We might as well put a tent over the New York Jets because the circus is still in town. From the quarterback situation which remains as unsettled as the San Andreas fault, to some recent online videos that were taken in the locker room before Saturday’s game no less, the dysfunction has reached new heights. Meanwhile, the New England Patriots remain a model of consistency, an organization that all others in the NFL strive to emulate. The Pats have had some laughers this season and this Week 16 home bout could be the worst.
Watch this regular season Week 16 matchup live on Saturday, December 24, 2016, at 1 p.m. ET at Gillette Stadium.
NFL Odds at BookMaker.eu
New York Jets +16.5
New England Patriots -16.5
Over/Under 44
Odds Analysis
The Jets are undecided on their starting quarterback for this game, but it likely won’t matter. The spread has already been wagered up 2.5-points since opening at Patriots -14 and is reaching historic levels. Still, the Patriots have done well against large spreads this season, going 3-0 ATS when entering as a double-digit favorite. It’s hard to imagine the line getting much higher, but the Pats are getting 80 percent of the early wagers which could force more movement.
Injury Report
Bryce Petty – Just when he was given the chance to show the Jets organization that he’s the quarterback of the future, Petty went down in a crumbling heap on Saturday night. He left the game with a chest injury and his status is unclear right now. Should Petty be unavailable for the Pats game, Ryan Fitzpatrick is the likely replacement, which is kind of ironic.
Buster Skrine – With the regression of Darrelle Revis, Skrine is probably the Jets top corner. However, he missed the last game with a concussion and has yet to clear the protocol. With Juston Burris starting in his place, Miami’s Matt Moore tossed four touchdown passes among his 12 completions.
Key Stat
It doesn’t matter who is running the offense, the Jets are just a mess and can’t hold onto the football. Four more turnovers against the Dolphins on Saturday night all but doomed the Jets, preventing them from winning their second straight game. Fitzpatrick was relieved of the starting job due to his poor play and 15 interceptions. Petty was given the reins for the final four games, but he tossed three picks in the first two games of that run, had another in a previous start, and has been picked six times in 130 pass attempts this season. Geno Smith couldn’t escape without a turnover, either. He tossed an interception in his only start.
The generosity of the quarterbacks has led the Jets to 30 turnovers, the second-most in the league, and their minus-19 turnover differential is by far the worst. New York has committed at least one turnover in 12 of 14 games and they’ve coughed the ball up 13 times in their last six games. During that span where the Jets have a win over San Francisco and five losses, they have a minus-11 turnover margin. Heck, they even left the 49ers game with a negative turnover margin, but at least they did get a win.
Free ATS Pick
With players filming nasty videos in the locker room before a game and posting them to social media accounts, it’s pretty clear where the Jets’ heads are at this stage of the season. And if Todd Bowles doesn’t address the situation with a stiff hand, more than just a loss to the Patriots is at stake. New York is a mess and the season can’t end soon enough for them. Thought to be the strength of the team, the defense allowed a backup to throw four touchdown passes in Saturday’s loss. Special teams failed and the offense looked lost.
It’s a bleak outlook heading into Foxboro. And with the No. 1 seed in the conference at stake, don’t expect the Patriots to take it easy. New England blew a chance at the top spot last season and it cost them when they had to travel to Denver for the AFC Championship game. I think the lesson has been learned and the Pats aren’t going to allow that to happen this time around. The Jets are ripe and while the spread continues to rise, the Pats are up to the challenge.
NFL Odds: Patriots 31, Jets 13
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