The date and time for the New England Patriots’ regular season finale against the New York Jets has finally been announced. The Week 18 bout between the two division rivals will be kicked off on Sunday, Jan. 7, 1 p.m. ET, at Gillette Stadium.
That game will mark the end of a disappointing season for both teams. Despite some offseason optimism on both sides, they are entering Week 18 with losing records and in line for top-10 selections in the 2024 NFL Draft.
The Patriots are just 4-12 following their 27-21 loss to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday; they are already set as the last-place team in the AFC East and currently are on track to own the third overall pick next spring. The Jets, meanwhile, are only slightly better at 6-10 and in position to draft in the eighth overall slot.
Both teams’ seasons so far have been marked by underwhelming play on the offensive side of the ball, negating strong defensive efforts. The quarterback position in particular has been unstable in both New England and New York: the Patriots replaced original starter Mac Jones with backup Bailey Zappe by Week 13, while the Jets have started three different players following an opening day injury to offseason trade acquisition Aaron Rodgers.
The expectation is that the two teams’ matchup this coming Sunday will see Zappe and Trevor Siemian line up under center. In their first game this season in Week 3, the Patriots and Jets started Mac Jones and Zach Wilson, respectively.
That game, which unsurprisingly was a defensive affair, was won by the Patriots with a final score of 15-10. It was the 15th straight victory against their division rivals.
