NFL Playoff Picks – Patriots Will Shut Rex Ryan Up – Finally!

If you believed Rex Ryan, the New England Patriots would have already suffered the same NFL Playoff Picks fate as the Indianapolis Colts. What Ryan and the Jets players forget is that there is still a game to play and that the Patriots now have a little more motivation ahead of Sunday’s game.

Have the Jets earned the right to mouth off against possibly the best franchise in NFL football? Perhaps. Will the Patriots make them pay? Absolutely.

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NEW YORK JETS (11-5) vs. NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (14-2)

Sunday, January 16, 4:30 PM ET

Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts

Broadcast: FOX

NFL Playoff Picks Lines:

NY Jets: +8 ½ (-110)

New England: -8 ½ (-110)

Moneyline: NY Jets +320: New England -400

Total: 44 ½ points

The New York Jets were an easy NFL Playoff Picks favorite half way through the season but underwhelming defensive play, questionable offensive play and overwhelming hype have caught up to this team. They are good for sure but they certainly aren’t the great team that they fancy themselves to be.

The Jets offense has struggled to score in the last six weeks. Mark Sanchez has regressed and the running game, prior to the Indianapolis game, looked tired and worn down. New York finished the season with the 22nd ranked passing offense and the 4th ranked rushing offense.

The main issue has been the Jets` habit of getting off to slow starts. This team has failed to score in the first quarter in their last 12 games!  Against the Patriots, this will have to change. Falling behind early will mean that the Jets will have to abandon their bread and butter – the run and will have to rely more on the somewhat unreliable Mark Sanchez.

The Jets defense entered the season as one of the brightest units in the NFL but while they are an above average squad, they are far from the elite defense that Rex Ryan had envisioned. They finished the season 6th against the pass and 3rd against the run.

Impressive numbers for sure but the fact remains that they have had difficulty against top offenses, as evidenced by their 45-3 loss in their last meeting with New England. The Jets are susceptible to being blown up on the defensive side of the ball.

The New England Patriots are nearly a consensus NFL Playoff Picks favourite to at least get to the AFC Championship game. They have won eight straight games and outscored their opponents 299-125 in those contests! The offense is as well rounded as it’s been all season long and the young defense appears to be gelling at precisely the right time.

Tom Brady will lead the NFL`s 11th ranked passing offense on Sunday and will be bolstered by a very good 9th ranked Pats running game.  The Patriots passing game does not have one player that had more than 850 yards receiving this season – they spread the ball around and keep opposing defences completely off balance.

They are a matchup nightmare for any team. Chances are that Darrelle Revis won`t have a chance to make an impact in this game – there is no real #1 receiving threat on the Patriots for him to shadow.

Expect New England to try to run the ball and if that doesn`t work, the short, efficient passing game should succeed. BenJarvus Green-Ellis and Danny Woodhead act as the perfect decoy for Tom Brady.

New England`s defense is still bad against the pass – their 30th ranked pass defense has been busy as most of the Pats opponents have had to throw to play catch-up against them. Brandon Spikes has proven to be a superb run stopper in this defense and will be a handful for the Jets in this game. It is worth noting that New England has held their last five opponents to under 10 points per game.

NFL Playoff Picks Outlook:

The New York Jets are 12-4 SU in their last 16 games and are 12-3 SU in their last 15 on the road. However, the Jets are just 4-13 SU in their last 17 games against the Patriots and are 5-11-1 in 17 when visiting Foxborough. New York is 5-2 ATS in their last seven playoff games overall and is 11-4 ATS in their last 15 playoff games on the road.

The New England Patriots are 8-0 SU in their last eight games overall and are 5-0 SU in their last five at home. They are 4-1 SU in their last five games at home against New York but are just 5-10 ATS in their last 15 at home versus the Jets. The Patriots are 0-5 ATS in their last five playoff games overall and are 0-4 ATS in their last four playoff games at home.

The New England Patriots stay out of the pre-game war of words and they let their play do the talking. There is no better team in the NFL at the moment than the Pats and against an underwhelming Jets team; New England should have its way. New England`s +27 turnover ratio may be the biggest factor in this game.

They simply don`t give their opposition short fields while the Jets are somewhat prone to offensive mistakes. The Patriots will jump out to an early lead and force Mark Sanchez to shoulder the load – not a good sign for Rex Ryan and the boys. Mistakes and an inability to generate enough offense will be New York`s undoing in this game – The Patriots win easily!

NFL Playoff Picks: New England Patriots -8 ½  

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