Drake Maye just had a monster game against the Raiders, throwing for 374 yards and four touchdowns, absolutely smashing his season highs. The New England Patriots demolished Vegas 45-17 in Week 5, finally looking like a team that can move the ball. But don’t get it twisted, 12s, because their *only* losses this season? To your Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks and the reigning AFC North champs.
Pats Offense Finds Its Groove, But Who Are They Really?
After a rocky start to the season, Maye, the third-year pro, exploded against Las Vegas. He topped his season high by more than 100 yards through the air and doubled his touchdown passes for the entire season in that single game. Think about that: he entered Week 5 with just four TD passes and seven interceptions, then dropped four dimes in one afternoon! The Pats offense piled up a ridiculous 536 yards in that victory, with Maye even contributing 25 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Rhamondre Stevenson led the ground attack with 64 yards and a score as the team rushed for 165 total. This team looks different now than the one that struggled early, but let’s not forget, their only real tests against top-tier teams, like our very own Seahawks, ended in losses. They did beat the rival Bills 29-26 on the road before this Vegas rout, so there’s *some* fight there. Plus, a big boost is coming with receiver A.J. Brown activated off injured reserve, set to play for the first time since Week 1 after recovering from an ankle injury.
Jets Just Trying to Stay Afloat
On the other side of the field, the New York Jets are a different story heading into this AFC East battle at Gillette Stadium. They’re sitting at 2-3 after managing an ugly 17-12 victory against the Browns last week. “Ugly” feels like an understatement sometimes with this team, right? The Jets actually started the season pretty strong, cruising past the inept Titans 23-10. But then, it all fell apart as they dropped three consecutive games to an NFC North team. They’ve gotta figure things out if they want any chance in this division, especially going up against a Patriots team that just found its swagger, even if that swagger isn’t enough to beat the reigning champs.
What’s Next for This AFC East Showdown
Sunday’s kickoff is set for 1 p.m. ET, and the Patriots are currently 7.5-point home favorites over the Jets. The Over/Under for total points is 43.5. This isn’t just another game for these two. New England is trying to prove that their Week 5 explosion wasn’t a fluke and that Maye can sustain this level of play. The Jets are fighting to get back to .500 and show they belong in the conversation. Can Maye keep that momentum going with Brown back in the lineup, or will the Jets find a way to make it ugly again and pull off the upset? We’ll be watching to see how this shakes out.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
Leave a Reply