WHEN THE PATRIOTS HAVE THE BALL

Don’t be surprised if Tom Brady ties or passes Peyton Manning’s single-season touchdown record today. … Brady is four shy of matching Manning’s 2004 output, and had four touchdown tosses last week against a tough Steelers defense. … In the teams’ first meeting this year, Brady was 22-for-28 for 299 yards and three touchdowns. … The NFL’s top-ranked offense is averaging 425 yards and 38.7 points per game. … While New England is capable of the big strike — last week’s bomb to Randy Moss and the trick play that involved Jabar Gaffney — it can also grind it out. The Pats have a league-best 32 drives of five minutes or longer. … Moss has 1,264 yards receiving and 19 touchdowns. In his debut with the Pats at the Meadowlands this season, he had 183 yards and a 51-yard touchdown catch . The 10th-year receiver is three scores from tying Jerry Rice’s league record (22) and 228 yards away from eclipsing Stanley Morgan’s franchise record for receiving yards in a season (1,491). … Wes Welker is 26 yards away from his first 1,000 yard season. … The Jets have the 11th-ranked pass defense in the league, but the unit will probably be on the field for long stretches. … New York is 30th against the run.

Edge: New England

WHEN THE JETS HAVE THE BALL

New York has to hope Thomas Jones can generate some yards on the ground for the team to have a chance. … Jones had 14 carries for 42 yards in the season-opener against New England. … The Patriots have allowed back-to-back 100-yard rushers (Baltimore’s Willis McGahee, Pittsburgh’s Willie Parker) and have fallen to the middle of the pack statistically in run defense. … Second-year quarterback Kellen Clemens has never faced the Patriots, and the list of quarterbacks who have lost in their first game against a Belichick defense is long and illustrious: Dan Marino, John Elway, Brett Favre and Peyton Manning head the list. … Clemens has started the last five games and has completed just 52.2 percent of his passes, with four touchdowns, nine interceptions and 24 sacks. … Top receivers Laveranues Coles (ankle) and Jerricho Cotchery (finger) are questionable for the game. … The Pats’ pass defense is sixth in the league.

Edge: New England

SPECIAL TEAMS

The question for New England: Will we see more of Chad Jackson on kick returns? ... The second-year receiver was deep for kickoffs and punts against the Steelers, taking the place of usual returners Ellis Hobbs and Wes Welker. … Jackson averaged 17 yards per kickoff return and 3.5 yards on punts. Hobbs has averaged 27 yards per return (30 opportunities) while Welker has gained 10.4 yards on 23 punt returns. … The Jets’ most dangerous player is returner Leon Washington, who has taken three kickoffs back for touchdowns this season and averages 28.5 yards per return . … Washington also averages 10.5 yards per punt return. … Belichick said Washington is hard to tackle and good at changing direction.

Edge: Even

COACHING

The effects of Spygate have been downplayed all week, but with a cloud now hanging over Bill Belichick’s Super Bowl successes and Patriots players’ efforts doubted, thanks to Eric Mangini, there will not be much in the way of mercy shown at Gillette Stadium. … This is also New England’s time of year, as the team is 43-8 after Thanksgiving since 2001 and 25-6 in December under Belichick. … After having success in his first season, Mangini has seen his team underperform this year, and an overtime win at home against Pittsburgh is the high point of the Jets’ season.

Edge: New England

INTANGIBLES

Some are saying that the weather will be an equalizer, but that’s hard to believe. … A mix of snow and freezing rain is expected around game time. … New England is 22-3 since 1993 when the temperature at kickoff is 34 or less, including last week against the Steelers. … Since 2001, the Pats are 33-9 against AFC East foes; the Jets are 21-22. … The Patriots are trying to become just the second team to start a season 14-0 (1972 Dolphins) and extended their regular-season winning streak to 17 games, which would tie them for second-best all-time. Their mark of 18 over the 2003-04 seasons is the most ever.

smanza@projo.com