Ravens have problems against Raiders, Vikings win over 49ers
Prince Grimes analyzes all the ups and downs of the second week of the 2024 NFL season.
Sport in Seriousness
The New England Patriots and the New York Jets are renewing their rivalry on Thursday Night Football, but in a different form.
When the two AFC East rivals meet at MetLife Stadium on Thursday night, Bill Belichick will not be on the New England sideline for the first time since 1999.
During Belichick’s tenure, the Jets dominated the Patriots: Belichick’s teams achieved a 37-11 regular season record against the Jets and their roster of seven head coaches since 2000.
However, the Jets have an opportunity to write a new chapter against a Patriots team that is trying to find its way under the leadership of new head coach Jerod Mayo. Both teams still have a lot to prove.
After a Week 1 blowout against the Bengals, the Patriots have come back down to earth, losing a hard-fought game to the Seahawks in overtime. Now Patriots fans are anxiously (and perhaps impatiently) awaiting the commitment of No. 3 overall pick Drake Maye, who has been on the bench behind Jacoby Brissett this season.
The Jets are also slowly getting back into their stride after two mixed first weeks of the season: New York suffered a brutal loss to the 49ers in Week 1 and struggled to get going against the Titans in Week 2. They were able to win in the end, but it was not a visually appealing game of football.
NFL POWER RANKINGS: How do the Jets and Patriots fare ahead of their Week 3 clash?
The rivalry between the Patriots and Jets reignites Thursday night. USA TODAY Sports has live updates, highlights and more from Week 3’s Thursday Night Football matchup:
Start time Jets vs. Patriots
- Date: Thursday, 19 September
- Time: 8:15 p.m. ET
The Jets vs. Patriots game begins at 8:15 p.m. ET, the same start time as all of Amazon’s Thursday Night Football games for the 2024 NFL season.
What channel is Thursday Night Football on tonight?
- Live stream: Amazon Prime
- Local TV: Fox 5 (New York market) | Fox 25 (Boston Market)
NFL fans who want to watch the Thursday Night Football game live will need to subscribe to Amazon Prime to stream the game.
Al Michaels (live report), Kirk Herbstreit (color commentary) and Kaylee Hartung (sideline reporter) will be present at the Amazon broadcast.
Here are the USA TODAY Sports editors’ predictions for Week 3’s Thursday Night Football game:
- Lorenzo Reyes: Jets 21, Patriots 17
- Tyler Dragon: Jets 24, Patriots 16
- Richard Morin: Jets 23, Patriots 22
- Jordan Mendoza: Seattle Seahawks 17, Seattle Seahawks 12
According to BetMGM NFL odds, the Jets are the favorites to beat the Patriots. Want to bet? Check out the best mobile sports betting apps that offer NFL betting promotions in 2024, including the ESPN BET app and Fanatics Sportsbook promo code.
- Spread: Jets (-6.5)
- Moneyline: Jets (-275); Patriots (+220)
- Over/Under: 38.5
Not interested in this game? Our guide to NFL betting odds, tips and spreads has you covered with the odds for Thursday Night Football and Monday Night Football.
New to sports betting? USA TODAY readers can get exclusive promo and bonus codes at the best online sportsbooks and sports betting sites.
DO YOU FEEL HAPPY? Here are the best combination bets and odds for NFL games this week
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Only two players in the 2024 NFL player pool are older than 40: Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers and Bears tight end Marcedes Lewis. Coincidentally, both players were teammates on the Green Bay Packers at the beginning of their careers.
Here is the full list of the eleven oldest football players:
- QB Aaron Rodgers, Jets: 40 years old (December 2, 1983)
- TE Marcedes Lewis, Bears: 40 years old (May 19, 1984)
- K Matt Prater, Rams: 39 years old (August 10, 1984)
- K Nick Folk, Titans: 39 years old (November 5, 1984)
- QB Joe Flacco, Colts: 39 years old (January 16, 1985)
- C/LS JJ Jansen, Panthers: 38 years old (January 20, 1986)
- C/LS Jon Weeks, Texans: 38 years old (February 17, 1986)
- P Thomas Morstead, Jets: 38 years old (March 8, 1986)
- C/LS Morgan Cox, Titans: 38 years old (April 26, 1986)
- QB Josh Johnson, Ravens: 38 years old (May 15, 1986)
- DL Calais Campbell, Dolphin: 38 years old (September 1, 1986)
Although he has not yet been promoted to starter, New England appears to have a plan to slowly ease Maye into the role of starting quarterback.
