Rewatching the Patriots' 30-23 win over the Jets was fun, but not because the Patriots won the game.
It's because the Jets were the first worthy opponent that the Patriots have faced all season. The Steelers, Bills, Cowboys, Colts — none of them gave the Patriots a legitimate competition for 60 minutes like the Jets did on Sunday.
The Jets are good.
The Jets' run defense was so good that the Patriots didn't bother testing it. The Jets' defense was so good that it was able to dictate the matchups to the Patriots' offense, not the other way around, by forcing Rob Gronkowski to stay in and help pick up the blitz.
Todd Bowles's blitz patterns had Tom Brady so confused that Brady was keeping Gronkowski in as a sixth blocker when the Jets were rushing only three defenders.
And the Jets' offense was good enough that it still put up 23 points even with the Patriots shutting down its top two options, Chris Ivory and Brandon Marshall. The Jets' No. 3 option, Eric Decker, had a monster game, and their No. 4 option, Jeremy Kerley, scored a touchdown.
The Jets should have had more points as Marshall dropped an easy touchdown in the fourth quarter. And the Jets pulled off an onside kick and almost blocked an extra point.
Ultimately, Brady's greatness carried the day, with Brady completing 14 of 17 passes in the fourth quarter for 153 yards and two touchdowns. And the Patriots' defense was able to force Ryan Fitzpatrick into enough missed throws at the end of the game to keep the Jets at bay.
If the Jets can stay healthy, they won't be a fun team to play come January.
Other observations after rewatching the Patriots' victory:
When the Patriots had the ball
Bowles continuously sent his linebackers and safeties at Brady — "dictating the matchup" with Gronkowski, so to speak, forcing him to stay in and block on eight passing plays. And Bowles had Brady thoroughly confused on a handful of snaps, with Calvin Pace picking up an easy sack and Gronkowski staying in to block when the Jets sent only three pass rushers.
When the Jets were in man coverage, that's when Brady sliced them up on the outside with slants and back shoulder throws.
We worry about Amendola's durability as he often leaves his feet and lands hard on the ground, but he's been incredibly reliable the last two weeks and is finally making good on the potential he brought to the Patriots before the 2013 season.
When the Jets had the ball
But the Jets deserve a ton of credit. They put up 372 total yards and held the ball for 33 minutes, converted 8 of 14 third-down attempts, and Fitzpatrick made a lot of good decisions, correctly identifying the proper read and delivering the ball to his receiver.
The Patriots left Decker and Kerley in 1-on-1 coverage, and Fitzpatrick did a good job of getting them the ball and not forcing it to Marshall.
The Patriots might have the best linebacker duo in the game with Hightower and Collins.
Jonathan Freeny, a young, athletic linebacker who is good in coverage, played 22 snaps. Jerod Mayo did not play a snap on defense all game, and played just one special teams snap. It's possible the Patriots are saving Mayo for the stretch run as he returns from a knee injury, but it's tough seeing the Patriots' longtime fan favorite get benched like this.
Special teams
Ben Volin can be reached at ben.volin@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @BenVolin.