FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Much like the second half of last season’s Thursday night game between the New York Jets and New England Patriots, this year’s game could be played in a heavy rainstorm. That's what the forecast calls for at this time, and the Patriots worked with wet footballs in their light practice earlier this week to prepare for the possibility.

Can the Jets snap their five-game losing streak and rain on the Patriots' home parade, where New England has won 32 straight regular-season games against AFC opponents?

ESPN.com NFL Nation reporters Mike Reiss (Patriots) and Rich Cimini (Jets) weigh in:

Reiss: Let's get right to it, Rich. How do you envision things unfolding with Rex Ryan in terms of his job security?

Cimini: It doesn’t look promising, Mike. When you haven’t been to the playoffs in three years and you’re sitting at 1-5, it’s never good. Ryan has proven to be a "nine lives" coach during his tenure in New York, but I don’t think he can escape this time. He’d have to win seven out of 10 to finish .500, his mark last year, and I don’t see that happening, not the way the team is performing on offense. Ryan himself admitted last week he expects to get fired if the season doesn’t get turned around. That said, I wouldn’t write the obituary just yet. The schedule lightens up over the second half of the season, and I believe owner Woody Johnson really likes Ryan. General manager John Idzik likes Ryan, too, but there comes a point when every GM wants to hire his own head coach. And if the Jets sputter toward a five- or six-win season, it’ll open the door for Idzik to make that move.

I guess reports of Tom Brady's demise were greatly exaggerated. Why has the Brady of old reemerged over the past two weeks?

Reiss: I’d say it starts with the offensive line, Rich. Better protection, a commitment to balance things out with the running game and favoring more multiple-tight end and two-back groupings have sparked better results. One of the notable personnel changes on the offensive line has been 2012-13 starting center Ryan Wendell being elevated to the top unit after opening the year as a reserve. He’s helped settle some things down. And tight end Rob Gronkowski is rounding into form. He’s gradually played more snaps, and as that has happened, his impact has grown.

Defensively, how much of what the Jets are doing is different from past years, and how much is this a unit the Patriots should be concerned with?

Cimini: Because of injuries and personnel issues in the secondary, Ryan has had to alter his approach on defense. The Jets used to be primarily a man-to-man team -- you know, back when they had good cornerbacks -- but now they’re playing more zone than ever. Their starting corners are Darrin Walls and Phillip Adams, a couple of career backups. That’s scary. They used an "unorthodox" game plan (Peyton Manning's description) last Sunday against the Denver Broncos, rushing only three or four and relying on coverage. At times, they walked out their outside linebackers to the perimeter, having them jam the wide receivers at the line. That created a light "box," daring the Broncos to run. And they did, but Ryan was more comfortable with Manning handing off than throwing. I think they could use elements of that approach against the Patriots, trying to take the ball out of Brady's hands. Their big concern is Gronkowski. The Jets can’t cover tight ends, as they’ve allowed seven touchdowns in the past four games.

There's still a fascination in New York with Darrelle Revis. How is he fitting into the Patriots' defense, and how would you grade his performance thus far?

Reiss: Real good. I think there is so much talk about Revis Island that those who maybe haven’t watched him regularly were a little surprised early on that some balls were being caught on him, specifically in the Week 3 game against the Oakland Raiders. So, in a sense, Revis has almost impossible expectations to meet. Watching him in training camp was a treat, sort of the offensive version of Randy Moss, if you will. You just look out there on the field and see one player almost making extraordinary feats look effortless. On top of all that, I’ve been impressed with how he’s blended into the team culture, going back to before the start of training camp and working out with teammates Devin McCourty, Logan Ryan and Tavon Wilson in Arizona.

While on the subject of former players, tell us about how some past Patriots are being utilized, specifically receiver Greg Salas and tight end Zach Sudfeld.

Cimini: Salas' playing time has increased in recent weeks due to injuries to Eric Decker and David Nelson, but now, Salas is dealing with wrist and ankle injuries. I wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't play this week. Offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg loves Salas, and he moved him into a starting role last week. He’s averaging 20.9 yards on eight receptions, but some of his production has resulted from scramble situations -- Geno Smith outside the pocket, looking downfield and finding a wide-open Salas. The Jets had high hopes for Sudfeld after a strong preseason, but he plays only a handful of snaps each game -- all in the three-tight end package. He's a core special-teamer, the main reason he's active each week.

What are the Patriots' biggest concerns when they look at the Jets?

Reiss: The defensive line, with Muhammad Wilkerson, Damon Harrison and Sheldon Richardson, is going to be tough to handle for an offensive line that could be without two of its top five players in captain Dan Connolly (concussion) and rookie Bryan Stork (concussion). I think Brady also has great respect for Ryan's schemes and how he mixes things up, so another concern is identifying the proper adjustments within the game with that in mind. Finally, they'll be ready for some potentially unconventional risks (e.g. fake punt) from a team that might be more willing to roll the dice based on the situation it is in.