The Patriots versus the Jets on Sunday, September 20 will be a major game for each of the AFC East top spot teams. Although Tom Brady and the Patriots seemed to struggle in the first half of their Week 1 Monday night game at home against the Bills, the team really got it together late in the game to come from behind and win. The Jets had a nice win of 24-7 in Houston over the Texans in Week 1, but the Patriots may prove to be a little more difficult. This will be the second division game in the Patriots' 2009 season, and the first in the Jets' schedule. The Patriots and Jets performances in Week 1 may give insight as to how they will fare in Week 2 against each other.
New England Patriots and Buffalo Bills on Monday Night in Week 1
Although it is not reflected in the game statistics, the Patriots struggled early in the first Monday Night Football game of the season. However, late in the game, the Patriots scored two touchdowns to come from behind and win. Tom Brady was good on 39 out of 53 of his pass attempts in the game, and racked up 378 passing yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. Most of his completed passes were to Randy Moss and Wes Welker, although Ben Watson was the recipient of the two game winning touchdown passes. The rushing game struggled a little, as Lawrence Maroney and Fred Taylor were unable to do much against the Bills' defense. New England's defense did alright, although they had a hard time stopping the Bills' running back, Fred Jackson. The Patriots won the game, 25-24.
New York Jets at Houston Texans on September 13 in Week 1
The Jets' rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez completed 18 of his 31 pass attempts, for 272 yards, one touchdown, and an unfortunate interception in the first week game in Houston. Dustin Keller, Jerricho Cotchery and Chansi Stuckey were his main targets. The running game was great for the Jets, as the Thomas Jones-Leon Washington tandem accumulated 167 yards in 35 rushing plays. The Jets' defense was able to virtually shut down the Texans' rushing game, and also the secondary of the Jets forced problems for Matt Shaub and his receivers, as the top catchers on the Texans, like Andre Johnson, were insignificant. The Jets won 24-7.
New England Patriots at New York Jets on Sunday, September 20, at 1 P.M.
The New England Patriots will play the New York Jets in Week 2 of the 2009 NFL season. The Jets' defense, which was arguably the better half of the team in Week 1, will have to be consistent, and not only destroy the Patriots' rushing game, but also break up their passing game, which was superb in Week 1. The Patriots will have to find ways to move through the air, as it is likely that the Jets' rush defense will be better than that of the Bills, who took out New England's ground game in the first week. The main matchup to look at in the game should be the Jets' defense versus the Patriots' offense.
This game will certainly be a good one, and a crucial fight at that, as the winner will secure the top spot in the AFC East. It will likely be the best game in the AFC in Week 2 of the NFL. The New England Patriots and New York Jets will play again at Gillette Stadium in New England on November 22.
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