Jets hope to put Bills rout behind them against Patriots
Safety Jamal Adams says the Jets will be motivated Sunday to rebound from a 41-10 loss to the Bills Nov. 11 at MetLife Stadium. Credit: Lee S. Weissman/Lee S. Weissman
The Jets have moved on from their last game to a certain extent, but they still want to get the stink of that awful performance against Buffalo out of their system.
The Patriots aren’t the ideal team to face when you’re looking for redemption. But Jamal Adams said the Jets want to bounce back Sunday at MetLife Stadium.
“It’s a must-win game for the next six weeks, let’s put it like that,” Adams said Tuesday during his weekly spot on WFAN’s "Carlin, Maggie and Bart" program. “We’re looking forward to a big game coming up and it being back home and just making a statement. We felt like that past game just wasn’t us. We got to come back out and prove what we can do.”
When the Jets take the field, it will be two weeks since they were routed by 31 at home by Buffalo. The bye week allowed the Jets to clear their minds and come back refreshed for the final six games.
The Jets, who are 3-7 and losers of four straight, should have no problem getting up for this game regardless. The Patriots have been the class of the AFC East -- and for the most part the NFL -- ever since Tom Brady and Bill Belichick joined forces. They have won nine straight AFC East titles and sit atop the division at 7-3. Like the Jets, the Patriots are coming off their bye week following a lopsided loss, 34-10 to the Titans.
Adams said the Jets will be ready for the challenge.
“I know a lot of guys are looking forward to this game,” he said. “We’re playing against the best of the best. I know everybody’s going to be eager to get back out there in front of our fans.
“The team’s excited to go against Tom Brady and what he brings to the table. Everybody’s asking what Tom and the Patriots bring to the table. Just turn the film on. They brought excellence to the table every year, every game. We’re looking forward to the matchup.”
The Jets had their normal off day Tuesday. They’ll return to practice Wednesday and begin their preparation for their biggest rivals. It’s still up in the air whether Sam Darnold or Josh McCown will be the quarterback Sunday. Darnold didn’t practice Monday because of the strained right foot that kept him out of the Bills’ game, but he’s improving.
The same can’t be said about the Jets’ offense. The Jets scored 10, 6 and 10 points, respectively, in the last three games. But Belichick, who said Darnold has “a lot of talent,” believes the Jets are "explosive” no matter who the quarterback is.
“They’re both good,” Belichick said. “We played against McCown last year, and he did a really good job against us down there. Obviously, Darnold – I mean, this is an explosive team. They’ve had four or three games where they’ve hung up a lot of points – 30’s, 40’s – so they can move the ball, they can score points.”
Proving it may be difficult for the Jets.
Al Iannazzone covers the Jets for Newsday after spending nearly two decades on the NBA beat with Knicks and Nets.
