Patriots now have a short week to prep for Week 3 vs. Jets
FOXBORO -- The Patriots have a lot to learn from Sunday's 23-20 overtime loss to the Seahawks. But they don't have a lot of time to do so before their Week 3 showdown with the New York Jets.
The Patriots will be dealing with a short week ahead of their AFC East clash with the Jets on Thursday Night Football. This will be New England's only appearance on primetime during the regular season.
The Pats won't practice on Monday -- which is actually their Wednesday this week -- but players and coaches will be at Gillette Stadium. They'll have positional meetings where they'll break down film from Sunday's loss to the Seattle Seahawks, and they'll likely cram in some info on the Jets as well. Players and head coach Jerod Mayo will also chat with the media on Monday afternoon.
The Patriots will hold their only practice of the week on Tuesday, and it will only be a walkthough. With the Patriots and Jets set to kick off on Thursday night at 8:15 p.m., Tuesday's practice will take place in the evening from 6 p.m. until 7 p.m.
The team will travel to New York on Wednesday, and then take on the Jets on Thursday night at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
Injury Concerns for Patriots on a short week
The Patriots will send out their first practice/injury report of the short week on Monday. There will be some notable names on it.
All eyes will be on the condition of linebacker and defensive signal-caller Ja'Whaun Bentley, who left in Sunday's game in the first half with a shoulder injury and did not return. That led to Raekwon McMillan seeing 41 snaps in his first playing time of the season. Linebacker Oshane Ximines also departed in the second half with a knee injury and did not return.
And the Patriots could ill afford an injury on the offensive line, especially at left tackle. But starting left tackle Vederian Lowe suffered a knee injury on New England's final play offensive play in regulation and did not return. The injury required him to head to the blue medical tent after he made it to the sideline.
With Chuks Okorafor leaving the team and reportedly contemplating retirement, the Patriots are paper thin at left tackle right now. If Lowe can't play Thursday and Okorafor doesn't return, it will leave rookie right tackle Caedan Wallace to take over the left side, with Demontrey Jacobs and Zach Thomas -- both of whom were recently claimed off waivers -- and Caleb Jones of the practice squad as depth options.
The Jets are coming off a win in Week 2
Like the Patriots, the Jets sit at 1-1 on the season. Unlike the Patriots, the Jets won their Week 2 game, 24-17, against the Titans in Tennessee. It was Aaron Rodgers' first win as quarterback of the Jets.
Rodgers threw for 176 yards and two touchdowns, while Breece Hall had 62 rushing yards on 14 carries and 52 receiving yards and a touchdown grab on his seven catches. Rookie running back Braelon Allen broke off a 20-yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter which proved to be the game-winning score for New York.
The Titans outgained the Jets in terms of yards, but two Tennessee turnovers (to none from the Jets) and a blocked punt by the Jets swung the game in New York's favor.
We'll get you ready for Thursday night's Patriots-Jets clash starting at 7 p.m. with Patriots GameDay on TV38! After the game, tune in to Patriots 5th Quarter on WBZ-TV for full reaction and analysis.
