler Jones
Gang Green's offensive line has had an up-and-down season, particularly in the pass-blocking department.
In the first meeting, the unit put together its best game of the year, as it dominated New England's defensive front throughout the game.
Nonetheless, the Patriots pass rush still had some decent success, and it remains a force to be reckoned with.
Rob Ninkovich and Chandler Jones have combined for 14 sacks off the edge, and both have the ability to disrupt the opposing quarterback on a consistent basis.
D'Brickashaw Ferguson and Breno Giacomini need to play at the height of their games on Sunday, or else Geno Smith could be in for a long and painful day.
Jets' X-Factor of the Week: Percy Harvin
Harvin won't be fully healthy on Sunday. In fact, he will probably be far from it.
Nonetheless, the Jets need him to make an impact in order to be successful.
Decker will have a tough task against the game's best cornerback, and the rest of the receiving corps has done absolutely nothing in the last couple of months.
That means that Harvin may be Smith's only open receiver on most passing plays.
The former Seahawk has the ability to change the game with his playmaking ability, and the Patriots didn't have to deal with him the first time around.
If Harvin can make some plays, especially early in the game, the offense could begin to open up.
Prediction
5 of 5
In his final home game against his biggest enemy, Rex Ryan will have his team pumped up.
And perhaps more importantly, his players will be looking to give it their all one last time for their beloved head coach.
Ryan has always been an elite motivator, and he will inspire his team to not only compete but give the Patriots all they can handle.
New York probably won't have the same kind of success running the ball as it did in its October meeting with New England, but Geno Smith will make some plays.
The defense will struggle to cover all of the Patriots' offensive weapons, especially Rob Gronkowski, but the pass rush will disrupt Tom Brady on numerous occasions.
The Jets are a bad team, but they have brought elite squads to the edge multiple times this season.
On Sunday, that will be the case. But the Patriots are on a tear right now, as they've been unbeatable outside of a loss at Lambeau a few weeks ago (where no opponent wins).
Rex Ryan and Co. will make life difficult for New England, but it's hard to imagine Tom Brady and Bill Belichick losing to a three-win team with home-field advantage throughout the playoffs on the line.
Patriots 27, Jets 20
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
.png?w=480)
