Pats make it look easy against bungling Jets
NE nears securing AFC’s top seed
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Tom Brady passed for 214 yards and three touchdowns, and the Patriots moved a step closer to securing home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs with a 41-3 win over the New York Jets on Saturday.
Malcolm Butler added two interceptions and a fumble recovery, and LeGarrette Blount had a pair of 1-yard touchdown runs.
New England (13-2) took advantage of New York miscues all day, scoring on three of its first four possessions.
The Patriots need a win or a tie next week at Miami or an Oakland loss or tie at Denver to clinch the conference’s top seed.
The Jets (4-11), who have lost six of seven, had four turnovers.
It all helped make for a short day of work for Brady, who sat out the fourth quarter.
The only really good piece of news for the Jets came before the game, when coach Todd Bowles rejoined the team and coached from the sideline a day after a medical scare sent him to the hospital.
Bowles did not travel on the team plane Friday, but joined the Jets in New England on Saturday morning. The 53-year-old coach fell ill Friday afternoon and was taken to a hospital in New Jersey with what the team called an “undisclosed illness.”
But injuries for New York continue to pile up.
For the second straight week, Jets quarterback Bryce Petty’s day ended early when he went to the sideline in the first quarter with a left shoulder injury.
He was replaced by backup Ryan Fitzpatrick, but it did little to improve New York’s fortunes on offense.
For the game, the Jets finished with 239 total yards and were 1-for-11 on third down. Petty was 0-for-3 passing before his injury with an interception. Fitzpatrick finished 8-for-21 for 136 yards and two interceptions. \