The Patriots got back on track — if you can call it that — Sunday afternoon with a 25-6 victory over the New York Jets.
New England once again had issues in all three phases. But four interceptions from Jets quarterback Zach Wilson, along with a just-good-enough performance from Mac Jones and the offense, allowed the Patriots to leave MetLife Stadium with a win.
Each week, we’ll give you three studs and three duds for the Patriots, no matter how hard it might be to fill either category.
Here’s the Week 2 edition:
STUDS
Damien Harris, RB
Harris rebounded from his game-changing fumble in Week 1 by turning in one of the best touchdown runs in recent Patriots history. The third-year back showed the toughness and explosiveness that make him such an intriguing player in New England’s backfield.
Harris ran hard all day, finishing with 62 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries.
Devin McCourty, FS
Hard to pick just one secondary player on a day when the Patriots had four interceptions. Still, we’re going with McCourty.
The veteran safety was everywhere, making J.C. Jackon’s first interception possible and later hauling in a pick of his own. It was a throwback performance for the future Patriots Hall of Famer.
Mac Jones, QB
Was Jones as good as he was last weekend? No, but the two games aren’t comparable.
Under siege all afternoon, the rookie quarterback once again showed poise under pressure, leading his offense to just enough points to earn the win. Jones definitely looked unsettled early on, and he was forced into multiple mental errors, including an intentional grounding penalty.
Many rookie quarterbacks would’ve wilted and made enough mistakes to let Wilson off the hook. However, Jones hung in there and got his first NFL win. He finished the afternoon 22-of-30 for 186 yards.
He even threw a block!
Honorable mentions: J.C. Jackson, James White, Adrian Phillips, Christian Barmore
DUDS
Yasir Durant, RT
Durant was solid last weekend after replacing Justin Herron, who was awful while filling in for an injured Trent Brown. This weekend, it was Durant who got benched, forcing the Patriots to re-insert Herron.
Durant was absolutely terrible in the first half against the Jets, regularly allowing pass-rushers to hit Jones. It was ugly. Let’s hope Brown is able to return next week against the New Orleans Saints.
Rushing defense
It was better in the second half, but the Jets mostly were in passing situations by that point. In the first half, New England’s run defense once again was way too leaky. Davon Godchaux, Lawrence Guy and the rest of the front seven need to figure things out in a hurry.
Jets running backs finished the game with 133 rushing yards on 28 carries.
Isaiah Wynn, LT
This is starting to become a legitimate concern.
Wynn wasn’t good against the Dolphins, and he wasn’t much better against the Jets. He was a sieve in the first half, and also committed a bad holding penalty.
The 2018 first-round pick entered the season with a lot to prove. To this point, he’s been a disappointment.
Honorable mentions: Nick Folk (missed PAT), Jake Bailey (kick off out of bounds)
