Jets vs. Patriots: Preview, prediction, what to watch for in Week 17

An inside look at Sunday’s Jets-Patriots NFL Week 17 matchup at MetLife Stadium:

Marquee matchup

Patriots WR Stefon Diggs vs. Jets CB Brandon Stephens 

The Patriots are rolling on offense, and Diggs, the veteran wide receiver, has been a big reason why. He and quarterback Drake Maye have developed a nice connection. Diggs has 76 catches for 869 yards and three touchdowns this season. Those numbers don’t compare to his peak years with the Vikings and Bills, but they are still impressive for a 32-year-old receiver. 

“Well, he’s always been a high-level receiver in this league for a long time,” Jets coach Aaron Glenn said. “When he was in Minnesota to now, that doesn’t change. He’s smart, he’s confident, he’s highly, highly competitive. He understands how to win in zone and man coverage, and when you have a receiver of that caliber, usually the career kind of results in that of their yardage and the catches that they have, and he’s been doing that for a while.” 

The Jets signed Brandon Stephens to a three-year, $36 million contract in March. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Patriots are rolling on offense, and Sefon Diggs has been a big reason why. AP

The Jets signed Stephens to a three-year, $36 million contract in March that raised some eyebrows around the league. Stephens was signed to play opposite Sauce Gardner but became the Jets’ No. 1 cornerback after the team traded Gardner to the Colts. Stephens has not been spectacular, but he has been solid and the contract has not looked crazy. Stephens has allowed six touchdowns, per Pro football Focus. Like everyone else on the team, Stephens does not have an interception this season and only has six pass breakups. 

The Jets will need to slow down Diggs to keep this one close. 

4 downs 

Maye day: The Jets are going to be on a mission to find their franchise quarterback yet again this offseason. Meanwhile, the Patriots look like they have already found theirs. Drake Maye has had a second season that warrants MVP consideration. He’s completing a league-high 70.9 percent of his passes for 3,947 yards, 25 touchdowns and eight interceptions. 

“Confidence, the first thing. You see it,” Jets coach Aaron Glenn said of how Maye has improved this season. “He feels like he can take over a game with his arm, and you see that in a number of different situations. Especially these end-of-half, end-of-game situations. He wants the ball in his hand and they manage the game so he can have that opportunity. That goes to show how much confidence they have in him.” 

Breece 1K: The results don’t matter much in Jets games these days, but there is one personal milestone that could be achieved in Sunday’s game. Breece Hall is closing in on his first 1,000-yard season — he has 954 rushing yards. Hall’s production has slowed lately as teams have keyed on stopping him, but 46 yards feels attainable this week. Hall finished with 994 yards in 2023 when the on-field staff miscalculated how many yards he needed to get to 1,000. Hall would be the first franchise running back since Chris Ivory in 2015 to rush for 1,000 yards. 

Yardage outage: There are many staggering statistics about this Jets team, starting with them having no interceptions through 15 games, an NFL record. But this one is also remarkable: They are likely to finish the season without a 500-yard receiver for the first time since 1976. Garrett Wilson remains the team’s leading receiver with 395 yards, even though he played just seven games this season and has been injured since mid-October. Mason Taylor has 369 yards but is out with a neck injury this week. Hall is next and has 332 yards, a number he should add to in the final two games, but it’s hard to see him getting 168 yards. 

Unlucky 13: If the Jets lose Sunday, it will be the fifth time in franchise history the team has lost 13 games. This season can take its place alongside some of the worst in team history: 1995 (3-13), 1996 (1-15), 2020 (2-14) and 2021 (4-13). The Jets won’t be able to match the 15 losses in 1996, but another loss next week at Buffalo puts them in the ignominious company of the 1996 and 2020 teams. They also could finish with one of the worst point differentials in team history. They are at minus-144. They won’t touch the worst of minus-214 set in 1976 and matched in 2020, but they could finish in the bottom five. 

Costello’s call

The Patriots are planning for the playoffs. The Jets are planning for Cancún. It’s hard to see any way the Jets pull this one off. Brady Cook has thrown one touchdown and six interceptions during his stint at quarterback. New England should feast on him. 

Patriots 35, Jets 10