Three Studs, Three Duds From Patriots’ Season-Ending Loss To Jets

FOXBORO, Mass. — At long lost, the 2023 Patriots season is over.

New England suffered a 17-3 home loss to the Jets on Sunday. The ugly defeat, which came amid consistent snowfall and gusty winds, snapped the Patriots’ 15-game winning streak over New York.

Only one touchdown was scored in a game dominated by field goals. The Patriots and Jets combined for 374 yards of total offense, with New York outgaining New England 254 to 120.

Bailey Zappe got the start for the Patriots and wasn’t effective. The sophomore quarterback completed 12 of 30 passes for 88 yards to go along with two interceptions. His top target was Jalen Reagor, who caught just one ball for 33 yards. Ezekiel Elliott led the rushing attack with 13 carries for 55 yards.

On the other side, Trevor Siemian went 8-of-20 for 70 yards. Garrett Wilson caught two balls for 34 yards, while Breece Hall added 37 carries for 178 yards and one touchdown.

WHAT A GAME BY @BREECEH!!#NYJvsNE on FOX pic.twitter.com/T0c7SOMsyH

    What do you think?  Leave a comment.

— New York Jets (@nyjets) January 7, 2024

The Jets finished with 13 first downs compared to six for the Patriots. New York also was better on third downs and committed fewer penalties.

Of course, the attention now turns toward Bill Belichick, who might’ve coached his final game with the Patriots. Speculation over his job status surely will dominate the coming days and/or weeks.

The loss dropped New England to 4-13 on the season, the franchise’s worst record under Belichick. The win improved New York’s record to 7-10.

Here are three studs and three duds from a wintry afternoon at Gillette Stadium:

STUDS
LB Anfernee Jennings
There might not be another player on the roster who’s made themself more money this season than Jennings. The fourth-year pro was a force on the edge all season, and that continued against the Jets. Jennings finished with seven tackles — including three for a loss — and one QB hit while being one of the Patriots’ top run stuffers. You could make a strong case that New England should prioritize re-signing him over Josh Uche.

DL Christian Barmore
Barmore finished with nine tackles, zero sacks and one QB hit, but the stats don’t tell the full story. Barmore once again was a problem in the middle of the Patriots’ defensive line and generated consistent pressure against Siemian. Now established as one of the best D-tackles in football, Barmore would be justified in looking for an extension this offseason.

RB Ezekiel Elliott
Nobody can accuse Elliott of mailing it in during a lost season. The veteran back played hard until the very end, including in Sunday’s season finale. Were there times when it looked like he made a business decision to avoid big hits? Yeah, but you can’t blame him. Elliott still ran hard and was the Patriots’ only difference-maker on offense.

Honorable mentions: Jabrill Peppers, Jonathan Jones, Mack Wilson

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DUDS
QB Bailey Zappe
The deck was stacked against Zappe, who didn’t have much to throw to and had to battle the elements. Still, there were plays to be made, and Zappe couldn’t make them. He was lucky to not finish with five interceptions.

DB Shaun Wade
This probably is unfair, but Wade lands on this list largely for giving up a 30-yard pass to Garrett Wilson in the second quarter. It led to a Jets field goal, which was huge on a low-scoring afternoon.

Offensive line
It wasn’t a horrible performance, and the weather obviously was a factor, but this still wasn’t a good showing from the O-line. Zappe was sacked seven times and the running game averaged just 4.2 yards per carry.

Honorable mentions: Bryce Baringer, Mike Gesicki