The Patriots escaped with a 26-19 win over the Jets in Week 6, but the final score left plenty of room for what-ifs. New England moved to 4-2, improved to 2-0 in divisional play, and handed New York its fourth loss of the season. Still, this one was tighter than it needed to be.
A big part of that was A.J. Brown’s night.
In his first game since Sept. 9, the receiver had a rough one, finishing with three catches on 10 targets for 27 yards. He was charged with three drops, and each one stung in its own way: one would have been a touchdown, another came on a deep throw down the sideline, and another arrived on third down.
Then there was the moment late in the fourth quarter that nearly flipped the whole game. Brown was on the onside kick team with :32 left and muffed what looked like a straightforward recovery. DeMario Douglas bailed out the Patriots by getting to the loose ball before the Jets could.
The @nyjets were so close to recovering the onside kick…
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- NFL (@NFL) October 18, 2026
If Brown had cashed in on even half of those chances, New England might have cruised instead of sweating it out to the end in a divisional fight.
Afterward, Mike Vrabel didn’t pile on. He simply said Brown “can probably make a few more plays.” That relationship matters, too; the two spent three seasons together in Tennessee, and there should be time to clean this up after one rough outing.
The Patriots now turn quickly to a short week and a Thursday night trip to face the Bears, who are also 4-2. With the injuries piling up, it’s the kind of turnaround that could be a problem for New England.
There was at least one bright spot on offense: even with the drops, Brown found space in the Jets’ defense, and Drake Maye stayed sharp. The quarterback threw for 235 yards and three touchdowns, which helped keep the Patriots on the winning side despite the shaky finish.
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Patriots Turned A Messy Jets Game On A Few Huge Moments
The Patriots survived a messy one against the Jets by leaning on the kinds of plays that usually decide tight division games: defensive stops, successful fourth-down calls and a pair of scoring drives when the margin for error was thin. Drake Maye helped steer the offense, and New England kept finding just enough answers to stay in front in a game that never really settled into a rhythm.
What stood out most was how the Patriots handled the critical moments near the goal line, where the Jets never managed to cash in. New England also got a crucial final drive to close it out, but the win carried some lingering questions because a key playmaker was shaken up after a long touchdown catch, leaving one more layer of uncertainty hanging over an otherwise needed result. [Read more 🡒]
Patriots Need A.J. Brown To Answer One Big Offensive Concern
After getting past the Jets in a 26-19 Week 6 win, the Patriots are back to dealing with the bigger question that has hovered over their offense for most of the month: how much better does it look when A.J. Brown is available? Brown missed four games with an ankle injury, and his absence has left New England searching for more consistency and a clearer passing rhythm as it heads into a Thursday night trip to Chicago.
Draye Maye was candid about what Brown means to the offense, which is why his status looms so large for Week 7. Brown said he is absolutely good to play against the Bears, giving the Patriots a potential boost at exactly the right time, but the real test is whether his return can address the concern that has lingered since he went down. [Read more 🡒]
Patriots Suddenly Have An O-Line Depth Problem They Can't Ignore
The Patriots had to move quickly after their game against the Jets left them thin along the offensive line, and on Tuesday the team brought back a pair of familiar faces to help patch things up. Andrew Rupcich and Jacob Rizy were signed to the practice squad, a reminder of how fast depth can get tested in the NFL and how often teams have to lean on the players they already know.
Mike Vrabel confirmed the additions during his press conference and said the club has to stay flexible with the roster as injuries pile up. Rupcich and Rizy were around earlier in training camp and the preseason before being released, so this is less a fresh search than a return to names the Patriots already had in the building, with more roster movement still likely as they work through the fallout from Sunday. [Read more 🡒]