The Jets (3-7) aren't a very good football team.
But Bill Belichick made it quite clear this week, even with Thanksgiving thrown in to mix up the preparation, that New England is a very much focused football team coming out of its bye.
New England has plenty to work on in order to finish out the season the way it wants to. First and foremost is a need to play better football on the road, where the Patriots are just 2-3 this season. The hope is certainly to turn things around Sunday afternoon at MetLife Stadium.
The Boston Globe says that one way to do that is for the New England defense to continue to focus on turning up the pressure on opponents. The Globe notes that with Sam Darnold continuing to miss practice, the Patriots defense is likely to face veteran Jets passer Josh McCown on Sunday. The Globe explains how guards Joe Thuney and Shaq Mason help to spark the New England offense. The Globe writes that you won’t hear much from Trey Flowers, who lets his impressive play speak for him.
Who do the Patriots miss the most this season? The Boston Herald says it's receiver Danny Amendola, who departed to the Dolphins via free agency this past offseason. The Herald writes that it's time for the old Rob Gronkowski to show up against the Jets.
The Providence Journal says that Duke Dawson is excited to make his NFL debut after the second-round rookie cornerback spent the first part of the season on injured reserve. The ProJo has Jacob Hollister feeling stronger after dealing with some setbacks earlier this season.
ESPNBoston.com notes that regardless of who plays quarterback for the Jets, it will be a historic matchup opposite Tom Brady.
WEEI.com declares that the recipe for this latest Patriots Super Bowl run will have to be a bit different. WEEI.com passes along Julian Edelman’s rundown of his favorite Thanksgiving foods. WEEI.com ponders how Dawson might be used if he’s indeed active in New York. WEEI.com notes that Brady has been limited in practice this week with a knee injury.
NBC Sports Boston says Belichick is thankful for players who ask questions like coaches. NBC Sports Boston passes along a report that Darnold will indeed sit out Sunday’s game. NBC Sports Boston says the Patriots interior offensive line ranks among the best in the NFL if you buy into the from-afar grades given out by Pro Football Focus. NBC Sports Boston notes that site also has Flowers as one of the NFL’s top edge defenders, just behind J.J. Watt and ahead of Khalil Mack.
NFL.com says that Brady is no longer a top-5 “old” QB, ranking him just ahead of Ravens passer Joe Flacco for his work this season. NFL.com predicts the Patriots to beat the Jets pretty easily on Sunday.
The New York Post says that the cruel truth is that the Jets are still miles behind the Patriots.
NESN.com passes along Brady’s holiday posting on social media.