According to head coach Jerod Mayo, the organization is giving Maye an unusually high number of practices with the first team on offense. He acknowledged that there is a delicate balance between Brissett’s preparation for game week and Maye’s preparation for his career.
Jets fans hoping to get their most important offseason addition will have to wait. The pass rusher acquired from the Eagles has not yet completed his waiting period and has yet to play in 2024.
“Everyone goes through their own process and I stand by this: When he gets here, we will welcome him with open arms, we will welcome him with love and he will be a part of this football team,” Jets head coach Robert Saleh said at the start of the season.
The biggest selling point for Belichick may be on the offensive side of the ball. Although Belichick is coming off a rough couple of years at the end of his tenure in New England, his experience coaching Tom Brady would make him a suitable choice to lead Aaron Rodgers. Bringing in a young, up-and-coming offensive coordinator could perhaps make their offense more exciting than it was with Saleh at the helm.
If Belichick simply planned to focus on hiring experienced coordinators, the Jets might get mad at him. But at least the Jets will likely offer him an interview if they move on from Saleh after 2024. After all, Belichick was the one who got away in 2000 when he joined the Patriots.
There are also other landing spots that would make sense for the “Hoodie”.
If Aaron Rodgers is still Aaron Rodgers in 2024, he could further cement his status as one of the best quarterbacks in NFL history.
Currently, Rodgers is only 1,963 yards behind Hall of Fame QB Dan Marino of the Dolphins for eighth place on the all-time career passing list. That could be a piece of cake for Rodgers if he gets on well with his skill position group, led by wide receiver Garrett Wilson.
There’s a good chance that Rodgers could even overtake Matt Ryan and finish seventh by the end of the season: Rodgers is only 3,394 yards behind Ryan’s spot.
Of course, yards don’t count as much as touchdowns: Rodgers still has a lot to do to catch up with his former teammate Brett Favre. He is 30 touchdowns behind Favre, fourth all-time, a mark that is certainly achievable, but it will take an old Rodgers to do it. – Joe Rivera
List of pass distances throughout the career:
- Tom Brady (2000-2022): 89,214
- Drew Brees (2001-2020): 80,358
- Peyton Manning (1998-2015): 71,940
- Brett Favre (1991-2010): 71,838
- Ben Roethlisberger (2004-2021): 64,088
- Philip Rivers (2004-2020): 63,440
- Matt Ryan (2008-2022): 62,792
- Dan Marino (1983-1999): 61,361
- Aaron Rodgers (2005-present): 59,398
- Eli Manning (2004-2019): 57,023
- Matthew Stafford (2009-present): 56,580
List of career passing touchdowns:
- Tom Brady (2000-2022): 649
- Drew Brees (2001-2020): 571
- Peyton Manning (1998-2015): 539
- Brett Favre (1991-2010): 508
- Aaron Rodgers (2005-present): 478
- Philip Rivers (2004-2020): 421
- Dan Marino (1983-1999): 420
- Ben Roethlisberger (2004-2021): 418
- Matt Ryan (2008-2022): 381
- Eli Manning (2004-2019): 366
- Matthew Stafford (2009-present): 358
In early 2024, Aaron Rodgers made headlines again – when he almost headlined a presidential bid.
There were strong rumors that Rodgers would be nominated as Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s vice presidential candidate in the 2024 presidential election, but that did not happen.
RFK Jr. confirmed that he had spoken to Rodgers, but ultimately chose California attorney Nicole Shanahan – who is not related to Shanahan’s football players – as his vice presidential running mate.
Kennedy eventually suspended his presidential campaign and spared us all the appointment of Rodgers to the Cabinet. – Joe Rivera
Nick Bosa’s five-year, $170 million contract, which he signed with the San Francisco 49ers in 2023, makes him not only the highest-paid edge rusher, but also the highest-paid defensive player in the NFL. Jets edge rusher Haason Reddick also wants to break into this group, but given his retirement, that possibility currently seems far off.
The Jets will be without a key defensive player on Thursday night as linebacker CJ Mosley is out with a foot injury. Mosley was selected to the All-Pro second team five times and signed with the Jets in 2019.
Since the Jets signed Saleh before the 2021 season, he has led the Jets to a record of 19-34 – a winning percentage of .358.
New York has never qualified for the playoffs under Saleh.
