It goes without saying the AFC East is the New England Patriots’ division to lose in the 2019 NFL season.
The Patriots have claimed 10 straight division titles and all but one dating back to the 2003 campaign, and New England is primed to run it back (again) in the upcoming season, as no other AFC East team appears ready to take the next step and be a legitimate threat to Tom Brady and Co.
First-year Jets running back Ty Montgomery, however, is seeing the landscape a bit differently.
In an interview with Sports Illustrated, Montgomery expressed the utmost confidence in New York’s ability to contend with New England in 2019.
“Yeah, 100 percent,” Montgomery said. “Plain and simple. Yeah.”
Montgomery was quick to follow up with praise for the reigning Super Bowl champions, noting the Jets would serve themselves well by following the Patriots’ blueprint for success.
“Just watching the Patriots from afar, something I think they do really well is they limit the self-inflicted wounds,” Montgomery said. “Be it the discipline penalties — offensively or defensively — or turning the ball over, capitalizing on their opponents’ mistakes. I think that’s gonna be a key for us to make sure we do. I think we have the talent. I think we have the potential to be great in this division and to win a lot of football games.”
We won’t have to wait very long for the first of the two regular-season meetings between the division rivals. The Patriots will welcome the Jets to Gillette Stadium on Sep. 22 for a Week 3 showdown.
