Three reasons to believe the Jets’ loss wasn’t the Patriots’ lowest point

The mood in New England was depressed after the ugly loss to the Jets, but there are reasons to maintain optimism.

The Patriots were crushed by the New York Jets on Thursday and there were few positives to take away from Week 3. The offensive line was awful, there was no tackling and the wide receivers were just there.

That was the team analysts had projected the Patriots to be, but Week 1 gave hope that this season wouldn’t be a complete disaster. That still might not be the case, and we’ll explore three reasons why there might still be hope for a winning season.

“Thursday Night Football” variant
First, let’s take a closer look at Week 3. Amazon paid a high price to be the exclusive home of Thursday Night Football. The company hired big names for its studio show and has Al Michaels and Kirk Herbstreit on the air. TNF is still a flop, though. You can probably count the number of truly great matchups we’ve had on Thursday Night Football on one hand.

Teams and players also hate it because you don’t have enough time to prepare for the game. It’s a mix of walkthroughs and light practice, so the game plans are often not that complex. What got lost in New England’s lousy performance was that New York wasn’t particularly impressive. Sure, Aaron Rodgers has thrown perfect throws on occasion, but to say the Jets are Super Bowl contenders would be an overstatement.

To give the Patriots another excuse, they have a full week to prepare for the rest of the game and should be better prepared.

Easier schedule in sight
The 49ers are excluded from that discussion — although San Francisco will be without several playmakers, which could give New England a chance. But the Patriots will face the Tua Tagovailoa-less Miami Dolphins in Week 5. The Houston Texans will be a tough opponent in Week 6, but the game in London against the Jaguars is certainly winnable based on Jacksonville’s play the past two weeks. A full week of preparation against the Jets at Gillette Stadium is another winnable game. Will Levis is a nightmare waiting to happen, and the Patriots have two straight games against teams with offensive lines just as bad as theirs: Chicago Bears and Los Angeles Rams. You can talk yourself into a whole lot of wins, and midseason would be an ideal time for Drake Maye to look good against potentially inferior competition.

Possible reinforcements
New England’s wide receiver roster needs more power. It’s ridiculous on the surface to say a player with a torn ACL can provide that, but Kendrick Bourne has been one of the Patriots’ most consistent wide receivers over the past three seasons. Ja’Whaun Bentley’s absence was very much felt Thursday. But Sione Takitakis’ return could help and provide more depth at the position. Cole Strange’s injury status is unknown, but if he can return, it would be a huge boost to the offensive line. Eliot Wolf could also be a potential low-risk, high-reward option that could provide more life after a disheartening loss to the Jets.