Preview, prediction, what to watch

A look inside Jets-Patriots Week 8 matchup Sunday in Foxborough, Mass.:

Marking pair

Patriots RB Rhamondre Stevenson vs. Jets lead by seven

It’s not about Stevenson not having a great year.

It’s about whether the Jets defense can clean up against the run.

The Jets have allowed 149 yards rushing in each of the past two weeks and are 16th in the NFL in rushing defense, allowing an average of 127.7 yards per game.

They held Stevenson to 23 yards a month ago, so they know they can dominate the New England offensive line, which is awful.

But they’ve been sloppy with stopping the run all year, and the Patriots certainly want to run the ball to take pressure off rookie quarterback Drake Maye.

Interim coach Jeff Ulbrich listed what’s wrong with the Jets when it comes to stopping the run.

“The discipline of the gap, setting the edges, that’s really the fundamentals it comes down to, the approach,” Ulbrich said. “We talk about it all the time. Like stopping the run isn’t necessarily the cause, that’s the technique, that’s our fundamentals, that’s our mindset. So that’s got to improve and I really think the guys are in a good place on that and they’re up for the challenge. They are angry, as they should be. I’m upset about that, so we have to improve that part of our defense.”

Costello’s call

The Jets have looked like a mess lately.

The Patriots are a bigger one. I don’t see the Jets losing this game.

They need a fair game and this is it.

However, I have a hard time seeing them dominating anyone with the way they play.

I think they have a double digit lead in the fourth quarter before the Patriots score late to tie the score.

Jets 25, Patriots 20

Four falls

Seeing Reddick: The Jets got another addition this week when edge rusher Haason Reddick ended his holdout and reported to the team.

He will make his Jets debut against the Patriots, and interim coach Jeff Ulbrich said he won’t be on a rush count.

Reddick was hit in Philadelphia because he sold out for sacks at the expense of his run defense.

Ulbrich said he hasn’t seen that in practice.

“I’m going to give him a clean camp being here and this week he did a tremendous job of playing the run, establishing leads, getting to the ball,” Ulbrich said. “He hasn’t shown that at all this week in training so I’m judging him on that, his time here and he’s done an excellent job so far, he’s certainly done it in practice.”

The Adams Family: In Davante Adams’ first week as a Jet, he showed that he is a good motivational speaker and tackler.

Now, the Jets need to see him take over a game as a receiver.

Adams had just three catches for 30 yards in his debut last week at Pittsburgh.

He made a touchdown save tackle on an interception return then gave an impassioned post-match speech which was praised by Ulbrich and quarterback Aaron Rodgers this week.

With one more week of practice, the Adams-Rodgers connection could start to click.

Mother’s Day: These two teams played on September 19, but New England has a much different look on offense now.

Rookie Drake Maye is the starting quarterback, replacing Jacoby Brissett two weeks ago.

In his first two starts, he threw five touchdown passes, the most by any Patriots rookie in his first three starts.

He needs three touchdowns this week to match Dan Marino and Marcus Mariota with eight touchdown passes in their first three starts.

Since 1950, Maye and Marino are the only quarterbacks with at least 500 yards passing and at least five touchdown passes in their first two starts.

Sweep: The Jets are headed for a season sweep of the Patriots on Sunday.

They haven’t swept New England since 2000, which was Bill Belichick’s first season with the team and the year before Tom Brady became the starting quarterback.

The Jets had their 15-game losing streak snapped against the Patriots in the final game of last season.

They then beat New England 24-3 last month at Metlife Stadium.

A win Sunday would be their third straight win over their rivals, something they haven’t done since 2001 with a 10-3 win in the game when Drew Bledsoe was shut out by Mo Lewis, starting Brady.