Deny Zach Wilson the deep ball

Between the rookie quarterback and suspect offensive line -- which lost stud left tackle Mehki Becton Sunday -- this version of the Jets offense is not built to sustain long drives.

Both of New York’s touchdown drives against the Panthers were sustained by two explosive passing plays. Every other series resulted in a punt or a turnover. Wilson wants to get yards in chunks, not patiently march downfield.

“He’s a guy that’s going through each progression, and he wants to throw the ball downfield,” Phillips said this week. “He wants to make that play.”

To generate chunk plays, the Patriots can expect the Jets to dial up deep play-action shots on early downs; plays designed to target the soft zone coverage NFL defenses most often employ on first and second downs. According to Pro Football Focus, the Pats played more single-high coverage last week than any other defense in the league. By calling more two-high coverage and prioritizing pass defense over stopping the run on 1st-and-10, the Patriots should force Wilson to be patient and inevitably reap the benefits of facing a young, overaggressive QB.