FOXBORO – Consider the challenge met.

The Patriots were seven-point underdogs at home, facing a Jets team with star talent all over the field that was even more desperate to win than New England.

Early in the second quarter, the Patriots lost starting quarterback Drake Maye, who also looks like their best player after three games as a starter.

And yet, after being called “soft” by head coach Jerod Mayo a week earlier, the Patriots toughened up in critical moments, converting two third-and-longs and a fourth-and-inch at the goal line to mount a comeback to emerge. from behind, 25:22 victory.

“When your leader says something like that about you, you never want it to define you,” Hunter Henry said. “I think these guys responded well. I think we all responded well to what was said last week and we were able to go out and get a win.”

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They had not responded — and there is a position group we'll examine below that didn't do so for most of the game — then that would be cause for concern. And perhaps a reason for squad changes.

This is, after all, an evaluation year for Mayo and HR chief Eliot Wolf, and what if you lower your standards after a dismissal instead of raising them? Maybe that four-letter word that made headlines all week was actually appropriate.

Luckily for the Patriots and for Mayo, most of them responded.

“I’m very proud of the way the guys responded,” Mayo said Monday morning.

Let's get to what we learned…

The Patriots ran the ball in crucial spots

The total number will not overwhelm anyone. Especially when it comes to the work of the Patriots running backs. But Sunday's storming attack had more life than what the team brought to the table in London a week earlier.

The Patriots ran for 111 yards on 31 carries, but six of those runs for 57 yards came from quarterbacks. That meant Rhamondre Stevenson (20 attempts) and Antonio Gibson (5) combined for just 54 yards. Not what you're looking for.

But Stevenson managed to score two points. The first was a hard finish from three yards out that saw him sink his shoulder into Jarrick Bernard-Converse's corner. The sophomore won the game, getting past the line of scrimmage despite two of its offensive linemen – Mike Onwenu and Demontrey Jacobs – missing blocks.

“It means a lot,” Mayo said later about the starting signal. “If you preach something and it shows up in the game, it will always be more impactful.

“I would say there comes a point where everyone in the stadium knows you have to play the ball. Whether we're on defense or offense, there comes a point where they know, everyone knows it, the fans know it, it's a running game, you just have to beat the man opposite. Luckily our guys got some movement and we scored, so it was great.

The Patriots stopped the run in key spots

It's not much to ask. But the fact that the Patriots stopped the bleeding on defense of the run that they had suffered for weeks – they allowed an average of 185 rush yards per game from Week 5 to Week 7 – had to be a welcome sight for the entire organization.

They allowed 4.0 yards per carry and 112 total on 28 carries against the Jets, including a few key runs that ensured no points were scored.

In the third quarter, they beat a leadoff run from the fullback to stop him on second down without making a gain. Then there was an incompletion and a punt on third down. Then came Marcus Jones' 62-yard return, which set the Patriots up for a short touchdown drive.

On the Jets' next drive, the Patriots failed with two inside runs on the way to the chip shot field goal – both unsuccessful. The Patriots defense also stuffed two inside runs totaling four yards on a drive that ultimately resulted in a missed field goal by Greg Zuerlein.

It wasn't rocket science. With heavier fronts at times and beefier linebacker-level play from Jahlani Tavai and Christian Elliss — “Stop with all the cutesy (expletive) and go back to basics,” defensive tackle Davon Godchaux said — the Patriots made one thing clear tougher team together performance on that side of the ball.

TThe Patriots were deployed on special teams in key spots

The Patriots have long defined toughness as running the ball, stopping the run and cover Kicks. We're going to change the rules a bit here to continue with the theme that the Patriots actually showed some toughness on Sunday.

Xavier Gipson had a 40-yard return at one point and the Patriots saw one of Bryce Baringer's punts deflected, so it was far from a perfect day at that stage of the game.

But Jones' punt return for 62 yards changed the game. And while his speed played a major role in breaking up the game, he initially needed help from his teammates to find open spaces. JaMycal Hasty finished with a key block — something Jones pointed out after the play — eliminating four players in a collision at the Patriots' 22-yard line.

“Yeah, it was one of those situations where, first of all, Hasty had a great block,” Jones said. “All my guys worked hard all year, so that was pretty good, but I definitely had one. “I definitely should have scored, but I blamed it on myself.”

PAtriots receivers need to improve their game

Perhaps it shouldn't come as much of a surprise that the Patriots were unable to get their receivers going after Mayo's team-wide effort. They've struggled this season, and it's no wonder New England's front office aggressively pursued two big-money players earlier this year.

But the way the Patriots' wideouts struggled was telling, because it's not too often that a position group is responsible for five drops in a game. That's what happened against the Jets – with both Drake Maye and Jacoby Brissett becoming victims – as Kayshon Boutte (two drops), Kendrick Bourne (two) and Tyquan Thornton (one) coughed up footballs that should have been recovered.

Three of the passes came via throws over the middle. Both of Boutte's drops – one on a throw in front of him from Maye, one from Brissett placed on his back hip – and one from Bourne came in the jam between numbers.

“Man, personally I just need to play better,” Bourne said. “I hated that game.” I played so badly. I also just have to look in the mirror. I just have to make more pieces. As a group we have to concentrate and play better. It’s good to get a win, but there’s still a lot to improve.”

Boutte — who made a crucial block on a Rhamondre Stevenson touchdown in the third quarter — rebounded with a 34-yard grab that kept the Patriots alive on their go-ahead score. He later caught another Brissett pass from a slant that put the Patriots on the goal line and gave them a chance to take the lead on fourth down.

Good sign. But there's still a lot this device can work on. And Mayo wasn't afraid to make that known during his back-and-forth with reporters Monday morning.

“You have to get better,” Mayo said. “Those guys went out there and were open at times. A receiver's job is to get open and catch the ball. If you're really good, then run with it afterwards. They definitely need to get better and they understand that.”

bRissett has earned the right to speak

Doing what Jacoby Brissett did isn't easy.

Arrived cold. With his team on the ground. And brought them back from three separate deficits to win for the first time in seven weeks. According to ESPN, it was the first time since 2017 (Week 3, Texans) that the Patriots came back from a four-point deficit with less than a minute left.

And Brissett wasn't a passenger. On the go-ahead kickoff, he gained 14 yards on third-and-9. He took a hit in the legs and still had enough juice in the football to throw a 34-yard pass to Kayshon Boutte on third-and-10. He beat Boutte for a slant shot for third-and-2 and then hit Rhamondre Stevenson for an easy two-point conversion to extend New England's lead to three points.

.@JBrissett12 thread it @KayshonBoutte1 🎯

📺: CBS pic.twitter.com/oAgSg7YsTS

– New England Patriots (@Patriots) October 27, 2024

When asked if he felt like Sunday was some sort of redemption story for him, Brissett answered no.

“I don’t look at it as no redemption,” he explained. “I think this is proof that I believe in myself and not all of you. I am very aware of this. I was very lucky to have this opportunity.”

“It was sweet to go out and win with our guys. You can't put it into words. “I'm not trying to be arrogant or anything, but I'm very proud of myself today.”

Rightly so.

Jacoby Brissett reacts to leading the Patriots to a comeback win over the Jets after entering the game in the first half after Drake Maye left the game with a concussion.