The Patriots have the league’s best record, homefield advantage, Tom Brady and Bill Belichick — all assets that are tough to bet against.
What, though, is the Pats’ greatest advantage over Rex Ryan’s gang?
Offense is probably the most obvious area of superiority. If you saw Mark Sanchez do his best to lose the game in Indianapolis, you can surely attest to that.
Brady is arguably having his best season ever, and the Patriots offense is producing at historic levels. Brady has more weapons to throw to than ever before, and BenJarvis Green-Ellis and Danny Woodhead give the Patriots a versatile, effective attack out of the backfield.
The Jets do have a great offensive line, perhaps even better than New England’s, and their receiving corps and backfield are filled with Pro Bowl caliber talent, but ultimately, it all comes back to Sanchez. At times, he can manage games, and he does have a knack for late-game heroics, but more often than not, he is inaccurate and makes poor decisions.
That, in fact, plays directly into one of the strengths of the New England defense, their ball hawks. With Devin McCourty and Pat Chung as defensive backs, the Patriots have been able to generate turnovers to compensate for their difficulty stopping the run and in pass coverage. The unit, though young and injury-plagued, has done enough for the team to get 14 wins.
The Jets defense, as replete with talent as it may be, has had an up and down year. Against Chicago and in New England, they couldn’t have been more hapless. Against Indianapolis and Pittsburgh, however, they dominated the line of scrimmage and held elite offenses at bay. Their cornerbacks, Antonio Cromartie and Darrelle Revis, are the league’s top tandem, and while they haven’t been dominated rushing the passer or in run defense this year, they have the talent — and scheming — to do so.
That scheming, of course, begins with Rex Ryan, who has established himself as one of the league’s better coaches — personality aside.
He’ll have as tough of a matchup as you can get, facing off against the mastermind that is Belichick.
To top it off, the Patriots are 8-0 at Gillette Stadium this season. However, the Jets, too, are a cold-weather, outdoor team themselves and are coming off an impressive road victory at Indianapoilis on Saturday.
What will be the Patriots biggest advantage next Sunday against the Jets?Market Research
