The Patriots may not need to go on the road in the playoffs, but they can feel confident in their ability to win away from home if they have to play outside of Gillette Stadium.
Drake Maye threw five touchdown passes to spur the Patriots to a 42-10 rout of the Jets at MetLife Stadium on Sunday. The win gave the Patriots an 8-0 record on the season and keeps them in the mix for the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs.
They’ll need a win over the Dolphins in Week 18 and a Chargers win over the Broncos in order to snag that spot in the tournament. They may also need a win over the Dolphins to secure the AFC East title as the Bills can keep their bid for a sixth straight title alive by beating the Eagles later on Sunday. The Bills will face the 3-13 Jets in Week 18, so New England probably won’t be banking on any help on that front next weekend.
Maye’s five touchdowns were part of a game-opening streak of six touchdowns in six possessions for a Patriots team that was unbothered by anything the Jets tried to throw in their path during the meaningful portion of Sunday’s game. Maye wound up taking a seat with 20 minutes left in the game and New England’s backups played out the rest of the laugher.
The Patriots did not appear to lose any significant players to injuries during the win, which is a good development for a team hoping to get players like Kayshon Boutte, Jared Wilson, Will Campbell, Milton Williams, and Harold Landry back for Week 18 and the playoffs.
