The stakes couldn't be much higher for the New England Patriots heading into Sunday's Week 3 game against the rival New York Jets at MetLife Stadium.
The Patriots had a chance to win both of their first two games, but poor offensive line play and a lack of execution offensively late in the fourth quarter doomed New England in both instances.
An 0-2 start isn't a death knell for the Patriots, but the margin for error is now razor thin. Since the NFL realigned to eight divisions of four teams in 2002, there have been 99 teams start 0-3 and only one of them -- the 2018 Houston Texans -- made the playoffs.
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The good news for the Patriots is they have owned the Jets and their quarterback Zach Wilson for many years. The Patriots have a 14-game win streak versus the Jets that dates back to 2015. They are also 4-0 against Wilson since he was drafted in 2021. Wilson has thrown just two touchdowns with seven interceptions and a lackluster 50.6 QB rating in those four matchups.
The Jets might not score a ton of points this weekend, but their defense is legit. There are playmakers all over the field, especially in the secondary. The Patriots could lose this game if they lose the turnover battle, which they did in each of the first two games.
Which of these AFC East rivals will get a much-needed victory Sunday? Here's a roundup of expert predictions for Patriots-Jets.
Phil Perry, NBC Sports Boston: Patriots
Tom E. Curran, NBC Sports Boston: Patriots
Michael Holley, NBC Sports Boston: Jets
John Tomase, NBC Sports Boston: Jets
Tom Giles, NBC Sports Boston: Patriots
Mike Florio, ProFootballTalk: 23-17 Patriots
Chris Simms, ProFootballTalk: 20-13 Patriots
Dan Graziano, ESPN: Patriots
Jeremy Fowler, ESPN: Patriots
Albert Breer, Sports Illustrated: Patriots
Conor Orr, Sports Illustrated: Patriots
ESPN's Football Power Index (FPI): Jets 54.7 chance to win
Pete Prisco, CBS Sports: 19-16 Jets
Ricky O'Donnell, SB Nation: Patriots
Vinnie Iyer, Sporting News: 20-17 Jets
Sheil Kapadia, The Ringer: Patriots -2.5
Bleacher Report NFL Staff: 20-16 Patriots
Vic Tafur, The Athletic: Jets