Section 400’s Week 3 Thursday Night Football Roundtable

Week 3 of the 2024 NFL season begins Thursday night with what should be a “snooze-fest” AFC East matchup between the New England Patriots and New York Jets. For the first time in what feels like decades, the Jets entered this season with higher expectations than their “Big Brother” up north in Foxboro, but despite those expectations, it has been Jacoby Brissett and the Patriots that have looked like the better football team so far. That trend could change as soon as this week, and the guys from Section 400 are here to dissect it all.

In week three’s roundtable, Brian, Matt, and Zach talk the Aaron Rodgers, Drake Maye, the Jets chances of flying high in 2024, and best bets for tonight’s game, before ending with their prediction of which team avoids the dreaded 1-2 start. Make sure to check back every Thursday and Monday throughout the season for our takes on each primetime NFL contest!

Enigma

40-year-old Jets’ quarterback Aaron Rodgers has looked serviceable, but not great, so far in 2024. Can the future Hall of Famer turn back the clock and become his dominant self, or at the very least lead the Jets to the playoffs?

BH: Mr. “Discount Doublecheck” may have become the discounted version of his once great self, but I think Rodgers is still savvy enough to win football games. The real issue for this football team right now is the defense. The unit was supposed to be one of, if not the best, squadrons in the NFL, but they have played like a mediocre one at best. Rodgers is too old to carry a team. If he is forced to, the Jets won’t ever take off.

MK: Sure, the Jets might make the playoffs with Rodgers. New York isn’t doing anything with the playoff birth though.

ZM: Yes, especially with Tua Tagovailoa dealing with another concussion in Miami. The Jets should have enough star power to get back to the playoffs for the first time since 2010.

Started From the Bottom

Jacoby Brissett has shown off his ability to somehow hang around long enough to give his team a chance a team to win football games. With the Patriots sitting at 1-1 and showing signs of life, do you see a world where Drake Maye starts games under center this season?

BH: Patriots head coach Jarod Mayo seems like the last guy in the world that wants to start a rookie quarterback. He, like Antonio Pierce down in Las Vegas, has brought a “no-nonsense” identity to the Patriots that has New England playing winning football. I said it on the podcast this morning, the Patriots are a bad football team cosplaying as a good one. Mayo may fear turning the keys over to a rookie will create too much unpredictability his team can’t afford at the moment. Maye will find his way into ballgames, but it won’t be until January when his team is eliminated.

MK: The Patriots have looked good so far, let the young quarterback develop on the sidelines while Brissett leads this team to some wins.

ZM: Drake Maye will get a few starts at the end of the year. I am a fan of Jacoby Brissett, but he is a stud backup quarterback, not a starter in this league.

Different Directions

Let’s have a little fun with a hypothetical. Which number ends up higher this season; The Jets win total or the Patriots draft pick in the 2025 NFL Draft?

BH: If it’s not the Jets win total something wen’t terribly wrong. I’ll say the Patriots end up with the No. 7 pick and New York finishes with 9 wins. Knowing how wrong I’ve been with predictions it probably ends up exactly the other way around.

MK: The Patriots will finish with a higher draft pick than the Jets wins. Like I said, New England has looked good so far.

ZM: The Jets will get more than 4 wins so the Jets will win this. New England has looked good, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

Let’s Get Hot

It’s that time of the year where we lock in and give out some heaters. What is your best bet for tonight’s game?

BH: Breece Hall has been and will continue to be the Jets offense. As Hall goes, New York goes. Considering they are favored by 6.5 points in this game, I like this chances to continue churning out yardage. Breece Hall OVER 110 All-Purpose Yards (+110) is the bet.

MK: Rhamondre Stevenson has a nose for the end zone. He is scoring a touchdown (+105) tonight.

ZM: I’m keeping it simple. The Jets cover (-6).

Prediction Time

Which of these teams is improving to 2-1 tonight, and will be the score?

BH: The Jets skate by, but the Patriots keep it close, 22-17.

MK: New England pulls off the upset in a low-scoring affair, 16-13.

ZM: New York by double digits, 27-17.