New England Patriots

Now the quarterback of the New York Jets (1-1), Rodgers is getting his official introduction to what has lately been a mostly lopsided matchup when he plays in the home opener against the New England Patriots (1-1) on Thursday night.

After more than a year of buildup and hype, the Patriots will finally face Aaron Rodgers in a Jets uniform.

The old guard has almost entirely changed out. The voices I grew up with and so many of you welcomed into your lives on a nightly and weekly basis, the voices who described the greatest golden age a sports town has ever experienced, are now memories like those teams they called.

After opening with a 16-10 win at Cincinnati, the Patriots fell to the Seattle Seahawks 23-20 in overtime on Sunday.

We spent all off-season hearing about how the Buffalo Bills window was closing, that Josh Allen lost his weapons, and that the team that has won the division every year since Tom Brady left town was ready to tumble from their perch. Of course, it was another spring and summer filled with endless Jets hype, the team expected to take over the East and the AFC for that matter on their rightful march

Jerod Mayo picked up a victory in his first game as a head coach, something Bill Belichick wasn’t able to do in his debut with either the New England Patriots or the Cleveland Browns.

One thing is for certain based on yesterday's results around the league. For everyone that put money on the Patriots owning the No. 1 draft pick after this year, that bet is already blown. They're nowhere near the dumpster fires that are burning in New York or Carolina, and if they can find a way to replicate yesterday's game script, the Pats have a shot at keeping their share of games close.

Rhamondre Stevenson rushed for 120 yards and a first-quarter touchdown, Joey Slye kicked three field goals and the New England Patriots won Jerod Mayo’s debut as coach, beating the mistake-prone Cincinnati Bengals 16-10

One thing potentially working in New England's favor is that the Bengals, during Joe Burrow's first four years, have been notoriously slow starters out of the gate.

It's time to put a win prediction next to the Pats name. Vegas has the line at 4.5. Do you fall above or below that line?