On Sunday afternoon, the New England Patriots took on the New York Jets in a battle of two 3-2 AFC East teams. Early on, the Patriots found themselves in a 14-0 hole. The team rallied and finished the game strong, earning a 24-17 win behind a controversial call by the officials against the Jets. Below are some New England Patriots takeaways from the victory.
Week Six New England Patriots Takeaways
Patriots Take Advantage of Jets Miscues
The New York Jets played a pretty clean game as far as mistakes go. That being said, the Patriots made sure to capitalize on what mistakes they did make. In a slow first half for New England, the Patriots were down 14-0. On their first drive in the second quarter, Jets rookie safety Jamal Adams had a 24-yard pass interference penalty against Rob Gronkowski in the end-zone. Patriots running back Dion Lewis ran in a one-yard score on the next play, cutting the score to 14-7.
In their two minute drill before half, the Patriots drive stalled and Stephen Gostkowski missed his 47-yard field goal attempt. The Jets gained possession back with just over a minute to play in good field position. After entering Patriots territory, Josh McCown was intercepted by Malcolm Butler. Helped by a 42-yard bomb to Brandin Cooks, the Patriots scored on a two yard touchdown throw to Gronkowski. The two teams went into the half tied 14-14.
After Slow Start, Brady and Company Bounce Back
A 14-0 score would not be a surprise to fans tuning into this game. The surprise was in the fact that the lead was held by the Jets, and not the Patriots. On his first three drives, Tom Brady amassed stats of five completions on ten attempts for 33 yards. The New York Jets pass defense seemed to be playing some of their best football against one of the greatest.
Despite the sluggish start, Tom Brady can only be contained for so long. Brady finished off the game with three big scoring drives, finishing the game with 257 passing yards. Gronkowski, the Patriots safety net for many years, played a crucial role in the comeback. The eighth-year veteran tight end scored two touchdowns in the win, accumulating six receptions for 83 yards. The Patriots showed their never ending ability to make adjustments and ultimately came away with the win.
Patriots Dominate Second Half
Having deferred on the opening coin toss, the Patriots were set up to receive the football to open the second half. The Patriots took advantage of that, driving down the field for an eight play, 75-yard drive resulting in a 33-yard Rob Gronkowski touchdown. New England dominated the clock game to start the second half. As a result, the New York Jets didn’t see their second drive start until the 14:10 mark of the fourth quarter.
At the end of the game, the seven-point margin of victory was not without controversy. Jets tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins caught a 9-yard pass that was originally called a touchdown. After further review, referee Tony Corrente ruled that Seferian-Jenkins lost possession of the football on his way into the end-zone. With Seferian-Jenkins not regaining possession before he went out of bounds, the call was reversed to a fumble in the end-zone. As a result, a touchback was called and the Patriots were given the ball back on the 25-yard line.
Despite the controversial and questionable call made by Corrente and the league office, the Patriots clearly outplayed the Jets in the second half. After going down 14-0, New England outscored the New York Jets 24-3 to finish off the game. With the win, the Patriots moved to 4-2 on the season, and the Jets fall to 3-3. The Patriots will move on to
The Patriots will move on to game planning for their Super Bowl LI rematch against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday night next week.
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