Third straight win for New England — not third straight over the Jets specifically. The Jets-only streak is actually four in a row now (19 of the last 21), and we’ll get back to it. This one just happened to be the Jets, because that’s who was next on the schedule.
Drake Maye: 18-of-32, 235 yards, three touchdowns, zero picks, a 110.8 rating. Third straight start with at least three touchdown passes. Beat writer Mark Daniels noted he did that against a Jets defense that came into Saturday ranked top-five against the pass:
The Jets came into this game with a top-5 passing defense.
Drake Maye is 18/32 for 235 yards and 3 touchdowns
— Mark Daniels (@ByMarkDaniels) October 18, 2026
The deep ball specifically has gone from nonexistent to automatic. Four deep touchdowns, zero interceptions, over his last three games. Through Weeks 1 through 3 it was zero TDs and four picks. Lesser competition than he’ll eventually see, sure, but that’s a real swing for a guy who looked lost in September.
AJ Brown’s first game back from IR: three catches, 27 yards, three drops on 10 targets. Rough. He’s a few weeks removed from a knee injury. Not cooked.
New England did all this down three offensive linemen by the final whistle: Morgan Moses, Alijah Vera-Tucker, and Ben Brown all left hurt. Rookie Caleb Lomu filled in at right tackle for Moses and didn’t allow a single pressure on 30 pass-block snaps, per PFF. They won anyway.
On the other side, Rich Cimini called it “same as it ever was” and noted the Jets are 0-7 in the division under Aaron Glenn:
FINAL: Patriots 26, Jets 19
Same as it ever was. Jets show fight, but not good enough.
0-7 in the division under Glenn.
Offense should be better than this. Poor at situational football. Lousy in plus territory.
Garrett Wilson – only 2 targets thru first 3 quarters.…
— Rich Cimini (@RichCimini) October 18, 2026
Garrett Wilson, their best receiver, got two targets through three quarters, which is on the coaching staff and nobody else.
Portnoy had the only reaction that actually mattered:
Pats win. Drake perfect Aj Brown beyond horrific Jets are the Jets pic.twitter.com/QFaqo7DOD5
— Dave Portnoy (@stoolpresidente) October 18, 2026
Those last four words. Nothing to add there. One more number though, totally separate from the three-game streak:
The Patriots won their 41st game against the Jets since 2000. The most wins by any team vs any opponent in that span.
Per @NextGenStats. pic.twitter.com/ElkDQFHN42
— Daniel Rotman (@daniel_rotman15) October 18, 2026
New England doesn’t need a signature win over Buffalo or Kansas City to feel good about where this is going. It needs exactly this — competent, survivable, nobody-important-got-hurt football, four weeks running. Bears come to Foxboro on Thursday. We’ll find out if the backup tackle plan holds for four quarters instead of one.
