'Big Ass Game,' Jets' Garrett Wilson Sounds Off on AFC East Matchup vs. Drake Maye, Patriots

New York Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson understands the importance of his team's crucial AFC East battle with the host New England Patriots on Sunday afternoon.

"There's a premium on this one because it is our first one [in the division]," Wilson told reporters on Wednesday. "I don't know how to exactly put it, but it's a big-ass game."

It sure is. The 2-3 Jets are a game behind the 3-2 Patriots, who sit second in the division below the 4-1 Bills. A loss to New England puts the Jets two full games back (and without the head-to-head tiebreaker). A win, of course, evens the Jets and Pats and gives New York the tiebreaker for now.

There's a deeper meaning to this game, of course. As ESPN's Rich Cimini noted, the Jets have gone 13-47 in the AFC East since 2010. Wilson has experienced some of that divisional struggle, with the Jets going 6-18 since he got drafted in 2022.

In addition, New York hasn't made the playoffs since 2010, losing 10 or more games in 11 of those seasons. In most years, the Jets' playoff hopes evaporate well before the regular season, but 2026 has the chance to tell a much better tale.

New York has played hard and competed in head coach Aaron Glenn's second season. The defense in particular has been exceptional, with the Jets allowing the fifth-fewest points per game.

They're heading into the New Englnd off the strength of a hard-fought, gritty 17-12 home win over the Cleveland Browns, so the Jets arrive into town with some momentum. The Pats do as well, though, as winners of two straight.

We'll see how things go soon enough. Kickoff at Gilette Stadium is set for 1 p.m. ET on Sunday.