Pats’ skid ends — N. Y. remains winless
EAST RUTHERFORD, N. J. — Cam Newton and the New England Patriots appeared headed to a fifth straight loss — this one against the winless New York Jets, of all teams.
Then came the fourth quarter, and potential embarrassment turned into bigtime relief.
Nick Folk kicked a 51yard field goal as time expired to win it 3027 on Monday night after Newton rallied the Patriots from a 10point deficit to avoid the franchise’s first fivegame skid since 1995.
“It shows the character of this team,” said Rex Burkhead, who had a 1yard touchdown run in the third quarter. “Just battling, fighting. It shows the strength we have.”
Newton had two touchdown runs, with the second tying it 2727 with 1: 57 remaining. He also brushed off his struggles of the past few weeks, including a fumble against Buffalo that sealed a loss.
“I’m getting tired of sucking,“said Newton, who was 27for35 for 274 yards passing. “It’s simple. As a competitor, you know what your standard is. Taking pride in your work, that’s what it comes down to.”
After the Jets ( 09) went threeandout for the first time all night, the Patriots ( 35) got the ball back with 47 seconds left and went to work.
Newton had a 5yard run on 3rdand1 from the New England 42 and then spiked the ball with eight seconds left. He followed with a 20yard pass to Jakobi Meyers to put Folk — who made several big kicks for the Jets from 2010 through ’ 16 — in position for the winning field goal.
“I had a lot of good memories here at MetLife” Stadium, said Folk, who had been dealing with a back injury. “I just added one to the other sideline tonight.”
Meanwhile, the Jets dropped to 09 for the first time in franchise history, and this was one was particularly agonizing.
“It’s a tough pill to swallow,” said wide receiver Jamison Crowder, whose 20yard TD catch just before halftime gave the Jets a 2010 lead. “That was a tough loss right there. That was a game we should’ve won.”
After Folk’s 29yarder with 6: 04 left cut the Patriots’ deficit to 2720, quarterback Joe Flacco — having a solid night until that point while starting for an injured Sam Darnold — tried to put the game away. Instead, he swayed the momentum in New England’s favor.
Flacco’s deep pass down the middle for Denzel Mims was picked off by J. C. Jackson. That set up Newton’s tying TD — and deflated the Jets, who couldn’t recover.
“I don’t think I would’ve made a different decision in the moment,” Flacco said. “But, obviously, I’d like to have that one back.”
Flacco was 18for25 for 262 yards and three touchdown passes — two to Breshad Perriman and one to Crowder — but had the gamechanging interception.
With the Patriots down by 10, Newton marched them down the field to open the second half, capping a 14play drive with Burkhead’s 1yard plunge into the end zone to make it 2017.
But the Jets answered right back, with Flacco finding a wideopen Perriman in the end zone for a 15yard touchdown and a 2717 lead with 30 seconds left in the third quarter.
A miscue by the Jets on special teams kept the Patriots’ next drive alive.
After Newton stumbled on 3rdand1 and was stopped for a 4yard loss, New England appeared to have to settle for a 32yard field goal. But the Jets were called for 12 men on the field — resulting in a first down for the Patriots. The defense made up for the mistake, getting a redzone stop — with an assist from a holding penalty on New England right tackle Mike Onwenu — and holding the Patriots to a field goal to make it 2720 with 6: 04 left.
But New England got the ball right back when Flacco was picked off by Jackson, who has interceptions in four straight games.