The rivalry between the New England Patriots and New York Jets has been pretty one-sided in the 21st century.
The Jets will try to take another step in reversing that trend Sunday afternoon when they play the Patriots in a Week 8 matchup at Gillette Stadium.
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If the Jets beat the Patriots this week, they will sweep the season series against their AFC East division rival for the first time since 2000, which was Tom Brady's rookie campaign and Bill Belichick's first year as head coach. New York emerged victorious in the first matchup of the 2024 season with a 24-3 win at MetLife Stadium in Week 3.
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After losing both games to the Jets in 2000, the Patriots have gone 38-6 over the last 44 head-to-head matchups, including the playoffs. That stretch includes winning streaks of seven games and 15 games for the Patriots.
A Jets victory on Sunday would extend their win streak over the Patriots to three games, and that hasn't happened in 25 years. The Jets won four in a row against the Patriots from their last meeting in 1999 though their first matchup in 2001. Since then, it's been almost all Patriots.
One player who sounds pretty fired up about the rivalry is Patriots offensive lineman Mike Onwenu.
"I'm sure a lot of young players are pretty neutral, but I've been here a while, and I still feel the same way," Onwenu told Andrew Callahan of the Boston Herald. "It's always '(expletive) 'em', and just go about it that way. It's a rivalry game. It's not just another game."
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What are the chances the Patriots beat the Jets on Sunday?
Well, the Patriots arguably are the worst team in the league. They have lost six straight games and sit at the bottom of the league standings with a 1-6 record. They can't run the football on offense. They can't stop the run on defense. The offensive line is a mess. Several key players are unable to play because of injuries. Head coach Jerod Mayo called the team "soft" after last week's loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in London.
It's not looking good, to say the least.
But the Jets are not unbeatable by any means. They have their own issues. This team has lost four games in a row, and the offense hasn't scored more than 20 points since beating the Patriots in Week 3. Veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers is not playing well. There are injuries on defense. New York fired head coach Robert Saleh a few weeks ago.
The Jets are 2-5, so they are performing far below expectations. They cannot afford to lose to the Patriots, because that might end their playoff hopes.
Both teams are desperate for a win, which should make for an entertaining matchup. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. ET on Sunday.
