AFC Game of the Week

The 9-5 Jets host the 12-2 Patriots Sunday, with the Jets currently on the outside of the playoffs looking in. The Jets have been doing the right things in the last month of football, having won four straight, but still are behind in the AFC wild card tiebreaker to the Steelers and Chiefs who just keep winning. With 2 weeks left, the Jets’ postseason fate is hanging by a thread and they’ll need to beat their nemesis to continue their season.

New England clinched a first-round bye in the playoffs with a win last week and need just one more win in the last two games to clinch the top overall seed in the AFC. With Danny Amendola re-injuring his knee, it’s likely the Patriots’ top targets in this one will be Rob Gronkowski, Brandon LaFell and Keshawn Martin.

A big issue is third and long situations, where Brady targets Julian Edelman often. The Jets can now key on Rob Gronkowski, forcing Brady to beat them with Keyshawn Martin, who has improved quite a bit this year. The Jets’ run defense is a big strength and the Pats can exploit with a balanced passing plan. But if new acquisition Steven Jackson can be effective, converting short first down attempts, he may just be the key to a New England running attack that just needs to do their job so that Brady and Co. can make another run to a championship.

These two teams could see each other again, as the Jets look like a team that could get through the first round against any AFC South winner. However the Patriots could play conservative football this week with the bye already wrapped up. The Patriots will most likely be a refreshed squad by the time they play in the first round with players like Edelman, Amendola, McCourty and Hightower all expected back on their feet.