NY Jets at New England

Time: NOON EST, CBS

Spread: NE -3

Total: 40

Odds c/o 5dimes

The New England Patriots are three games under .500 but find themselves 3-point favorites in Week 17 against the New York Jets. The over-under is set at 40 total points according to NFL oddsmakers at 5dimes. The game will air on CBS and CBS affiliates at Noon (EST) Sunday.

NYJ

The New York Jets are 2-13 and have won its last two games. Obviously, little has gone well for it in this 2020 season, and it ranks near the bottom in all major statistical categories. The Jets are No. 32 in passing yardage, No. 23 in rushing, and have the No. 32 ranked offense generating just 15.3 points per game. It gives up nearly twice as many, with the third-worst defense, surrendering 28.6 points per game and possessing a differential of -13.3 points.

The Jets do not really have many silver linings. Sam Darnold has struggled mightily, evidenced by his 67.2 passer rating. He has thrown just 58 percent for completion, averages under six -yards-per-completion, and has thrown nine picks to just five touchdowns. Beyond that, he has been sacked over three times per game, and he has lost 164 yards on those plays. Darnold somehow averages 7.5 yards-per-attempt rushing, but he has attempted just 23 carries this season.

Last week against the Browns, Darnold completed 16 of 32 for 175 yards and two touchdowns. Frank Gore led the rush attack with 48 yards on 14 attempts while Darnold picked up 20 yards on his seven attempts. Jamison Crowder led receivers with seven catches for 92 yards and a touchdown. The Jets managed three receiving touchdowns in the 23-16 victory.

Lead running back Frank Gore is under four yards-per-carry, as are all other major options except Ty Johnson whose 5.5 yards-per-carry trail only Darnold. Four receivers tally 256 yards or more, and the top three all average 12 yards-per-catch or better, but the Jets really have a lot of work to do on both ends of the football and are about to fall to 0-13 it seems with Seattle being favored by 2-plus touchdowns. While there is certainly some talent on the roster, it does not fit together that well and the offensive line has been weak the entire season.

It is a recipe for “poor football,” and the Jets really need to add a lot of talent and playmakers to both ends of the football. Overall, it is facing a contending team and indisputably the worst team in football, so combining those two factors makes this game quite unlikely to be close, but the Jets are just 3-point dogs so oddsmakers have faith the Jets can continue to play to its recent level of improvement.

NE news:

The Patriots enter at just 6-9. New England has lost three straight, falling to the LA Rams, Dolphins, and Buffalo Bills. The Pats surrendered 84 points while managing to score just 24 itself over that span.

The pass offense has suffered due partly to injury.  Even so, the Patriots are the third-worst pass offense even healthy. It manages just 176 yards from passing, which is fairly unlike New England. Meanwhile, the Patriots are a dangerous team on the ground, at least, ranking No. 5 in the NFL, but it just is not enough to produce a healthy offense, as the Patriots average just 19.9 Points per game (While Surrendering 2.7 more per game).

Newton, thus far, has been something of a mixed bag. Then again, he was just that in Carolina before coming to fill Tom Brady’s shoes, and Patriots fans cannot help but mourn the loss of Brady to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, because the writing is very much on the wall that the Patriots dynasty has at long last come to its end.

Newton has thrown 65l4 percent for completion, but that is where the good stats end. Over list last three starts, he has thrown under 20 passes in two of them. The big problem for Newton has been his picks. He has thrown 10 already while it is also astounding the Patriots have just five passing touchdowns. To say Newton has done little else would be quite wrong. He is No. 2 on the Pats in rushing yards with 513 and has nine rushing touchdowns to his credit, as well as 50 first downs. Both those marks lead the team.

Newton threw just 5 of 10 for completion last week with 34 yards. The Patriots lost 9-38 to the Bills, as Jared Stidham threw 4 of 11 for 44 yards. The Patriots allowed three sacks for 22 lost yards. Newton rushed four times for 24 yards and a touchdown.

There has been a major shakeup in the receiver hierarchy this season, too. Damiere Byrd and Jakobi Meyers emerged as the top-2 weapons, while Damien Harris and Sony Mitchel have missed time due to injury and been non-factors this season. Between them, they have missed half the appearances this season, with Mitchel also being a missed rushing threat having seen just 26 attempts but also leading the team in yards-per-carry (6.7).

The Patriots have a 4.6 yard-per-carry average as a team this season, and rushing the ball has been the motor behind the offense. It just cannot be the sole ticket. Without Edleman available, the Patriots turned to its backfield likely to pick up the missing plays.

Two of the top three receivers (after Edleman) are running backs, in N’Keal Harry and James White. Damiere Byrd is the top remaining receiver left, but he has barely mattered. Change happens, it seems, after all.