Josh McCown and the New York Jets started right, but couldn’t take out Tom Brady and the New England Patriots at MetLife.
- New York Jets 13 (3-8)
- New England Patriots 27 (8-3)
- NFL, AFC East, Final, Box Score
- MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY—The New York Jets kept pace with the New England Patriots for 30 minutes on Sunday afternoon at MetLife Stadium. In a cruelly ironic twist, however, NFL football games last 60.
Sony Michel ran for 133 yards and a touchdown, while Tom Brady threw for two more scores, and the Patriots used a strong second half filled with big plays and Jets mistakes to earn a 27-13 victory.
After the Jets opened things up with a punt, they let New England enter their territory, but a big third down ended with a crushing blow from Jamal Adams, as the safety forced the ball free from Rob Gronkowski’s grasp to prevent further progress. The Jets capitalized on a nine-play,80-yard drive that ended with a Josh McCown touchdown pass to Jermaine Kearse, scoring from 16 yards out.
Jamal Adams is GROWN ? @TheAdamsEra pic.twitter.com/oPknoHZkyL
— The Checkdown (@thecheckdown) November 25, 2018
https://twitter.com/FirstDownFR/status/1066761848505188357
Gronkowski, however, would get his revenge shortly after, ending a career-long seven-game touchdown drought with typical Gronk fanfare. After the Jets accepted an offensive pass-interference penalty, one that eschewed a short fourth down, Gronkowski scored on a 34-yard strike from Brady to knot the score at seven apiece.
Return of the Gronk.@RobGronkowski | #NEvsNYJ | #GoPats pic.twitter.com/qDs8q28yu5
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) November 25, 2018
The teams’ defenses bore down for the remainder of the half, as did the officials, who called acombined 11 penalties against the two teams. After Stephen Gostkowski scored on a 34-yard triple, the Jets ventured into Patriots territory, but McCown’s deep ball was intercepted byStephon Gilmore at the edge of the goal line.
But after the Jets forced Brady and the offenseinto a three-and-out, they got deep enough into New England territory to afford a tying Jason Myers field goal, scored from 55 yards out to create a 10-10 halftime score.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN… JASON MYERS FROM DOWNTOWN TO LOCK IN 25% OFF EVERYTHING AT https://t.co/0lg85dHbuq .. Use promocode #EARLYCYBERMONDAY at checkout pic.twitter.com/IVgEO9x7OC
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) November 25, 2018
The teams exchanged field goals to open the second half, lengthy drives concluding withdueling triples from Gostkowski and Myers. With matching scores of 13, the Patriots openedthings up a quick 75-yard drive, one that needed just four plays and 128 seconds of game timeto pull off. For the final of three plays that ate 20 yards or more, Brady would find JulianEdelman for an open 21-yard score to give New England their first lead.
Edelman with the effort to get into the end zone! pic.twitter.com/o6JLY2xT3O
— uSTADIUM (@uSTADIUM) November 25, 2018
The Jets returned to New England territory and had a strong drive going, but a JonotthanHarrison holding penalty stalled any progress they were hoping to make. The Patriots took theball on the ensuing punt and marched 80 yards in 10 plays to the Jets goal line, where Micheldealt a de facto dagger, his one-yard score making it a 27-13 ball game.
Off and running.@Flyguy2stackz | #NEvsNYJ | #GoPats pic.twitter.com/C0QHgZBBJC
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) November 25, 2018
The Jets had a chance to provide some late-game dramatics, venturing inside the New Englandred zone inside the two-minute mark, but the Patriots forced them into a failed fourth downattempt at the end zone. The Jets will hit the road next week, taking on the Tennessee Titans on Sunday (4:25 p.m. ET, CBS).
