New England Patriots Team Grades: Defense Seals Comeback Victory Against New York Jets
By Danny Cox
The New York Jets have struggled with countless issues this season, while the New England Patriots have overcome early season adversity and Tom Brady's absence to rank among the NFL's best as per usual. Many figured that Sunday's meeting between the two would be a one-sided affair due to the two distinctly different paths these teams have taken so far this year.
Well, this is the NFL and there is no such thing as a guaranteed or easy win, especially against a division rival. At the end of the day, the Patriots were able to defeat the Jets 22-17, but the win was not cemented until the final minutes of the fourth quarter.
Offense: B
Tom Brady had 50 pass attempts, which is far too many for a team that has LeGarrette Blount in the backfield. Due to playing close most of the game and even from behind, the Patriots mostly abandoned the run game and produced just 91 yards on the ground.
Brady finished the day with 286 yards, two touchdowns and zero turnovers. His primary target was Julian Edelman, who had eight receptions for 83 yards, but he wasn't the scoring focus. Rookie wide receiver Malcolm Mitchell caught five balls for 42 yards and two touchdowns.
It's become obvious that Mitchell is gaining a lot of trust from Brady and it showed in the way the veteran signal-caller trusted the rookie late in the game.
Defense: B+
The Patriots' defense stepped things up on Sunday and played well, but some things can be improved upon. Ryan Fitzpatrick had a decent day by completing 22-of-32 attempts for 269 yards and two touchdowns. Quincy Enunwa was able to pretty much do as he pleased with five receptions for 109 yards and one touchdown, but he was really the only one.
New York played well enough to stay in the game all day. In fact, it came down to the final few minutes and last drive for the Jets to seal their fate. Down 22-17, Fitzpatrick was sacked by Chris Long and had the ball knocked out of his hand. Trey Flowers scooped up the loose ball and that secured the game for the Patriots.
Special Teams: B
Special teams played slightly above average. New England punter Ryan Allen punted the ball four times and did well with a long of 55 yards and pinned the Jets inside their own 20-yard line on one occasion.
Stephen Gostkowski hit his only extra point attempt and ended up connecting on three of his four field goal attempts. His miss came late in the second quarter as he went wide left on a 39-yard try.
Coaching: B
The Patriots' coaching staff stayed consistent and cool under pressure. After falling behind, Bill Belichick threw the plan out of the window and just let Tom Brady take over. The game may not have played out as they has scripted it, but it ended up working out in the end.
When all else fails, let No. 12 do his thing.
Next week, the New England Patriots take on the Los Angeles Rams, who were routed 49-21 by the New Orleans Saints on Sunday. Still, the Patriots cannot underestimate them, as the Jets had won a mere three games this season and gave them one of their toughest challenges. Teams bring their best when they play the Patriots and in turn they must be at the top of their game each week.
