On Jan. 7, 2024, the New York Jets walked into Foxborough, MA, and ended a 15-game losing streak to the rival New England Patriots.

At the time, the 17-3 final score was celebrated across the fandom. Not only did the Jets win, but it was also the final loss in Bill Belichick’s tenure with the Patriots, as the team moved on from him following that season.

That win, though, had unintended consequences for the Jets—consequences they are only to start feeling this season.

The loss allowed the Patriots to select North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye in the 2024 NFL draft. In just two seasons, Maye has helped New England return to the playoffs and potentially set off another run of the Patriots’ dynasty.

For the last 15 years, the Jets have been searching for a quarterback of Maye’s caliber, and they gave him to their arch-rival for the joys of beating them in a meaningless game in 2024.

Now, as Maye and the Patriots walk into MetLife Stadium on Sunday, the Jets might finally be able to correct that mistake.

The Jets right the 2023 wrongs

At 3-12, there is no benefit to the Jets winning games for the remainder of the 2025 season. The focus, therefore, should be on improving draft position to potentially land one of the two rookie quarterbacks coming out—Indiana Heisman Trophy-winner Fernando Mendoza, or Oregon star Dante Moore (or, in the minds of some, Alabama’s Ty Simpson).

Currently, the Jets are projected to have the fourth overall selection. If the Las Vegas Raiders, New York Giants, and Cleveland Browns manage to win games down the stretch, Gang Green could see their draft position soar.

They have to lose out, though.

In 2023, the Jets attributed the win in New England to the team’s effort to establish a culture under former head coach Robert Saleh. The good vibes from that first win, though, evaporated early on the following year. New York won just five games in the 2024 regular season, following the Patriots’ victory.

Culture is not built on late-season wins; it’s built on consistently winning from the beginning of the year to the end.

It’s a lesson the current Jets must learn from, a mistake made by their predecessors.

History reversed

Wouldn’t it be ironic if the Jets were handed a franchise quarterback after a potential loss to the Patriots, just like New England was back in 2024 with their defeat against New York?

History could very well be reversed on Sunday.

There are still several variables that must occur before that, though—and a lot of things for the Jets to fix.

New York’s coaching staff in 2025 has struggled mightily in their first season together. The Patriots, meanwhile, brought in a cabal of veteran leaders like Josh McDaniels and Mike Vrabel to stabilize Maye’s play.

Jets offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand has shown promising signs in spurts during his first season as a play-caller. Can he continue to develop a good scheme and timely plays when he’s working with a top rookie?

New England’s defense has also played a key role in its turnaround this season. The Jets have one of the league’s worst units this season across the board on that front. Can Gang Green develop a defense that can complement a rookie quarterback?

These are questions the Jets have to answer heading into the draft.

A loss to the Patriots on Sunday, though, will undoubtedly help their chances of getting the one thing they’ve desperately missed …

A young franchise quarterback with loads of potential.