New York Jets vs New England Patriots: prediction, preview, pick to win

KICKOFF:

Saturday, 1 p.m. ET, Gillette Stadium. TV: CBS, Ian Eagle, Dan Fouts, Evan Washburn.

SERIES HISTORY:

113th regular-season meeting. The Patriots lead the series, 58-53-1, and have won four of the last five, including a 22-17 victory on Nov. 27 in the Meadowlands.

KEYS TO THE GAME:

Playoff picture -- The Patriots have clinched AFC East title and first-round bye. New England clinches home-field advantage throughout AFC playoffs with: 1. NE win plus OAK loss or tie OR 2. NE tie plus OAK loss.

Jets coach Todd Bowles was admitted to a hospital with an undisclosed illness on Friday and did not accompany the team to Foxborough, Mass., for Saturday's game. Bowles is listed in stable condition, although his availability to be on the sideline is uncertain. Should the 53-year-old Bowles miss the game (1 p.m. ET), assistant head coach/linebackers coach Mike Caldwell will assume the head-coaching responsibilities, the team said in a statement.

Offensively, the Patriots have proven they can be a balanced team, capable of throwing it 50-plus times, as they did in the first meeting with the Jets, or running it 30-plus times, as they've done on five occasions. New England continues to evolve without Rob Gronkowski and with LeGarrette Blount and the ground game producing.

This week, Josh McDaniels may look to throw early and run later against a Jets defense that's equally susceptible to both, especially with the questionable effort and motivation of New York's talented veteran defensive linemen. Assuming New England's line can continue its impressive play up front, Tom Brady should be able to go after Darrelle Revis and Co. in the back end. Look for Dion Lewis to continue to be a major factor as a runner out of passing sets, as well as catching passes. Clearly, Julian Edelman remains the focal point of the short passing attack, while Malcolm Mitchell and Chris Hogan will get their shots on the outside.

Matt Patricia's first goal for the Patriots' defense will be to shut down Matt Forte, Bilal Powell and the Jets' running game. That shouldn't be too much of an issue considering how well New England has been playing up front, led by defensive tackle Alan Branch and newly minted Pro Bowl linebacker Dont'a Hightower. If New England succeeds at keeping the Jets' ground game in check, it will put pressure on New York's quarterbacks -- likely youngster Bryce Petty, who is dealing with a chest injury.

New England has mixed both zone and man coverages of late with just enough pressure looks to keep opposing passers off balance. That should be the plan again, although Patricia will not do so to the point that it opens up bigplay opportunities for the Jets' bigger receivers.

What can the Jets possibly do to give inconsistent and accuracy-challenged Petty a chance behind a makeshift offensive line? The only chance at pulling the mammoth upset is to dominate time of possession, so once again, expect plenty of shotgun snaps for Petty and a reliance on checkdowns to Powell. Bill Belichick is likely to take away WRs Robby Anderson and Brandon Marshall, so the Jets will need to hope the piecemeal approach works in solving a bend-but-don't-break defense.

MATCHUPS TO WATCH:

--DE Muhammad Wilkerson and DE Sheldon Richardson vs. LT Nate Solder and RT Marcus Cannon. Patriots QB Tom Brady, no fan of being hit, could barely move in the pocket when the two teams played on Nov. 27, yet he wasn't sacked once. Once again, this would be a terrific time for Wilkerson or Richardson to live up to their salaries and perceived values and actually get some pressure on the best player in football.

--Jets RB Bilal Powell vs. Patriots MLB Dont'a Hightower. Hightower is the man in the middle of the New England run defense that's risen to No. 4 in the NFL. He was elected to his first Pro Bowl this week, but he's once again battling a knee injury that has limited him in practice. Powell has exploded for 200-plus yards combined in the last two weeks to lead the Jets' ground game. The veteran is averaging 5.7 yards per carry and poses a major challenge for Hightower and the middle of the Patriots' front.

FRIDAY INJURY REPORT

NEW YORK JETS

--Out: LB Lorenzo Mauldin (ankle), DT Steve McLendon (hamstring)

--Doubtful: RB Matt Forte (knee, shoulder)

--Questionable: WR Brandon Marshall (shoulder, back), RB Khiry Robinson (lower leg), DE Muhammad Wilkerson (ankle)

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS

--Out: WR Danny Amendola (ankle)

--Questionable: TE Martellus Bennett (ankle, shoulder), QB Tom Brady (thigh), LB Dont'a Hightower (knee), S Jordan Richards (knee), WR Matt Slater (foot)

PLAYER SPOTLIGHT:

Patriots G Joe Thuney. New England's impressive rookie has started all 14 games. But, his play has started to slip, including a pair of sacks allowed last Sunday in Denver. As he works late into the season, working past the rookie wall, Thuney will face another challenge against a talented, physical Jets defensive line. F

FAST FACTS:

Jets QB Bryce Petty has 492 passing yards (246 per game) in the past two games.

Jets RB Bilal Powell has 341 scrimmage yards (170.5 per game) and two rushing TDs in past two games. He had 11 catches last week.

Jets WR Brandon Marshall has 182 receiving yards and three TD catches in the past two games vs. the Patriots. Since entering the league in 2006, he ranks second with 939 catches and 12,033 receiving yards.

Patriots QB Tom Brady has 23 pass TDs and four INTs in the past 12 games against the Jets. He passed for 286 yards and two TDs in the last meeting.

RB LeGarrette Blount has a franchise record and NFL-leading 15 rushing TDs. He aims for his fourth game in a row with a rushing TD.

Since 2013, Patriots WR Julian Edelman ranks fifth in the NFL with 343 receptions.

PREDICTION:

With a win and an Oakland loss to Indianapolis, the Patriots could clinch home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs. While they can't control the events in Oakland, they can certainly control what happens in Foxboro against a Jets team that has appeared to lack motivation in the last three weeks. This should be a breeze for Brady and company.

OUR PICK: Patriots, 31-13.

--Bucky Dent