Jets meet Patriots in battle to get out of AFC East cellar

New York Jets (2-5) at New England (1-6)

Sunday, 1 p.m. EDT, CBS

BetMGM NFL odds: Jets by 7.

Against the spread: Jets 2-5; Patriots 1-5-1.

Series record: Patriots lead 74-56-1.

Last meeting: Jets won 24-3 in New Jersey on Sept. 19.

Last week: Jets lost 37-15 to Steelers for fourth straight loss; Patriots lost 32-16 to Jacksonville in London for sixth straight loss.

Jets offense: overall (23), rush (31), pass (11), scoring (24).

Jets defense: overall (6), rush (16), pass (2), scoring (11).

Patriots offense: overall (30), rush (22), pass (31), scoring (30).

Patriots defense: overall (25), rush (21), pass (24), scoring (23).

Turnover differential: Jets minus-3; Patriots minus-1.

QB Aaron Rodgers. He’s dealing with soreness in his left hamstring and knee, and also sprained his left ankle on Oct. 6. The 40-year-old Rodgers said the injuries haven’t affected his throwing, but his numbers might suggest otherwise. Since his best performance of the season in a 24-3 win over the Patriots when he was 27 of 35 for 271 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions, Rodgers has five TD passes and six INTs in four straight losses.

QB Drake Maye showed improvement from his first career start, when he threw for three touchdowns but also had three turnovers, to his second, when he didn’t turn the ball over. If he continues to improve, he will give the Patriots something to look forward to even if the losing continues.

Patriots O-line vs. Jets pass rush: New York had seven sacks in the first meeting, including two by Will McDonald. With the Patriots expected to start their eighth offensive line lineup in as many games, QB Drake Maye could be in for a long day — especially if Haason Reddick makes his season debut coming off the edge for the Jets.

Jets: Short-handed at safety with Chuck Clark on IR with an ankle injury and fellow starter Tony Adams dealing with an injured hamstring. Backup Ashtyn Davis was in the concussion protocol and uncertain to play. … WR Allen Lazard (chest), RG Alijah Vera-Tucker (ankle) and defensive tackle Leki Fotu (knee) didn’t practice early in the week. … CBs D.J. Reed (groin) and Michael Carter II (back) were on track to play after missing time with their injuries.

Patriots: Maye was listed on the injury report with a knee problem, but he did not miss any practice. ... WR Ja’Lynn Polk was in the concussion protocol. ... DE Keion White missed practice on Wednesday with an ankle injury, but he spoke to reporters — something injured players don't usually do.

The Patriots beat the Jets 15 times in a row before New York won 17-3 in the regular-season finale last season. … The Jets won in September and have a chance to sweep the season series for the first time since 2000. … The Patriots are 18-4 against the Jets in Gillette Stadium and had won 14 in a row before the loss in January. … The Patriots were 37-10 against the Jets under Bill Belichick and 37-46-1 under every other coach.

Jeff Ulbrich is 0-2 as the Jets’ interim head coach since replacing the fired Robert Saleh on Oct. 8. … Rodgers has seven interceptions in seven games, six shy of his single-season career high set in 2008 in his first year as Green Bay’s starting quarterback. … Rodgers has not passed for 300 yards since throwing for 341 against Chicago on Dec. 12, 2021 — a span of 29 regular-season games and 30 overall, including one playoff game. … WR Garrett Wilson leads the NFL with 76 targets and is third with 46 receptions (behind Tampa Bay’s Chris Godwin 50 and Las Vegas’ Brock Bowers 47). Wilson’s 27 catches for 1st downs are tied for second in the league behind the injured Godwin (32). … WR Davante Adams had three catches for 30 yards in his debut with the Jets last Sunday, five days after being acquired from Las Vegas. … TE Tyler Conklin caught his first touchdown pass last week since having two in Week 8 of the 2022 season against New England. … Edge rusher Will McDonald has eight sacks, second in the NFL to the Giants’ Dexter Lawrence (nine). … Haason Reddick ended his lengthy contract holdout earlier in the week, participated in practice and could make his Jets debut. … K Greg Zuerlein had a 35-yard field goal blocked last week at Pittsburgh and has missed five of his 13 attempts this season. ... Drake Maye joined Dan Marino as the only quarterbacks since 1950 with at least 500 passing yards and at least 5 touchdown passes in their first two starts. Maye can become the first rookie with at least 240 yards passing and at least 2 touchdown passes in his first three starts since 1950. ... The Patriots have used seven different offensive line combinations in their first seven games. … P Bryce Baringer has 24 straight games with at least one 50-yard punt, the longest active streak in the NFL. … He leads the NFL with 19 punts inside the 20-yard line. He also led the league last year.

