New England's hopes of a successful season might just be dashed at this point in the season. But a strong performance on Sunday would be crucial for head coach Jerod Mayo, especially after a week in which his post-match comments in London prompted backlash, player retorts and plenty of additional distractions.

Drake Maye and New England's offense have continued to make progress since the rookie was named the team's QB1 two weeks ago. But the Patriots' defense has regressed significantly over that same period, with New England giving up over 170 rushing yards in three straight games.

Despite New England's obvious struggles this season, things are also going downhill for the 2-5 Jets, who have lost four straight games. Aaron Rodgers recently worked for New York. But the future Hall of Famer delivered arguably his best performance of the season (27 of 35, 281 yards, two touchdowns) in Week 3 against the Patriots.

As the Patriots look to get back on the winning list, Khari Thompson takes a look at five things to look for in Sunday's game while Chad Finn releases his unconventional preview.

Follow live updates from Sunday's game here and check back after the game is over for some early observations.

LIVE UPDATES

1:54: Drake Maye is now in the blue medical tent.

1:52: Another drop – this one from Boutte. Not great.

1:52: Drake Maye is upset on this play.

1:47: END FIRST: The Patriots have a 7-6 lead after 15 minutes.

1:45: Thornton has to make this catch.

1:39: Christian Elliss is called for pass interference in the end zone – and the Jets score on the next play with a 1-yard TD pass from Rodgers.

But Zuerlein's kick is of no use.

Game 7-6 with 1:23 left in game one.

1:34: Ugh, that's a pretty weak statement about Gonzalez because of DPI. Jets now on the New England 15 yard line.

1:30: The Patriots have to call a timeout because they only have 10 players on the field. Not great!

1:22: Dual-threat QB Drake Maye. The 17-yard TD run gives New England a lead in the first quarter.

7-0 Patriots with 5:18 left in the first game.

1:19: Drake Maye leads New England down the field. A couple of first-down pickups from Henry and Hooper – and then Maye reels off an 11-yard run.

1:16: Jets CJ Mosley is questionable to return due to a neck injury. Would be a big loss for New York's defense.

1:10: A rather uninspired start for both offenses, with the Jets ultimately punting despite their great starting position.

1:06: Not a good start for New England's special teams. The Jets' Xavier Gipson's 40-yard punt return has already moved the Jets into New England territory.

1:05: The Patriots go three-and-out to open the game. Next up is the Jets offense.

1:00: Jets win the coin toss, they postpone. Maye and the Patriots are up first.

12:55: A sighting of Adam Vinatieri at Gillette Stadium.

12:38: Something worth watching today with Javon Baker.

Javon Baker is active, but stands in the end zone without a helmet as the team warms up. He doesn't do reps. He wasn't out here to warm up earlier.

— Mark Daniels (@ByMarkDaniels) October 27, 2024

12:29: For the first time this season, the Patriots field a starting group on the O-line that we've seen before. This starting line was used in Week 6 against the Texans.

The Patriots offensive line in warmups today

LT: Lowe
LG: Jordan
C: Brown
RG: Onwenu
RT: Jacobs

— Christopher Price (@cpriceglobe) October 27, 2024

12:17: The warm-up exercises are underway.

12:05: A sighting of David Andrews on the sidelines.

12:00: Inactive for New England. Dugger is a significant loss, while Josh Uche's absence could suggest he's left out of trade talks.

11:45: Greetings from Gillette!

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Conor Ryan is a staff writer covering the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots and Red Sox for Boston.com, a role he has held since 2023.

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