7 instant takeaways from Jets' first divisional loss of 2026 to Patriots

The New York Jets entered their Week 6 matchup with the New England Patriots seeking their first AFC East win of the Aaron Glenn era. Coming off a gutsy win against the Cleveland Browns last week, the vibes were high in New York, and a win against the Patriots would've gone a long way in establishing faith in the current staff.

Instead, the Jets were unable to keep pace with the reigning AFC champions, and they fell for what felt like the millionth time in their history at Gillette Stadium to the tune of 26-19.

What stood out in the Jets' fourth loss of the season? Were there any positives in the loss, or was it all bad for Gang Green?

Instant takeaways from the New York Jets' loss to the Patriots

1. Joe Tippmann's struggles continue

There's been a bit of a spotlight on right guard Joe Tippmann over the last few weeks, and he had a particularly rough day last Sunday against the Browns. After signing a four-year, $62 million contract this past summer, fans are expecting more.

On a 3rd & 16 with roughly five minutes to go in the first quarter, Tippmann was blown up by Patriots defensive tackle Christian Barmore for a sack on Geno Smith. It wasn't a pretty play and fairly indicative of how the former second-round draft pick has played the last few weeks.

2. Jets still need to bring extra rushers to get pressure

After an eight-sack day against the Browns last week, Glenn decided to dial it back against New England and get a little more conservative with his blitzing. It only showed just how weak the Jets' four-man rush is.

On Drake Maye's first touchdown pass of the game, he had literally all day to throw in the pocket. The Jets sent four, and the Patriots quarterback had 5.61 seconds to throw per Next Gen Stats. It led to a 42-yard passing touchdown to Romeo Doubs. To make matters worse, New England was missing three starters on the right side of their offensive line.

3. Keep feeding Braelon Allen

With Breece Hall out for a third consecutive game, Braelon Allen was once again tasked with being the Jets' lead back. It's safe to say he really looks the part of a capable RB1.

Allen finished the day with 17 carries for 78 yards and was pretty much the only offense the Jets had in the first half. He's earned himself a prominent role in the Jets' backfield, even when Hall makes his return from injury.

4. The curious case of the Jets' rushing attack

While Allen had an overall good day, the Jets' rushing offense continues to perplex. ESPN's Benjamin Solak pointed out the disparity in short-yardage rushing situations, and maybe New York needs to start throwing the ball more when it's third- and fourth and short.

Part of that may be offensive coordinator Frank Reich's insistence on running the ball out of shotgun in those gotta-have-it situations. He may have the data that says it's the right call, but most of the time, it doesn't feel like it works for the Jets.

5. Jets' end of half operation continues to be atrocious

Another area that continues to flummox the Jets is their end-of-half situations. They can't get stops, can't put together scoring drives, and it only digs them deeper into the hole they've usually dug themselves into.

Per the CBS broadcast, the Jets had been outscored 90-6 in the final two minutes of the first half over the last two seasons, and that was before the final Patriots touchdown. That deficit is now 97-6 in the Glenn era.

6. Welcome back Omar Cooper!

The Jets' 30th overall pick in this past April's draft, Omar Cooper Jr., made his return to the field on Sunday for the first time since Week 1 this season, and the Indiana product immediately made his presence known.

After having his first catch and should-be touchdown wiped away by an offensive pass interference penalty, Cooper bounced back hard, finishing the day with six catches for 103 yards and a touchdown, including a 48-yard bomb from Smith. Good to have him back.

7. Geno Smith's first interception couldn't have come at a worse time

Coming into today's game, the Jets' veteran quarterback hadn't thrown an interception on 165 pass attempts. It was particularly encouraging due to the fact that Smith led the league in picks for the Las Vegas Raiders last season.

That streak came to an unfortunate end against New England, and possibly at the worst time. Early in the fourth quarter, with the Jets down 10, Smith overthrew Kenyon Sadiq on a deep pass and it was intercepted by Charles Woods. The game didn't end there, but in some ways it felt like it did.

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