‘Thursday Night Football,’ Jets vs. Patriots 2014: Can New England put New York’s season to bed?

Week 7 opens with a matchup of archrivals — the New York Jets versus the New England Patriots. The Patriots, headed by Bill Belichick and a resurgent Tom Brady, look to effectively shut the door on the 1-5 Jets' season. The teams have met 112 times counting postseason appearances, with New England leading the series, 58-54.

Though Jets coach Rex Ryan insists his team is "not dead" yet, they have quite a hole to dig out of. Losers of their last five games, the Jets' only win came in the season opener against the Oakland Raiders, a winless team that has already jettisoned its head coach. Quarterback Geno Smith has looked shaky this season, with the low point coming against the San Diego Chargers in Week 5, when he was benched for Michael Vick. Smith remains the starter for now, but another loss could force Ryan's hand.

Meanwhile, the Patriots have come back to life after a sloppy first four games. Following the slow start, Brady flashed his vintage form against the previously undefeated Cincinnati Bengals and divisional foe Buffalo Bills. Tight end Rob Gronkowski has seen an uptick in production, amassing slightly less than 200 yards during New England's past two games. Still, the Patriots will have to move forward without running back Stevan Ridley and linebacker Jerod Mayo, both of which suffered season-ending injuries in Week 6.

In terms of efficiency, the Jets ground game ranks 11th in the NFL in yards per attempt and 12th in yards per game. However, this is a unit that has struggled of late, with both Chris Ivory and Chris Johnson failing to eclipse 4 yards per carry in last week's tilt against the Denver Broncos. Though Geno Smith's play has hindered the passing game, top receiver Eric Decker appears recovered from his early season hamstring injury. Over the past two weeks, Decker has averaged 51 yards and a touchdown. Rookie tight end Jace Amaro is hitting his stride, breaking out with 10 catches and a touchdown against Denver.

New England's running game struggles have been a sore spot all season. As a unit, the Patriots average less than 4 yards per carry, with wide receiver Julian Edelman propping up the group with five carries for 45 yards. Still, the team ranks 25th overall in yards per attempt. The news is far better for the passing game, however. Though it ranks just 22nd in yards per attempt, Brady's hot two weeks have propelled it out the NFL basement where it previously resided. Edelman (40 catches, 409 yards) and Gronkowski (341 yards, four touchdowns) are on pace for their typical big-number seasons. Joining them is fifth-year wide receiver Brandon LaFell, who has two games of 90 or more yards over the past three weeks. LaFell has scored three times over that span.

Muhammad Wilkerson - As the Jets' best defensive player, Wilkerson commands double and triple teams against any opponent. Because of his great length and athleticism, the fourth-year defensive end needs to pressure Brady if New York has any hope of winning Thursday. Through six games, Wilkerson has racked up four sacks and an impressive 14 total pressures according to Pro Football Focus, eighth most in the league.

Shane Vereen - The lone bright spot for the Patriots ground game, Vereen will be called upon to do even more now that backfield mate Stevan Ridley is done for the season. Vereen has run efficiently, averaging over 5 yards per carry. Just as importantly, he's once again proving an asset in the passing game. Ridley already has 18 passes for 114 yards. Given New England's offensive line issues, he'll also be tasked in key situations with protecting Brady against the blitz.