By Shawn Stewart

Monday, Nov. 9 at 8:15 p.m. ET

ESPN

SPREAD: Patriots, -7.0

If I could sum up the AFC East Division in one word, "dominate" comes to mind. The New England Patriots have dominated the division for the last two decades. Tom Brady and Bill Belichick were the perfect quarterback and head coach combination. Not only did the Patriots overpower the AFC East, but they also dominated the AFC Conference and the entire NFL. In their 20 years together, Brady and Belichick reached nine Super Bowls, winning six of them. With Brady moving on to Tampa Bay, the Patriots dominating run and the dynasty could be over. The Patriots organization is doing something it has not done in quite a while, looking up at another team leading the AFC East. The New York Jets have been less than competitive in the last several years. They thought Sam Darnold was the answer at quarterback, and they can't seem to keep a head coach around long enough to build a franchise for the future. The Jets have started the season with eight straight losses, and it does not seem to be getting any better. The Jets need to think about building for the future, and that could start with the first pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.

New England Patriots

The Patriots organization has produced possibly the greatest quarterback and head coach tandem of all time. When the Patriots drafted Tom Brady in the sixth round out of Michigan in the 2000 draft, their expectations were not high, but as we all know, you are only one injury away from having your name called upon. In 2002, Drew Bledsoe was injured in the second game of the season, and the rest is history. With Brady moving on, the Patriots had several questions at quarterback. The franchise decided to take a chance on former MVP Cam Newton, and so far this season, Newton and the offense have not played the type of New England Patriots football that all football fans have come to expect. So the biggest question is, was it the play of Brady or the play calling of Belichick that made this team so successful and dominant?

Patriots Offense

The Patriots have had a lot of success against the New York Jets. In fact, the Patriots have won the last eight meetings by an average of 21 points against their AFC East rival. The Patriots offense ranks 24th in the NFL, but 30th in total passing and the team is only averaging 19.4 points per game. Cam Newton has not been what the Patriots organization has expected. In fact, Newton has not lived up to his MVP capability from a few seasons ago. Newton has missed on throws, made some bad decisions, and cost the Patriots some games. Newton had a huge fumble against the Bills last Sunday that cost them the game. Newton's numbers so far this season have not been stellar at all. He has completed 103 out of 158 pass attempts for 1143 yards and has only two passing touchdowns against seven interceptions. The Patriots wide receivers have only one receiving touchdown this year, which is fewest in the NFL. Newton could be relying too much on his legs. He does have 298 rushing yards and six touchdowns. If the Patriots have any shot to catch the Bills (who lead the division with a 6-2 record), then Newton needs to play much better and faster, or the bench is going to continue to call his name. The Patriots have not lost back-to-back games against AFC East opponents since 2015.

Patriots Defense

Although the defense is not as dominating as it once was, the unit still ranks in the top 10 in total defense. In the last four games, which the Patriots have lost, the defense has kept them in those football games. However, the defense is allowing more points, 23.9 per game, then the offense is scoring. This is not a recipe for success but could lead to the possibility of missing the playoffs and watching the Buffalo Bills win the division. The Patriots have made some moves on the defensive side of the ball, which include DTs Ryan Glasgow and Isaiah Mack. The Patriots defense has only produced ten sacks in eight games.

New York Jets

When you look up the word anemia in the dictionary, the symptoms are described as a decrease in the number of red blood cells and this could include such side effects such as feeling tired, weak, shortness of breath, and possibly confusion. The New York Jets are the most anemic football team in the NFL. They are weak on both sides of the ball, they look exhausted and confused. This franchise has not had a winning season since 2015, and the last time they made the playoffs was 2010 where they lost to the Steelers in the AFC Championship Game. They have not had a solid quarterback play since Mark Sanchez, and that is not saying much. They can't keep a head coach, and I am sure nobody wants to run this sorry excuse for an organization. The Jets have been in rebuilding for the last decade, and that trend looks like it is going to continue. Don't expect the Jets to be competitive for a while. With the first pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, the New York Jets select.....

Jets Offense

The Jets offense ranks 31st in the NFL, and the worst passing offense in the league and are in the bottom nine in rushing, and they are only averaging 11.8 points per game. Yikes! How is this a recipe for success? The Jets have scored fewer than 20 points in seven of eight games this season, which is the worst in the league. When I think of quarterbacks who were successful in college, but turned out to be huge busts in the NFL, names such as Ryan Leaf, JaMarcus Russell, and Akili Smith come to mind. Sam Darnold could join that list. Darnold has been less than stellar since being selected 3rd overall in the 2018 NFL Draft out of USC. Darnold has completed 112 passes for 1046 yards and three touchdowns with six interceptions. Darnold has been dealing with the injury bug this season, so veteran Joe Flacco has appeared in a few games, and has not fared much better. If the Jets are looking to turn around this franchise, they need to really consider a future change at the quarterback position.

Jets Defense

The Jets defense ranks 29th overall, is allowing just under 30 points per game, and is allowing over 400 yards of total offense. In a nutshell, the Jets can't stop anyone, particularly in the running game. The Jets are allowing over 290 rushing yards per game, so Cam Newton could be licking his chops at the opportunity to run all over this defensive unit. This defense somehow has more sacks (11) than the Patriots (10). If the Jets have any chance in this game, they need to stop the run and pressure the quarterback.

Prediction

Both offenses going into this game have struggled most, if not all season. Both quarterbacks have underperformed. I am not expecting this to be an exciting game at all, but I have been wrong before. If the Jets have any chance in this game, they need to make Cam Newton uncomfortable by throwing the ball. The Patriots will be without Julian Edelman in this game due to an injury. If the Jets can force Newton into some bad throws they could have a chance. The Patriots will need to rely more on their defensive unit to beat the Jets. If the Patriots pressure Darnold, it will be a long night, as usual for the Jets. I like the Patriots in this game, but this game could be difficult to watch.

SHAWN’S PREDICTION: Patriots 24 - 12

AJ’S PREDICTION: Patriots 31 - 13

CADE’S PREDICTION: Patriots 7 - 3

TIMOTHY’S PREDICTION: Patriots 28 - 17

JAKE’S PREDICTION: Patriots 21 - 9

Follow Shawn on Twitter @ShawnSportsNut