Patriots opponent preview: Are the Jets quietly growing into a contender?

Sunday’s game between the New England Patriots and New York Jets will be a meeting between two second-year head coaches who have enjoyed differing levels of success so far. Whereas Mike Vrabel led the Patriots to the Super Bowl in his first season and appears to have his team firing on all cylinders again in 2026, Aaron Glenn went just 3-14 in Year 1 and is also currently the owner of a losing record.

That said, could it be that the Jets are quietly building a contender? There are some arguments for it, so let’s take a closer look at the 2-3 team before its trip to face the 3-2 Patriots.

Jets key stats

The Jets are currently below .500 and outside the AFC playoff picture, but a look at their statistics reveals that there are some areas of their team that can compete with any other in football.

If we look solely at the statistics as presented, one could expect a fairly defensive-dominated battle between two of the best such units in football. The Jets’ is indeed just that, and well-rounded despite being in the middle of the pack in the turnover category (that said, the group did caught its first interception since 2024 earlier this year). That being said, New England’s offense — which scored 74 points over the last two games — is as formidable an opponent as it has faced thus far.

The Jets’ offense, meanwhile, has had its issues and has been unable to perform at the same level as its defensive counterpart. The group has limited its own errors as evidenced by its three giveaways all year, but it nonetheless ranks in the bottom half of the league in most other major categories.

Jets 2026 season

For the first time since 2023, the Jets opened a season with a win again. However, the momentum they built in Week 1 quickly started to fade again: the club lost three straight afterwards.

Week 1: 23-10 win at Tennessee Titans (1-0)
Week 2: 20-17 OT loss vs. Green Bay Packers (1-1)
Week 3: 31-24 loss at Detroit Lions (1-2)
Week 4: 23-12 loss at Chicago Bears (1-3)
Week 5: 17-12 win vs. Cleveland Browns (2-3)

While three straight losses to NFC North opponents turned a 1-0 start into a 1-3 record, the Jets are entering a crucial meeting with the Patriots off of their most impressive win thus far. Sure, their offense scored only 17 points and fumbled twice, but their defense registered eight sacks, two fumble recoveries of its own, and limited what was a 3-1 Browns team to a mere 198 yards of offense and 3.0 yards per play.

So, are the Jets quietly growing into a contender as asked above? They do have a relatively easy schedule ahead of them and some talented pieces on both offense and defense, but one has to wonder about their ceiling given their rather uninspiring offensive performance so far.

Jets active roster

Roster up-to-date as of Oct. 15, 5 a.m. ET | *denotes nominal starter

Quarterback (2): Geno Smith* (7), Cade Klubnik (10)

Running back (4): Breece Hall* (20), Braelon Allen (0), Isaiah Davis (32), Kene Nwangwu (3 | KR)

Fullback (1): Andrew Beck (47)

Wide receiver (5): Garrett Wilson* (5), Adonai Mitchell* (15), Isaiah Williams (18 | PR), Tim Patrick (17), Malik McClain (84)

Tight end (4): Mason Taylor* (85), Kenyon Sadiq* (16), Jeremy Ruckert (89), Jelani Woods (86)

Offensive tackle (4): Olu Fashanu* (74 | LT), Armand Membou* (70 | RT), Max Mitchell (67), Chukwuma Okorafor (79)

Interior offensive line (5): Dylan Parham* (64 | LG), Josh Myers* (71 | C), Joe Tippmann* (66 | RG), Jordan Meredith (67), Kohl Levao (60)

Interior defensive line (5): Harrison Phillips* (97), T’Vondre Sweat* (99), Jowon Briggs (91), Darrell Jackson Jr. (95), Jack Heflin (96)

Defensive edge (5): David Bailey* (31), Kingsley Enagbare* (52), Will McDonald IV (9), Joseph Ossai (46), Nate Lynn (92)

Linebacker (4): Demario Davis* (56), Jamien Sherwood* (44), Trevin Wallace (49), Kiko Mauigoa (51)

Cornerback (6): Azareye’h Thomas* (1), Brandon Stephens* (21), Jarvis Brownlee Jr.* (2), D’Angelo Ponds (23), Qwan’tez Stiggers (37), Nahshon Wright (26)

Safety (4): Minkah Fitzpatrick* (29), Dane Belton* (6), Andre Cisco (8), Malachi Moore (27)

Specialists (3): Jason Sanders (19 | K), Austin McNamara (14 | P/H), Thomas Hennessy (42 | LS)

After spending the last few years watching the Zach Wilson, Aaron Rodgers and Justin Fields experiments go up in flame, the Jets continue to be stuck in quarterback purgatory. Their latest QB investment arrived via a trade with the Raiders in March: Geno Smith joined the team that had originally drafted him in 2013 alongside a seventh-round draft pick in exchange for a sixth-rounder.

