Patriots’ Offense Not Complex, Says Jets Star Defender

New York Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner doesn’t seem overly concerned about the New England Patriots ahead of the Week 3 matchup at MetLife Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

The reigning Defensive Rookie of the Year has been matched up with some of the best wideouts the game has to offer, and played against opposing offenses that challenge defenses on every single snap.

“They don’t really have a complex offense,” Gardner told reporters Wednesday when asked about New England’s unit, per SNY. “It’s pretty simple for the quarterback to get. The gap scheme, everything is really simple. But they excel at it.

“What they try to do is get other people to mess up and make mistakes. They just do everything right.”

Sauce Gardner is asked to evaluate the Patriots' offense: pic.twitter.com/YuHMjnFK3u

— Jets Videos (@snyjets) September 20, 2023

Gardner might have talked his way out of giving the Patriots full-fledged bulletin-board material, but his sentiments nevertheless are telling. Nobody is scared of the Patriots offense, which lacks a true No. 1 receiver and has plenty of questions up front.

At times this season, like in the final three quarters against the Philadelphia Eagles and second half against the Miami Dolphins, Bill O’Brien and Mac Jones have helped the offense look better than last year. But there’s still a long way to go. The AFC East rivalry contest might be a telling barometer.

The Patriots are a 2.5-point road favorite against Zach Wilson and the Jets. But New England winning the contest and avoiding a disastrous 0-3 start likely will come down to challenging the New York defense — perhaps making it a bit more complex to stop.