Jets vs. Patriots: 6 Keys to a New England Win on Sunday

Rivalry week has begun. Anytime the New York Jets face the New England Patriots, there's never a loss for words among the media or the players.

While the Jets have become famous for their trash talk, the Patriots have historically stayed quiet (minus Wes Welker's feet-first dive into foot jokes).

Come Sunday, both teams will have no choice but to shut up and play.

When that happens, here are some keys for the Patriots to focus on to hold home field against their hated division rivals.

Pressure Mark Sanchez

Mark Sanchez is a bad quarterback under pressure. Most quarterbacks are, but none are quite as terrible under heavy pressure as Sanchez.

Pro Football Focus' numbers bear it out. They give him a 37.4 passer rating when under pressure. 

One thing that is important to note, though, is that he's average under blitz. He currently has an overall passer rating of 75.9, but when blitzed he puts up 71.6. 

Regardless, though, New England isn't likely to blitz. They haven't done so all year long, and will most likely try to get pressure with three or four rushers. The difference is, they may be more successful this time than in weeks past against what is a banged-up Jets offensive line.

The Jets O-line gave up two sacks, an interception and a ton of pressure on Sanchez last week against the Baltimore Ravens.

In that game, Sanchez was 0-of-8 under pressure.

If New England is able to get any kind of pressure with four guys up front, they greatly improve their chances of winning this game.

Do Not Throw at Darrelle Revis

Thank you, Captain Obvious.

Just how obvious? According to Pro Football Focus, quarterbacks have just a 3.6 passer rating when throwing Revis' direction, and have gone 3-of-11 for 38 yards and an interception overall.

The Jets have been a dominant pass defense once again in 2011, and it has been mainly because of top-notch play from Darrelle Revis.

This could get interesting if the Jets decide to line up Revis one-on-one with Welker, using their best cornerback to take away New England's best weapon. Being that Welker has been option Nos. 1, 2 and 3 this year (40 receptions, 616 yards and five touchdowns through four games), that could make life interesting for Tom Brady.

Shut Down Dustin Keller

Mark Sanchez has a 99.9 passer rating when targeting TE Dustin Keller. He is far more effective when targeting his tight end than almost any other receiver in the Jets corps.

You might think it was Santonio Holmes, but Sanchez only has a 48.9 passer rating in his direction—two interceptions could greatly impact that number. He's even been good throwing to Plaxico Burress with a passer rating of 96.2 in Burress' direction, not far off from 99.9. But nothing can replace the kind of chemistry Sanchez has with Keller.

What's more, Keller has 25 receptions for 308 yards and two touchdowns in six career games, including more than a few big-time plays to swing the momentum for Gang Green. He just seems to always come up big against New England.

The Patriots will have to employ a tactic similar to what they did against the Chargers' Antonio Gates. Much to the chagrin of Patriot fans, that may mean more of the chipping at the line of scrimmage from the linebackers and defensive ends, which ultimately means less of a pass rush from the outside.

They were, however, able to execute this game plan, holding Gates without a reception, and just two targets. The Patriots were charged with a pass interference on one play, but nabbed an interception on the other. 

Roll Coverage to Plaxico Burress

For a guy who was never supposed to get back on the map, especially with Mark Sanchez and the Jets, Plaxico Burress is certainly proving a lot of his detractors dead wrong through four games.

The hook-up has gone 10-for-23 for 160 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. That is good for a 96.3 passer rating. That is good.

Likewise, the Patriots have been one of the worst teams (currently ranked 30th according to Football Outsiders) at defending No. 1 receivers, as Devin McCourty's struggles are now undeniable in his second season. He has largely been left in single coverage on opponents' best receivers.

Exploit the Advantage of Rob Gronkowski Against Jets Safeties

Rob Gronkowski is a matchup nightmare for anyone he runs a pattern against. His 6'6", 260-pound frame is nearly uncoverable by linebackers and defensive backs alike.

Safety Jim Leonhard has been a stalwart, but Eric Smith has been a sieve in pass coverage. Quarterbacks are 8-of-15 for 194 yards and an interception when targeting Smith for a passer rating of 70.8. His lone interception came in a game where Jacksonville QB Luke McCown threw four of them. Without it, his passer rating allowed bumps all the way up to 98.6. 

Brady to Gronkowski? Off the charts efficiency. Okay, not quite, it's chartable, but with a 127.5 passer rating (18-of-27, 296 yards, five touchdowns, one interception) on throws toward Gronkowski, that is easily one of the best and most reliable hook-ups in the AFC.

This is a matchup they need to exploit early and often to get the two in a rhythm and rip a secondary that likely won't be ready to defend it. The Jets rank 25th in the NFL at defending tight ends according to Football Outsiders.

Protect Tom Brady

This is a key to victory for every single Patriots game this season and for the past five years, but there's no doubt that it's important against the Jets.

The last time they visited Foxborough, New York logged five sacks on New England's franchise quarterback and held the explosive Patriots offense to 21 points.

The Patriots have allowed just four sacks on Brady, while the Jets have tallied nine takedowns of quarterbacks.

Ultimately, as it always has for New England recently, it will come down to how well Brady plays. The best way to ensure a good game from Brady is to give him all the time he needs to make the read and play.

Erik Frenz is the co-host of the PatsPropaganda and Frenz podcast. Follow Erik on Twitter @erikfrenz.