Pats: We needed that
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — As Julian Edelman charged toward the goal line, bouncing off one Jets defender and barreling through another, the Patriots sideline couldn’t contain its emotion.
Brian Hoyer punched the air. Chris Hogan, who had subbed out for the play, leaped off his left foot onto the field and sprinted to the far corner to celebrate with Edelman.
The Pats had waited two weeks to rectify their flop at Tennessee and get their season back on course. And yesterday in the Meadowlands, they waited another 40 minutes to finally create some separation. A barrage of penalties and inefficient red-zone play had them stuck in the mud.
Tied at 13 late in the third quarter, an uncovered Edelman caught a pass at the New York 15-yard line, jetted upfield, lowered his shoulder into Jamal Adams at the 3, pinballed off Morris Claiborne, and tumbled into the end zone for the go-ahead touchdown.
“Physical play, classic Edelman play,” said Pats special teams captain Matthew Slater.
“Those are the types of plays that provide a spark,” Hogan said.
From there, the Pats dominated, rolling to a 27-13 victory over the Jets.
This was, by all accounts inside the Patriots locker room, a necessary development coming off the Titans loss and the bye week.
“I certainly think we came in here a desperate football team with a lot of urgency,” Slater said. “We saw this as a huge game for us, a mustwin game. So we were playing with a lot of emotion. I think we needed to do that on the road. We haven’t done a great job of that all year long.”
Rarely do we hear the Patriots, perpetually contending for Super Bowls, described as “desperate.”
Despite the 8-3 record, this has been an atypical season in Foxboro. They’ve been annihilated three times on the road, all by less-thanstellar opponents. Each week, Brady and the offensive players discuss the potential of the unit, and each Sunday there’s something not quite right. At times it’s been the protection, or the lack of a running game, or Brady’s timing and chemistry with his receivers.
This wasn’t a Rams-Chiefs offensive explosion, but it was a solid, well-rounded performance.
The Pats moved the ball virtually at will. Their 498 yards of offense was the second-best output of the season. They were turnover-free for the fourth consecutive game
The story of the afternoon was the Patriots’ renewed offensive balance. Sony Michel turned in the best game of his career despite suffering an apparent back injury in the third quarter. Michel was twisted awkwardly on a third-and-short carry, and remained on the ground before slowly walking off. On the sideline, trainers rubbed down his lower back. He returned after sitting out one series, breaking loose for 33 yards on his first carry. He finished with 131 yards and a touchdown.
The trio of Gronkowski, Edelman, and Josh Gordon combined for 12 receptions for 210 yards and two scores.
The only downside? A flag-happy officiating crew called 18 penalties. Eleven were on the Patriots, often disrupting their offensive rhythm.
The biggest play of the first half, and perhaps the entire game, was set up by a penalty that should have been declined.
Leading 7-0 late in the first quarter, the Jets forced an incompletion on a wheel route to Edelman. James White, who set a pick on the play, was flagged for offensive pass interference. Had the Jets declined the penalty, the Patriots would have attempted a 41-yard field goal. Jets coach Todd Bowles opted to bump the Patriots back 10 yards and give them another crack at third down.
Brady was grateful for the extra opportunity.
He uncorked a deep ball for Gronkowski, who beat Jets defensive back Morris Claiborne to the ball, absorbed a hit, and held on for a 34-yard touchdown.
Cue the first Gronk spike since Week 1.
“This is the first time we’ve had a lot of guys healthier and it just helped everything out,” Brady said.
There were some issues defensively, particularly in the first half. Jermaine Kearse separated from slot cornerback Jonathan Jones for a 16-yard touchdown to open the scoring. Quincy Enunwa got free for a 41yard gain versus Jason McCourty. And Dont’a Hightower couldn’t stick with tight end Chris Herndon on a 21-yard completion.
The Pats clamped down late, as Jason McCourty broke up a fourth-and-goal pass for Kearse with 1:56 remaining, preserving the 14-point lead.
“If they score right there, it’s a one-possession game and you never know what happens with the onside kick,” said Patriots safety Duron Harmon.
After sitting on the Titans debacle for two weeks, the Pats could finally exhale.
“It’s not that we lost at Tennessee, it’s how we lost,” Slater said. “...I think we just confirmed what we believe we are. I think we were able to go out there and prove that. I think that’s good to mentally affirm that and know that, alright, we’re capable of doing this when we’re locked in and focused.”