That trade alone should tell you what Smith’s market and by extension his level is at this point in his career. Under normal circumstances, he would be a bridge quarterback, but with the Jets that bridge continues to lead nowhere (or to fourth-round rookie backup Cade Klubnik, which could effectively be the same).

As for Smith himself, he is still capable of playing at a decent level even at age 36. So far this year, he has completed 102 of 147 pass attempts for a 69.4% completion rate, 1,084 yards, six touchdowns and no interceptions. That said, he has lost more sack yards than any quarterback in the NFL through five weeks (134), is ranked only 17th in net yards per attempt (5.8), and 19th in expected points added per play (0.048). He is capable of steering the vehicle, but has yet to show he can successfully maneuver it around some more challenging obstacles.

Smith is surrounded by a talented supporting cast, though. The offensive line is bookended by former first-round draft picks Olu Fashanu and Armand Membou; Breece Hall and Braelon Allen are a solid 1-2 punch at running back; Mason Taylor and first-round rookie Kenyon Sadiq are the same at the tight end position.

And then, there is Garrett Wilson. A bona fide No. 1 wide receiver, Wilson has caught 31 passes for 374 yards and three touchdowns — leading the team in all three categories and accounting for roughly one third of the team’s arial production.

As opposed to the Jets’ offense, the defense is lacking the same high-end star power. That said, as a unit is much more cohesive and has been a lot more productive so far. A lot of it is due to a player who already is looking like he face of the operation on that side of the ball: first-round draft pick David Bailey, who has five sacks and a forced fumble in five career games and appears to be a legitimate NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year candidate.

Bailey, Kingsley Enagbare and Will McDonald are a formidable edge trio supported by a stout interior led by Harrison Phillips, T’Vondre Sweat and Jowon Briggs. Together, the group has proven itself disruptive against both the pass and the run.

At linebacker, Demario Davis still leads the group even at age 37. He and Jamien Sherwood, who is 11 years younger, are both capable of playing at a high level from a physical and mental perspective.

In the secondary, Azareye’h Thomas is building on a solid rookie season and now a starter on the outside and the team’s quasi-CB1. Veteran safety/offseason signing Minkah Fitzpatrick, meanwhile, caught that aforementioned interception in Week 4 to become the first Jet to pick off a pass since Week 18 of the 2024 season. It remains New York’s only INT to date.

In the kicking game, Austin McNamara has gotten plenty of work in: he leads the league with 25 punts. Jason Sanders, meanwhile, is a combined 15 of 17 on field goals and extra points. Isaiah Williams is averaging a very good 10.9 yards per punt return.

Jets reserves

Practice squad (17): QB Will Levis (4), RB Al-Jay Henderson (36), WR Jamaal Pritchett (81), WR Sterling Shepard (87), OT Brant Banks (75), OL Nick Dawkins (53), OL Jimmy Morrissey (65), DT Isaiahh Loudermilk (58), DT Payton Page (98), ED Quinton Bell (—), ED Paschal Ekeji (54 | exempt), ED Nathan Voorhis (57), LB Jaden Keller (48), LB Troy Reeder (50), CB Mory Bamba (38), CB Jordan Clark (33), CB Samuel Wormack (22)

IR (10): RB Chip Trayanum (40), WR Omar Cooper Jr. (11), WR Arian Smith (82), OL Anez Cooper (72), ED Kingsley Jonathan (57), ED Braiden McGregor (55), ED David Onyemata (93), LB Marcelino McCrary-Ball (41), CB Tre Brown (30), S V.J. Payne (34)

PUP (1): ED Tyler Baron (94)

The Jets’ reserve lists include one of their first-round draft picks this year, wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr. The 30th overall pick in this year’s draft suffered an ankle injury in Week 1. Like the Patriots’ A.J. Brown, he too returned to practice on Wednesday to open his 21-day window to return to the active roster.

Jets coaching staff

Head coach: Aaron Glenn

Coordinators: Frank Reich (OC), Brian Duker (DC), Chris Banjo (ST)

Aaron Glenn joined the Jets alongside general manager Darren Mougey last offseason, and the two have since amassed a 5-17 record together. They also oversaw significant change on the. coaching staff this offseason, with both coordinators — Frank Reich and Brian Duker — hired this offseason to replace the departed Tanner Engstrand and Steve Wilks.