Sunday’s game against the Patriots at MetLife Stadium was supposed to be a litmus test for the Jets. It was supposed to be a chance to see how they measured up against the five-time Super Bowl champions; to see if they had closed the gap to challenging Tom Brady and Bill Belichick in the AFC East any time soon.
It would be a credible test because Sam Darnold would be 10 games into his rookie season as the franchise quarterback, and young building blocks such as Jamal Adams and Leonard Williams would be solidifying the defense. Todd Bowles, in his fourth season as head coach, would have his players and his system firmly in place.