Patriots 49, Jets 19
Tom Brady threw three touchdown passes
and ran for another and New England scored three touchdowns in 52 seconds to hammer host New York in a battle of AFC East rivals.
New England's lightning-quick burst came in the second quarter, when the Patriots (8-3) scored five touchdowns en route to their fifth straight victory and coach Bill Belichick's 200th career victory. The Jets (4-7) turned the ball over five
times and absorbed a crucial blow to their fading playoff hopes.
After a fumble by New York’s Shonn Greene, Brady connected
with Shane Vereen on an 83-yard catch-and-run touchdown pass to make it 14-0.
Two plays later, Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez collided with
his own lineman, fumbled the ball and Steve Gregory scooped it up and returned
it 32 yards for a touchdown. On the ensuing kickoff, Julian Edelman
snared a fumble in the air and returned it 22 yards, putting the Patriots in
complete control with a 28-0 lead.
The Patriots played
without tight end Rob Gronkowski, who underwent surgery on a broken forearm
earlier in the week, but hardly missed him. Brady finished 18-of-28 for 323
yards, including scoring passes to Wes Welker and Julian Edelman, who later left
the game with a head injury.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Gregory picked off a Sanchez pass in the
first quarter marking the 22nd straight game the Patriots have had a
takeaway, the best active streak in the NFL. … New England capped a season sweep
of the Jets. … Sanchez was 26-for-36 passing for 301 yards, including a short touchdown
pass to Dustin Keller in the fourth quarter. … The Patriots have scored 108 points in its last two games,
the third-highest mark in NFL history.