The New England Patriots despite dealing with a great amount of adversity heading into and during their Week 8 matchup against the heavily favored Jets, found a way to grind out a gutsy win in the end.
In Week 18 of last year, the Patriots lost their first game to the Jets since 2015, which was followed by a 24-3 loss on Thursday Night Football back in Week three this season. It was looking like a turnaround in authority, with the Jets primed to come into Foxborough and win a third straight game against New England, but the Patriots were able to find a way to win their second game of the year and put a halt to that streak.
While this doesn’t mean that the Patriots will turn their season around, it was a display of growth and team character especially with the comments Coach Mayo made about the team being “soft” in last week’s post-game conference. And with victories like this, there are game balls to be given out to those who made an impact.
Patriots Week 8 Players of the Game
Jacoby Brissett
What a way for Jacoby Brissett to come in and conquer the moment when given the opportunity. Drake Maye, who had already run for a 17-yard touchdown in the first quarter, had to later leave the game due to suffering a concussion, leaving the Pats with no choice but to put back in the veteran. Not that Brissett lit up the Jets’ defense, but he answered the call when needed to. Marcus Jones’ 62-yard punt return in the third quarter certainly sparked the offense and gave them a short field to score a go-ahead touchdown. Brissett’s shining moment came on the game-winning drive where he converted several third downs with his legs and arm. The 34-yard dart to Kayshon Boutee set up first and goal which ultimately led to the game-winning touchdown. This hopefully serves as a confidence booster for the offense moving forward.
Rhamondre Stevenson
Rhamondre Stevenson, like Brissett, didn’t have a spectacular statistical day, but he was able to convert on some big-boy runs when needed. Stevenson caught a 14-yard pass on 2nd and 15 before rushing the ball into the endzone on the very next play on the aforementioned go-ahead touchdown drive in the third quarter. He also bullied his way into the endzone on fourth and goal for the game-winning touchdown, not before catching the two-point conversion pass from Brissett. Stevenson continues to show why he is the Patriot’s go-to running back with performances like these, and Pats fans hope he continues the trajectory he is on.
Marcus Jones
Marcus Jones’ 62-yard punt return into Jets territory was a game-changer. The Patriots hadn’t scored since Maye left the game, and needed a spark, this was it. Brissett and the offense gained momentum after Jones’ return set up a scoring drive, and they didn’t look back. Jones also led the defense in tackles with five and one assist, making him a big-impact player for this week.
Kayshon Boutte
Boutte also didn’t have an impressive statistical day, but the second-year player came up big when it counted most and hauled in the 34-yard pass from Brissett to set up first and goal against the Jets’ best corner Sauce Gardner. He then caught what was originally thought to be the game-winning touchdown pass on third and goal, which was then overturned to him being short of the endzone. The very next play Rhamondre punched it in from one yard out. Boutte gets recognized this week for having big catches on the final drive which set up the Patriots for success. The first catch set up first and goal, and the second one set up an opportunity on fourth and goal from one yard out, and for that, he gets a game ball.
Jerod Mayo
Unlike the last few weeks, Jerod Mayo’s defense was able to keep an opposing offense in check and allow the offense to find some footing and take advantage of an opportunity. Mayo had said in a postgame presser against Jacksonville last week that the team was “soft”. Some criticized Mayo for speaking out against his team’s effort, and some supported him and agreed. Coming into this week Mayo was a polarizing figure amongst the media and fans, but thankfully it seems his players responded to his criticisms and played one of their best games of the season. The Jet’s offense struggled to pull away from the Pats and were kept within one score for the entirety of the game, and the Pats offense finally made plays at the end to win the game. The Pats head coach deserves credit this week for having his team prepared and in position to keep the game close, and give a struggling offense some light at the end of the tunnel.
Main Image: David Butler II-Imagn Images
