There’s never really a good time for the New York Jets to face the New England Patriots. Since Bill Belichick became New England’s coach in 2000, the Jets are 7-13 against their division rivals.
Many of the NFL games have been contentious — remember Spygate and the Eric Mangini-Belichick non-handshakes — and Belichick and current Jets coach Rex Ryan aren’t exactly friends. It won’t help Belichik’s mood, either, that New York won 16-9 in September.
Not that Belichick’s dour demeanor has been anything close to cheery since last Sunday’s late-game gamble backfired and the Patriots fell 35-34 to the Indianapolis Colts.
Following that gritty, if somewhat fortuitous, comeback against New England, the Colts should be feeling rather spry. Their record is 9-0 for the third time in five years, and they have a team-record 18 consecutive regular-season victories. A win against the Baltimore Ravens will give them the second-longest streak behind New England’s 21 that included the 16-0 mark in 2007.
The other perfect team, the New Orleans Saints, have struggled so often in the past month — and not against the toughest opponents — that talk at home has quieted down about a “perfect season.” Today they face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The Denver Broncos face the San Diego Chargers today. Also, it’s Cincinnati at Oakland, Seattle at Minnesota, Pittsburgh at Kansas City, Washington at Dallas, Arizona at St Louis, Atlanta at New York Giants, Philadelphia at Chicago, San Francisco at Green Bay, Buffalo at Jacksonville and Cleveland at Detroit.
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