Brady passes Manning for career wins

PATRIOTS 24, JETS 17

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J.» Tom Brady’s record-setting victory was hardly smooth and easy. It also wasn’t the prettiest of his 187 regular-season wins.

Brady, who broke a tie with Peyton Manning and Brett Favre, had to rally the New England Patriots from a two-touchdown deficit in the first half before holding on for a 24-17 win over the New York Jets on Sunday to claim first place in the AFC East.

“I wish we had done better, but we won,” said Brady, who was limited early in the week with a sore left shoulder. “Probably a lot to learn from it. I wish we could have played better offensively. We got down early and came back. A good series before the half. We hung in there at the end.”

The Patriots (4-2) were playing their first game in 10 days after beating Tampa Bay 1914 on Oct. 5, and appeared a bit rusty early as they fell behind 14-0 in the second quarter against the surprising Jets (3-3).

“This was something we needed,” said safety Devin McCourty, who had an interception. “We haven’t played particularly well in the fourth quarter. I thought this was big for us as a team to win.”

New York had a chance to tie the game after getting the ball back with 1:53 remaining, but the Patriots’ 32nd-ranked overall defense held on — forcing Josh McCown to throw incomplete on a desperation heave on fourth-and-16 from the Patriots 49, and ending the Jets’ three-game winning streak.

“The mood in this locker room,” running back Matt Forte said, “is we gave the game away.”

Brady, who already had the NFL mark for total victories, was visibly frustrated early, but got going in this one just before halftime as the Patriots tied it at 14 with nine seconds left in the second quarter on a 2yard TD catch by Rob Gronkowski.