The New England Patriots and the New York Jets meet in Week 6 of the NFL regular season on Sunday, October 18, 2026, at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. EDT (13:00 local stadium time), with live coverage in the United States on CBS, WBZ-TV, and Paramount+.
The divisional matchup brings together two top-five NFL defenses and teams in direct contention in the AFC East standings after Week 5. The New England Patriots sit in second place in the division with a 3-2 record (1-0 in the division and 2-0 at home), arriving on a two-game winning streak after defeating the Buffalo Bills 29-26 in Week 4 and the Las Vegas Raiders 45-17 in Week 5. The New York Jets hold third place in the AFC East at 2-3 (2-0 against AFC opponents, making their divisional debut in this game) after snapping a three-game losing streak with a 17-12 victory over the Cleveland Browns in Week 5. Statistically, the New York Jets own the league’s fourth-best defense in yards allowed (293.0 yards per game), while the New England Patriots rank fifth in total defense (296.2 yards per game) and fourth in points allowed (18.8 points per game). In their most recent meeting, on December 28, 2025, the New England Patriots defeated the New York Jets 42-10.
Where to watch New England Patriots vs New York Jets live
Fans in the United States can watch the AFC East game on over-the-air television and via streaming.
- CBS (over-the-air TV)
- WBZ-TV (over-the-air TV)
- Paramount+ (streaming)
Start time and location for New England Patriots vs New York Jets
Below are the confirmed scheduling and venue details for the Week 6 matchup.
- Date: Sunday, October 18, 2026
- Start time: 1 p.m. EDT (13:00 local time at the stadium, America/New_York)
- Location: Gillette Stadium, in Foxborough, Massachusetts
- Competition: NFL (North American football league) — Week 6
Read also: Indianapolis Colts vs Tennessee Titans: where to watch live and start time (NFL, Oct 18)
How the New England Patriots arrive
Head coach Mike Vrabel, in his second season leading the franchise, has quarterback Drake Maye at the helm of the offense. After recording one touchdown pass and six interceptions across the first three games of the season, Maye accounted for eight total touchdowns across Weeks 4 and 5, including five total touchdowns in the Week 5 win over the Las Vegas Raiders. Alongside Maye, the probable starters and main players listed on the depth chart include running back Rhamondre Stevenson, wide receivers Romeo Doubs, DeMario Douglas, and Efton Chism III, tight end Hunter Henry, and offensive tackles Will Campbell and Morgan Moses (with rookie Caleb Lomu as an immediate option). On defense and special teams, key names include Christian Barmore, Milton Williams, Christian Gonzalez, Kevin Byard III, and kicker Andy Borregales.
In the official injury report from Thursday (15), three players did not practice (DNP): cornerback Carlton Davis III (neck), defensive tackle Cory Durden (illness), and cornerback Karon Prunty (hamstring). Twelve players were listed as limited participants (LP): wide receiver A.J. Brown (ankle, whose window to return from Injured Reserve opened this week following an injury suffered in Week 1), offensive tackles Will Campbell (knee), Morgan Moses (foot), and Marcus Bryant (ankle), running back TreVeyon Henderson (ankle), safeties Kevin Byard III (chest) and Craig Woodson (shoulder), linebackers Christian Elliss (chest) and Dre’Mont Jones (shoulder), and cornerbacks Marcus Jones (ankle), Channing Canada (hamstring), and Charles Woods (shoulder). Quarterback Drake Maye (right shoulder) and cornerback Christian Gonzalez (shoulder) were full participants (FP) on Thursday (15). The final game status designations (Out, Doubtful, or Questionable), including whether A.J. Brown will be activated from Injured Reserve, had not yet been confirmed, and the official inactive list is released 90 minutes before kickoff.
How the New York Jets arrive
Coached by Aaron Glenn, also in his second season in charge of the team, the New York Jets offense is led by starting quarterback Geno Smith, who has six touchdown passes, zero interceptions in the 2026 season, and a 69.4% completion rate, the third-best mark in the league. His primary target is wide receiver Garrett Wilson, who recorded 70 yards and a 32-yard touchdown on the opening drive against the Cleveland Browns in Week 5, finishing the game with 100 or more receiving yards. The depth chart also features running backs Breece Hall and Braelon Allen, wide receiver Isaiah Williams, tight ends Kenyon Sadiq and Mason Taylor, offensive tackles Olu Fashanu and Armand Membou, center Josh Myers, right guard Joe Tippmann, defenders David Bailey, T’Vondre Sweat, Harrison Phillips, Kingsley Enagbare, Jamien Sherwood, Minkah Fitzpatrick, and Dane Belton, and kicker Jason Sanders.
Ahead of the divisional opener, Geno Smith addressed the history between the franchises: “We know how important division games are. It’s sort of a rivalry as well. The Jets and the Patriots — they’ve always had a history. And for us, again, we want to make sure that we’re doing whatever we need to do to put ourselves in position to win on Sunday.” Garrett Wilson also commented on the matchup: “It’s just a new season, at the end of the day. We’re five games in, six games in. There’s a premium on this one because it is our first one.”
According to the New York Jets injury report from Thursday (15), running back Breece Hall (quadriceps), wide receiver Adonai Mitchell (finger), edge rusher Joseph Ossai (ankle), and offensive lineman Dylan Parham (knee) did not practice. Rookies Omar Cooper Jr. (wide receiver, ankle) and Kenyon Sadiq (tight end, concussion) practiced on a limited basis (LP). The NFL does not use an automatic suspension system for accumulated yellow cards, so no players are in that condition for the game.
Read also: Cleveland Browns vs Baltimore Ravens: where to watch live and start time (NFL, Oct 18)
Officiating crew for New England Patriots vs New York Jets
The NFL appointed Clete Blakeman as the head referee for the game at Gillette Stadium. Blakeman’s regular officiating crew for the 2026 season consists of Scott Walker (umpire), Andy Warner (down judge), Kent Payne (line judge), Karina Tovar (field judge), James Coleman (side judge), and Jonah Monroe (back judge).
Recent history and next game between New England Patriots and New York Jets
In the 2025 season, the New England Patriots swept the two-game series against the New York Jets for the first time since 2022. The New England Patriots won 27-14 on November 13, 2025, at Gillette Stadium, and 42-10 on December 28, 2025, at MetLife Stadium in Week 17, a game in which Drake Maye scored five touchdowns. Following this Sunday’s (18) contest, the second meeting between the New York Jets and the New England Patriots in the 2026 regular season is scheduled for December 27, 2026, with the New York Jets as the home team.