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THE GAME

The Jets (4-11) against the New England Patriots (10-5) at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, on Sunday, Dec. 30, at 1 p.m. ET.

THE WEATHER

It'll be cold, with temperatures barely above freezing and lots of clouds to make it feel even colder. It'll be dry at least, so that's something.

WHAT IT MEANS

A Patriots win would be the best thing for everyone. They are playing for a first-round bye in the playoffs, and the Jets still have a shot at the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft and a shot at Ohio State pass-rusher Nick Bosa.

PLAYER TO WATCH: Head coach Todd Bowles

Yeah, he's not a player, but give him the spotlight because it's almost certainly the final game of his four-year Jets coaching career. It's a career that started with so much promise when the Jets went 10-5 in his first 15 games in his first season. Unfortunately it's been all downhill ever since -- 16-35 since then to be exact and three straight seasons of double-digit losses.

There have been no signs of progress; the team's discipline has often been lacking; and the fan base has totally lost hope. All that is why he'll soon be gone, barring a shocking late save by Jets CEO Christopher Johnson. The Jets players seem to genuinely like Bowles. They seem to genuinely want him to stick around. And they seem to be playing hard for him over the last few weeks. Maybe they do have one last going-away present for him. But it's all just too little, too late.

THE PICK

Sam Darnold was brilliant last week, going pass-for-pass with Aaron Rodgers before losing to the Packers in overtime. He has shown so much growth over the last few weeks that it's a good bet he finishes with a strong game again. But the Patriots, even in a down year, aren't the Packers. They are a stronger team top to bottom with a much better coach. So while Darnold might be able to generate some offense, there should be no doubt about Tom Brady and the Patriots' ability to pick apart a defeated Jets defense. They've shown little ability to stop anyone over the last few weeks, especially late in games when it matters the most.

So this will be a fitting finale for the Bowles era. The Jets will have moments that make you think they could actually be a good team. But in the end, they're not going to even be close to being good enough. ... Patriots 34, Jets 17.

MY RECORD: 8-7

MY RECORD WHEN PICKING JETS TO WIN: 1-4

MY RECORD WHEN PICKING JETS TO LOSE: 7-3

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