A late night at the Meadowlands ended early for the visitors from Foxborough.

The New England Patriots lost 24-3 to the New York Jets on Thursday at MetLife Stadium, a 1-2 loss under head coach Jerod Mayo.

Here’s a first look back at the AFC East kickoff.

Brissett throws 98 in unstoppable battle to stay upright

The vertical passing game was lost during the 1-1 start. In prime time, Jacoby Brissett couldn’t stay in the pocket long enough to bring it back.

New England’s starting quarterback completed 12 of 18 passes for 98 yards against New York. There were no touchdowns or turnovers along the way for the 31-year-old team captain. He was on the field with 9:17 left on the game clock at the halfway point, trailing 14-3. By that time, 36 yards had been logged through the air.

Breaking the huddle into “12” personnel after the delay, the opening drive went two yards and a three-and-out. The next series included six plays, a sack and resulted in another punt for the Patriots. Dropbacks were met with steady pressure. A punt began the second half. Longs of 19 and 22 ended as brief glimpses while another possession ended in penalty flags. In relief, Drake Maye made his NFL debut with 4:24 remaining. The No. 3 overall pick out of North Carolina recorded two sacks, two scrambles and finished 4-of-8 passing for 22 yards.

Wallace makes first NFL start at left tackle for bleeding O-line

With Chukwuma Okorafor listed as a left tackle and Vederian Lowe left off the final injury list due to a knee issue, the rookie made his first start at left tackle in the NFL.

Caedan Wallace, drafted 68th overall out of Penn State, had taken over in the overtime loss to the Seattle Seahawks. He would remain the blindside protector Thursday night, having two of the three penalties against him waived. Nearby were 53-man promotion Michael Jordan at left guard, captain David Andrews at center, fellow rookie Layden Robinson at right guard and Mike Onwenu at right tackle.

Seven sacks followed for the offensive line against a Jets defense that entered the night with seven. Micheal Clemons and Will McDonald IV split the first. Blitzing safety Chuck Clark had the next. And the aforementioned McDonald returned to have a hand in another pair, while Quincy Williams, Javon Kinlaw and Takkarist McKinley also checked in. Sophomore guard Sidy Sow missed his third straight game with a preseason ankle injury.

There is a green dotted captain missing in the middle

The Patriots will be without defensive captain Ja’Whaun Bentley due to a torn pectoral muscle. His absence leaves three straight 100-tackle campaigns and the green dot of communication.

That sticker would go on Jahlani Tavai’s helmet to indicate calls against the Jets. A penalty for unnecessary roughness came early. And off the ball, fellow linebacker Raekwon McMillan was in the lineup for his first start in more than two years. The former Ohio State national champion saw his 2021 and 2023 seasons end on the injured list before they could begin. He remained on the field to record a team-high 10 tackles on Thursday but started the night with a whiff that moved the chains 11 yards. It wouldn’t be the last missed stop for a unit that’s lost cornerbacks. Joe Giles-Harris served as a standard-bearer from the practice squad, operating in the kicking game.

Jets starting running back Breece Hall had 16 carries for 54 yards and a touchdown. He had secured 29 receiving yards by game’s end. A 20-year-old rookie in Braelon Allen added 68 scrimmage yards. New England’s front has held previous opponents to 4.4 yards per carry and then to 2.4 yards per carry this fall.

Ground game goes downhill

The Patriots had rushed for more than 170 yards in back-to-back games for the first time since 2020. And a few days before they faced the Jets, the top two running backs on the list became the first to both top 80 yards on the ground since 2014.

Rhamondre Stevenson couldn’t pick up where he left off. The starter, who called for a facemask on a stiff arm, turned six carries into 23 yards on Thursday, including a long of 13. He lost a fumble in the final quarter. It was his third in as many weeks. The previous ones were recovered.

Antonio Gibson, who had just set a new personal high of 45, rushed for 29 yards on a handful of carries. JaMycal Hasty filled in the backfield for the two-minute drill.

After no targets, Douglas leads New England wideouts

In the home opener at Gillette Stadium, tight end Hunter Henry accounted for 53 percent of the receptions and 73 percent of the receiving yards for New England. But a career day like that didn’t bode well for the collective Air Raid. Not when the wide receivers on the roster combined to catch three passes.

That disparity had to be corrected in East Rutherford. Rookie Ja’Lynn Polk, who had found the end zone for the depth chart in the overtime loss, proceeded to find two catches for 13 yards. KJ Osborn went catchless as a starter next to him. But after playing without an official target, sudden-death lock DeMario Douglas stepped up to catch seven passes for 69 yards across nine chances. The Liberty product’s night began with a single-yard run and later included a play-action pickup for 22.

All six members of the depth chart were active for the first time this fall, with Tyquan Thornton drawing unnecessary roughness and defensive pass interference.

In rhythm, Rodgers scores 27 of 35 pass attempts

Aaron Rodgers called Christian Gonzalez an “elite player” ahead of the divisional meeting. The four-time NFL MVP got to test the Patriots cornerback’s coverage on Thursday.

A slant route for five was how it started. Gonzalez, who often shadowed Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson, who had five receptions on nine looks for 33 yards and one touchdown by the end of the night, started on the perimeter alongside Jonathan Jones. Marcus Jones occupied the slot in the nickel defense. Kyle Dugger and Jabrill Peppers joined them as the punt team quickly stepped up. But longer periods on the field lay ahead. And the final safety went into the locker room with an ankle injury. A total of 39 official snaps had been accumulated by the half.

Rodgers showed his old-school mobility, finishing 27 of 35 through the air for 281 yards with two touchdowns. He spread the ball around with ease, his first six passes finding their intended hands and a 13-play, 98-yard drive finding the end zone as well. He also connected with former Green Bay Packers teammate Allen Lazard for a score. Marco Wilson became a healthy scratch for New England’s cornerback group, moving Alex Austin up the ladder.

No. 99 kept out of the pocket column

With four sacks in two games, Keion White entered the night tied for second in the NFL. The converted tight end from Old Dominion and Georgia Tech would not contribute to that total.

White framed a Patriots starting defensive line of Davon Godchaux, Daniel Ekuale and outside linebacker Anfernee Jennings. A hold was drawn against right tackle Morgan Moses on the opening series. A turnaround followed along with pressure. But No. 99 never came home on a night when leads were more often lost than gained.

The Patriots managed to sack the Jets’ 40-year-old quarterback twice, via captain Deatrich Wise Jr. and Joshua Uche.

Special teams check-in

On the heels of a block, Patriots kicker Joey Slye made his only field goal against the Jets. The conversion came from 44 yards out in the second quarter.

His holder had more work to do.

Bryce Baringer’s right leg was called upon for five punts of 245 yards at MetLife. A long 57 and three inside-the-20 punts were among the picks for the reigning PFWA All-Rookie selection. He entered the night ranked third in the league in passing average and second in inside-the-20s. A 21-yard return followed a missed tackle by center Brenden Schooler.