FOXBOROUGH — This was the get-right game the Patriots needed.
Sure it came against the one-win Jets, but New England dominated the game from start-to-finish and came away with a 54-13 win.
The offense scored on each of its first six possessions, as the first punt came with two minutes left in the third quarter.
Mac Jones was very efficient. The rookie went 24-for-36 passing for 307 yards and two touchdowns. It was his first career 100-yard game.
Brandon Bolden had a great game as well, finishing with six catches for 79 yards and a touchdown.
This was the first home win of the season for the Patriots, snapping a four-game losing streak at Gillette Stadium. The 54 points were the most scored by the Patriots since 11/03/13 when they scored 55 against the Steelers.
Here are 10 quick thoughts on the game.
1. Jones continued his great start to his NFL career as he was in complete control of the game making good decisions and taking the shots down the field when they were there. He also showed the ability to run when needed, which is something defenses will need to keep in mind moving forward.
2. The New England defense made a lot of plays and got after rookie Zach Wilson when he was in the game before leaving with a knee injury in the first half. It finished with two sacks and two interceptions. J.C. Jackson and Kyle Dugger had the interceptions. All three of Jackson's picks this season have come against the Jets. The defense also forced a fumble late in the game.
3. With Rhamondre Stevenson inactive, Bolden stepped up and got a ton of touches. It was interesting having J.J. Taylor active over the rookie, who seemed to be making strides the last few weeks. Bolden’s performance does show he can be productive when needed. It will be interesting to see what happens with Stevenson moving forward, as being a healthy scratch could hurt his confidence.
4. Damien Harris had another solid game and ran extremely hard. He finished with 106 yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries. Harris was also involved in the passing game, doing a nice job on blitz pickup. This was the Patriots’ first win of the season with a 100-yard rusher.
5. The offensive line did a great job with creating running lanes for the running backs and also protecting Jones. It was its best performance of the season and a major reason for it was it was the healthiest the group has been in weeks with getting Shaq Mason back. From left-to-right, it went: Isaiah Wynn-Ted Karras-David Andrews-Mason-Michael Onwenu.
6. The Patriots made a clear effort to get Jonnu Smith going, as five of Jones’ first seven passes went Smith’s way. He finished with two catches for 52 yards before leaving the game with a shoulder injury in the first half. It’s clear he’s at his best when the ball his hands and he is not running routes down the field to get open. The last few weeks he was used mostly as a blocker and not running many routes.
7. New England scored 31 points in the first half, which were the most in a regular-season game since Oct. 26, 2014 against the Bears when it scored 38. It scored all five times it touched the ball, which obviously was the most effective the offense has been all season.
8. A ton of players played on defense, which is a sign the unit is still figuring out exactly what it has and who should play in certain situations. Sure, the score had something to do with it, but overall it still feels like the unit is looking to find out what it is best at. Jamie Collins didn’t have that big of a role in the game, which was interesting with Dont’a Hightower inactive.
9. The Patriots did have a number of injuries in the game, including Smith and Harvey Langi (knee) getting ruled out after halftime. Devin McCourty and Carl Davis also suffered injuries in the first half. Also, Mason re-injured his abdomen in the second half.
10. New England will take on the Chargers this week in Los Angeles, which is a big game for the team as it will give them a chance to show it can beat a good team. To this point in the year the wins have against been the Jets twice and the Texans with a rookie quarterback.