New England Patriots

Patriots vs Jets: Top 5 takeaways from Week 12 matchup

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 7:03 p.m. ET

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In the Patriot vs Jets game, Gang Green put up a fight but as usual, came up short in the grand scheme of things.

Nov 27, 2016; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New England Patriots linebacker Jonathan Freeny (55) causes New York Jets quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick (14) to fumble during the fourth quarter at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

For the third week in a row, the New York Jets showed no urgency at the end of the game against the New England Patriots in Week 12. The Patriots squeak out of Metlife with the 22-17 victory. This latest Patriots vs Jets AFC East matchup was fun to watch but ultimately, the better team won.

Week 12 showed the Jets taking another huge step back to salvage their season as they lost to the Patriots. Once again, like in their previous losing streak, the Jets finish off slow and lose another game. The Patriots vs Jets game left many fans once again wondering if Gang Green wanted a win bad enough.

The Jets offense once again couldn’t cash in when it was necessary and didn’t come away with good yardage most of the time. The offense struggled and caused the defense to play more than they wanted to.

The Jets organization needs to let the younger players play and see what they have. The coaching staff needs to gain the trust of the team back because they have lost it from the players. Let’s take a deeper look and breakdown the top five takeaways from this Week 12 matchup.

Nov 27, 2016; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) reacts against the New York Jets during the fourth quarter at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

5. Tom Brady was hobbled but efficient

With Tom Brady playing with a bum knee, the legendary quarterback was still able to be productive. Brady tied Peyton Manning for most wins by a quarterback in NFL history getting his 200th victory.

The Jets gave problems to Brady in the first half, but when the second half started he made the throws and plays when it needed. It is typical to see Brady play hard when it matters most.

When trailing 17-16 with 5 minutes left with the ball on the Patriots 17, Brady buckled down and led a significant drive by completing six passes. Brady zipped the ball to Malcolm Mitchell to put the Patriots ahead and lead them to victory.

He went 30 for 50 and threw for 286 yards in passing and for two touchdowns. His quarterback rating was a 77.3 as he had no problem taking care of business against the Jets.

Brady isn’t a future Pro Football Hall of Famer for no reason as he lives for these type of games that make him one of the best. Make no mistake about it, Brady continues to not only add to his legacy but also bury the Jets every opportunity he gets.

4. Jets defense played well enough to win the game

For the second consecutive week, the Jets defense stepped up in a big way to help the team stay in the game. They were able to make key stops and make the game stay within reach of pulling off a major upset.

With putting pressure on Brady, the Jets defense caused him to be uncomfortable throughout the game. The defense gave up 91 yards in rushing, and 286 yards in passing.

Once again they stepped up but were unable to deliver when it needed to count the most. They wore out at the end and were unable to deliver the knockout punch.

They need to use their speed and agility because they have enough young talent to cause major problems against any opponent. They need to execute next Monday night against the Indianapolis Colts since well, they need a win bad. If their defense can play as good as they did against the Patriots, they might have a shot.

Jan 3, 2016; Orchard Park, NY, USA; New York Jets offensive coordinator Chan Gailey on the field before the game against the Buffalo Bills at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports

3. Chan Gailey’s offensive play calling is a major concern

Offensive coordinator Chan Gailey really needs to change his play calling because it was not working as effective once again. He continues to use a lot of the same play calling over and over and you wonder what the team continues to think. It hasn’t worked then and it won’t work again.

Instead of continuing of trying to run the football he continued to pass and it slowed down the offense. The Jets offense is built around the running game and they are very effective when they use that particular part of the game.

They had called many plays where as a fan you continue to shake your head in wondering why they continue to call them. They need to get everyone involved because they focus on the same player over and over again.

Not executing the plays that are called is hurting them a lot this season. It seems that the offense Gailey has been running is not working at all for the Jets. Gailey needs to be let go at the end of the season and bring someone new who can install a fast paced offense. Quarterback Bryce Petty will need to be the starting quarterback for the rest of the way.

Nov 27, 2016; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Jets running back Matt Forte (22) carries the ball against the New England Patriots during the fourth quarter at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

2. Matt Forte and Bilal Powell need to have the ball more

Forte has been a reliable and successful running back throughout his entire career. The Jets now need to take advantage of this and utilize the success they have had in the wins they received this season.

For not using Forte and Powell the way they should be using them, they could have won Sunday’s game. If they don’t use the running game as much then it makes the Jets offense one dimensional.

Forte was not used the way they should have been using him and it made the offense easy to predict. Forte had a total of 27 rushing yards and 23 receiving yards.

They need to be more physical up front for the rest of the season especially to try and salvage the rest of the year. They could be a two-headed monster if they are utilized the right way.

If they use the running game more it will wear out an opposing defense which will allow the Jets to open the offense up. With a balanced offense, they could make defenses frustrated and have a better shot of winning.

Nov 27, 2016; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Jets quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick (14) throws the ball during the first half against the New England Patriots at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

1. Jets offensive line falters once again

Once again the Jets offensive line didn’t get any penetration to drive back the opposing defenders. They aren’t being smart in who needs to block who and when a blitz is happening at some point.

The offensive line was not able to contain the Patriots defensive pressure which allowed them to cash in on the Jets mental mistakes. Some penalties they obtained hurt a lot of the drives that were doing good.

They weren’t able to keep blitzes from coming at Fitzpatrick which almost got him hurt. They also couldn’t contain themselves from not showing their frustration.

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At least they are heading into a game next week they could win when they go up against the Colts on Monday night. The offensive line will need to be on point because the Colts are amongst the worst defenses in the league.