Expert predictions for Patriots vs. Jets Week 2 game originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
All eyes will be on two rookie quarterbacks when the New York Jets host the New England Patriots in a Week 2 game Sunday at MetLife Stadium.
Both of these AFC East rivals selected a quarterback in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft. The Jets took BYU star Zach Wilson with the No. 2 pick, and the Patriots chose Alabama’s Mac Jones at No. 15 overall.
Wilson will try to end the Jets’ 10-game losing streak against the Patriots, which dates back to 2016. It’s going to be a very difficult challenge — Bill Belichick is 21-6 against rookie QBs since becoming Patriots head coach before the 2000 season. The Patriots defense also is a very talented group that should be able to put plenty of pressure on Wilson in the pocket, especially with Jets starting left tackle Mekhi Becton unable to play because of injury.
The Patriots also are the team with the most pressure to win this game. A loss would drop them to 0-2 with two difficult matchups coming up against the New Orleans Saints and Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 3 and 4, respectively.
Here’s a roundup of expert picks for Sunday’s Patriots-Jets showdown (with score predictions, if provided).
Tom E. Curran, NBC Sports Boston: Patriots 23-9
Mike Reiss, ESPN: Patriots 30-17
Gregg Rosenthal, NFL.com: Patriots 28-21
Bleacher Report’s NFL Staff: Patriots 27-14
Will Brinson, CBS Sports: Patriots 24-14
Bill Bender, Sporting News: Patriots 20-17
Emmanuel Morgan, New York Times: Patriots
Mike Jones, USA TODAY Sports: Patriots 21-18
Albert Breer, Sports Illustrated: Jets
Jenny Vrentas, Sports Illustrated: Patriots
Ted Nguyen, The Athletic: Patriots