Pats demolish Jets 42-10 in latest humiliation for Gang Green

A miserable December is coming to an end for the Jets.

Drake Maye passed for five touchdowns as the Patriots (12-3) eviscerated the Jets (3-12) 42-10 in front of a large contingent of New England fans at MetLife Stadium.

The loss was the Jets’ fourth in a row and sixth in their last eight games.

There were so many New England fans in the stands Sunday that Jets players were booed as they arrived on the field before kickoff. Aside from Jets running back Breece Hall becoming the first running back to record 1,000 yards in a season since Chris Ivory in 2015, Gang Green fans didn’t have much to cheer about as the Patriots put on a masterclass during the first half.

Sunday marked the second game of Chris Harris’ tenure as interim defensive coordinator after Jets coach Steve Wilks fired following Week 15’s 48-20 loss to the Jaguars. Jacksonville’s loss pales in comparison to how shoddy the Jets’ defense was against the Patriots.

Not only were the Patriots’ receivers often wide open, but the Jets missed several tackles, allowing 344 yards at halftime. The Jets also couldn’t put consistent pressure on Maye after getting just two quarterback hits. He completed 19 of 21 passes for 256 yards and five touchdowns.

When Glenn fired Wilks, he hoped to see “steady improvement” over the final weeks of the season. But the Jets defense looks just as bad, if not worse, with Harris in charge. He has allowed 71 points in the last two weeks since the defensive coordinator change. New England also scored a touchdown on its first six possessions of the game.

In December alone, the Jets were outscored 153-46 in their last four games. It was such an embarrassing performance for the Jets defense that Patriots backup Joshua Dobbs relieved Maye with 5:31 left in the third quarter. From there, the Patriots were on cruise control with the game well in hand.

As bad as the Jets’ defense was on Sunday, their offense was just as lifeless.

Brady Cook started his third straight game. Tyrod Taylor, who started four games for the Jets this season, was inactive after missing Friday’s practice for personal reasons. Hendon Hooker, whom the Jets elevated from the practice squad, backed up Cook.

In his previous two starts against the Jaguars and Saints, Cook played much like an undrafted rookie free agent. He averaged 5.4 yards per attempt with one touchdown and six interceptions.

Cook’s struggles continued after he finished 6 of 11 for 47 yards and an interception. Hall totaled 112 rushing yards and a touchdown, most of which came on his 59-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.

The Jets’ best passing play might come from their punter, Austin McNamara, after completing a three-yard pass on a fake punt in the third quarter, trailing 35-3. They attempted another fake punt on the same drive, but the Patriots stopped Isaiah Davis and forced a turnover on downs.

Obviously, at this point in the season, the Jets are playing for the draft after starting Cook for the third straight week. But they didn’t look like a tanking team. The Jets looked like a team ready for vacation afterward and who may have tuned out their coach. Well, maybe it wasn’t Jets right tackle Armand Membou, who had to be restrained by the coaching staff after ripping off his own helmet and yelling at one of the Patriots players.

It appears that Glenn will return as coach of the Jets in 2026. The Jets likely would not have traded Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams at the trade deadline without the assurance that Glenn would be back as coach next season.

However, this can’t be how Glenn envisioned the season ending for the Jets. They were outclassed by three teams (Jacksonville, New Orleans and New England), all of whom have first-year coaches. Two of those teams will make the playoffs and the Jets will be playing at home for the 15th consecutive season, which is the longest playoff drought in North American sports.

The Jets will play their final game of the 2025 season next week on the road against the Bills. The date and time of the match are still to be determined.