Patriots Beat Jets 26-6, Clinch Home-Field Advantage In AFC
Here’s your Patriots-Jets recap as New England earned a 26-6 win over New York on Sunday. They clinched home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs with the victory.
Dion Lewis paced the Patriots offense with 26 carries for 93 yards and a touchdown. He also caught six passes for 40 yards and a receiving touchdown. Tom Brady went 18-for-37 passing for 190 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions in an up-and-down afternoon. In total, he posted an 82.0 passer rating for the game.
Brady finished his 2017 regular season with 4,577 passing yards, 32 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions. It’s likely that those numbers put him in the lead of the NFL’s MVP conversation. Rams running back Todd Gurley is drawing consideration as well.
Tom Brady throws a pass against the New York Jets at Gillette Stadium on Dec. 31, 2017 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Defensive newcomer James Harrison played 28 out of a possible 57 snaps, according to ESPN’s
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) December 31, 2017" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mike Reiss. He made five total tackles before putting an exclamation point on his Patriots debut with two consecutive fourth-quarter sacks. He wrapped up Jets quarterback Bryce Petty twice, including a forced fumble.Rob Gronkowski, who had a chance to earn $2.5 million in incentives, finished the game without a target. As a result, he finishes with 69 catches, 1,084 yards, and eight touchdowns. However, he can still earn his incentives if he earns First Team All-Pro honors. Or if the Patriots decide to just give it to him anyway.
Brandin Cooks led all Patriots receivers with five catches for 79 yards and a touchdown. Despite his production, the wideout drew 11 targets. He and Brady often struggled to stay in sync in the first half before improving in the second.
Patriots-Jets: By The Numbers
— 13: The game-time temperature reading at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro. Patriots-Jets on Sunday became the coldest regular-season home game in Patriots history.
— 8: Total tackles for safety Devin McCourty, leading the team. Lawrence Guy, James Harrison, and Jonathan Jones tied for second on the team with five each.
— 156: Points scored off the foot of kicker Stephen Gostkowski. He finishes second in the NFL behind Rams kicker Greg Zuerlein (158). He could have won the scoring title with a chance at a late field goal, but the Patriots elected to punt.
The road ahead…
Brady and the Patriots get a much-needed bye week to rest up for the AFC Divisional Playoff in Foxboro in two weeks. They will host that game for the eighth straight season.
