New England Patriots @ New York Jets Preview
Offense: With this being the first start for Matt Cassel, the official gameplan is still a little unclear. New England is not at full strength since Randy Moss, Wes Welker, Ben Watson and Jabar Gaffney received limited practice time due to minor pains, although all will be able to play. If last week's game was any indication, New England will rely on their runningbacks to hopefully lead the team to victory. 
Laurence Maroney and Sammy Morris are ready for anything and both averaged five yards per carry against Kansas City. Considering it was opening week, Morris, Maroney and the Patriots coaching staff were pleased with the output. Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels scaled down the passing attack last week and it's likely he will do the same in this game, letting Cassel ease into the offense with a lot of short, simple throws. Sammy Morris told reporters there is a possibility Heath Evans, Kevin Faulk, and Lamont Jordan may get some carries during the game to keep the ground attack fresh and effective. The Patriots offensive linemen played well against the Chiefs and will have to repeat their performance. They understand there is more pressure on them because of the new type of offense that will be implemented. Matt Cassel has become familiar with the Patriots playbook and his communication with his teammates is effective. He is able to relay the plays to his teammates in the huddle and knows where to throw to on each pass play. He probably won't have to attempt too many deep passes and should be capable of completing his throws. In this matchup, New England will want to control the time of possesion and have long,steady drives. Converting on third down will also be a huge factor because most plays will not be for long gains.
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Defense: Last week, New England was excellent at stopping the run, now they will have to stop the opportunistic passing game of Brett Favre and the Jets. The play of the defensive line will be a factor in determining what happens on the field. A good pass rush will force Favre out of the pocket, and he is not quite as effective when having to sacramble and throw on the run. Favre has limited speed and mobility so not being able to stand and throw from a comfortable position will make an impact. The linemen don't have to create sacks or turnovers to cause problems, they just need to force Favre to move around and get their hand up for deflections and incompletions. When it comes to the linebackers, they need to prevent yards after the catch since the Jets run a lot of crossing patterns, slants, and other plays in the midle of the field. The Jets are not a high risk, deep passing team but like to throw for first downs and geain consistent yardage. Proper tackling will force them into long yardage situations. Still, there will be some long throws attempted because that is in fFavre's nature to test a defense and go fro the big play. It won't be the primary form of offense but it will be something for the Patriots defense to stop. The defensive backs need to keep receivers in front of them and look for the ball, since the Jets receivers don't have the best speed. Brett Favre can easily take over a game and lead a team to victory, regardless of how good or bad the talent is around him. At home, the Jets fans will create a hostile environment so New England has to start well and feel comfortable with what they're doing.
Special Teams: In a close game, field goals will make a difference so Gostkowski needs to make his kicks. Punting will also be a small factor and Hanson had good distance last week, averaging 50 yards per punt. A similar performance would be helpful.
> Also see our Jets Correspondent's preview of this game!
By Chad Fukuoka
ProFootball-fans.com New England Patriots Correspondent