Jets WR Davante Adams was targeted nine times but only had three catches for 30 yards in his first game with New York after a trade from the Raiders. Look for him and Rodgers to be more in sync against a struggling Patriots secondary.

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL

New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) is pressured by Jacksonville Jaguars defensive tackle DaVon Hamilton (52) during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024, in London. (AP Photo/Ian Walton)

New England Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo, center right, talks with field judge Ryan Dickerson (25) during the first half of an NFL football game against the Houston Texans, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024, in Foxborough, Mass. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) passes in the first half of an NFL football game in Pittsburgh, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

New York Jets wide receiver Davante Adams (17) warms up before an NFL football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Pittsburgh, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

New York Jets wide receiver Davante Adams (17) pulls in a pass reception against Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. (24) in the first half of an NFL football game in Pittsburgh, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Matt Freed)

MAPUTO, Mozambique (AP) — Mozambique's ruling party candidate Daniel Chapo was declared the winner of the country's presidential election Thursday as the opposition claimed the vote was rigged and one party said it would challenge the result in court.

According to the national election commission, Chapo won with 70,67% of the national vote, followed by independent candidate Venancio Mondlane with 20,32% of the vote. The candidate of the opposition party Renamo, Ossufo Momade, came third with 5,81% of the total votes.

The results of the Oct. 9 election mean the governing Front for the Liberation of Mozambique party, or Frelimo, has extended its 49 years in power since the southern African country gained independence from Portugal in 1975. It then fought a bloody 15-year civil war against rebel group Renamo, which later became the main opposition party and also contested this election.

Speaking shortly after the results were announced, Chapo told supporters he condemned the recent killings of two opposition figures. He also criticized the strikes called by the opposition to protest what it claimed was systematic deceit.

Police quelled the demonstrations this week, dispersing them by firing teargas.

“As the Frelimo party, we want to once again reiterate our repudiation of the murders of Elvino Dias and Paulo Guambe as well as other citizens physically affected in this ongoing process of demonstrations," said Chapo.

Dias, a lawyer and advisor to opposition presidential candidate Mondlane, was killed when gunmen riddled his car with bullets in the port capital of Maputo last Friday. Guambe, the party spokesperson, was also in the car and was killed.

Chapo promised to “try to do better for the Mozambican people,” regardless of race, religion or political affiliation.

Lutero Simango of the opposition Mozambique Democratic Movement, who got just over 3% of the vote, on Thursday disputed the election outcome and said his party would challenge the results in court.

“We from the MDM will be on the side of the people, of electoral justice, and will combat all manipulations, which is why we will combine legal and political action so that the results reflect the will of the voters," he said.

Despite the confirmation of the results by the election commission, the Constitutional Council will have the final say after it considers any appeals filed by the opposition.

Chapo will face immediate challenges including an extremist organization affiliated to the Islamic State group that has launched attacks on communities in the northern province of Cabo Delgado since 2017. It has carried out several beheadings.

Around 600,000 of the 1.3 million people who fled the province since 2017 have since returned home, many to shattered communities where houses, markets, churches, schools and health facilities have been destroyed, the United Nations said earlier this year.

Mozambique also faces high levels of unemployment and hunger, exacerbated by El Nino-induced severe drought. According to the U.N. World Food Program, 1.3 million people face severe food shortages.

Frelimo has often been accused of rigging elections, which it has consistently denied. Current President Filipe Nyusi of Frelimo is stepping down after serving the maximum two terms allowed.

The EU’s observer mission said this week that some of its election observers had been prevented from monitoring counting in some areas and there was an “unjustified alteration” of results at some polling stations.

Independent political analyst Onisio Buanaissa said it was in the best interest of the country for the opposition to accept the election results as announced by the electoral commission.

“You may not be satisfied with the result, but you need to respect that it is the majority. This is the very logic of liberal democracies,” he said.

Follow AP’s Africa coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/africa

Mozambican police deploys in the streets of Maputo, Mozambique, Monday, Oct. 21, 2024, during a nationwide shutdown protest following a disputed Oct. 9 election. (AP Photo/Carlos Uqueio)

Mozambican police deploys in the streets of Maputo, Mozambique, Monday, Oct. 21, 2024, during a nationwide shutdown protest following a disputed Oct. 9 election. (AP Photo/Carlos Uqueio)

FILE - Vote counting gets underway at a polling station in Maputo, Mozambique, in general elections Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Carlos Uqueio, File)