The New England Patriots have a wounded defense that on this day wasn't good enough - but may have been had the offense done their part.
Despite getting back perhaps their greatest weapon on offense for the first time this season, the Patriots' offense sputtered, failing to execute against the great Jets' defense - at one point giving the ball to the Jets on six consecutive possessions by either short drive punts or interception...
...the Jets' capitalizing on the Patriots' anemic offensive performance and countering New England's poor execution with flawless and ruthless precision on both sides of the ball, the difference on the scoreboard a Nick Folk 42 yard field goal in overtime as the Jets took a 30-27 victory over the Patriots at Met Life Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
Back in week two, the Jets' lost a 13-10 game to New England because they inexplicably quit running the ball when they had the Patriots on the ropes in the final quarter - but on Sunday they made up for that, and then some.
Running back Chris Ivory ran for 104 yards and the Jets gouged out 177 yards on the ground overall, sprinkling in timely pass completions on the arm of Geno Smith, achieving an excellent balance and, as a result, kept the Patriots defense on the field for a mind-blowing 46:13.
Smith was far from efficient, but made his 17 completions in 33 attempts count, generally making good decisions and playing within himself - accounting for 233 yards through the air and another 32 on the ground, including an eight yard touchdown run that left Patriots' cornerback Marquice Cole looking for his socks...
...giving the Jets' a lead that they would hold onto until New England quarterback Tom Brady finally found his rhythm and led a last minute drive to tie the game at 27 with just sixteen seconds remaining in regulation. Brady went 22 of 46 for just 228 yards, nearly half of those yards going to tight end Rob Gronkowski, making his season debut.
New York took an early lead, driving eighty yards in 12 plays, going up 7-0 on a Jeremy Kurley 12 yard touchdown catch, but the Patriots answered right back, Brady taking 10 plays to drive 80 yards, Brandon Bolden scoring from one yard out to tie the game at seven - the key play a 30 yard strike to Gronkowski to set up Bolden's drive on the next play.
The Jets again drove down the field on the wounded Patriots, this time coach Rex Ryan alternating newly signed kick returner Josh Cribbs in for Smith to run the wildcat. Smith and Cribbs managed to get the Jets to the New England 20, where Patriots' corner Logan Ryan, in for an ineffective Kyle Arrington, stepped in front of receiver David Nelson and took the ball the other way for New England's first lead at 14-7.
A Folk field goal after another long drive had cut the Patriots' lead to four, when receiver Julian Edelman returned a short Jets' punt 38 yards to set up Brady with a 1st and 10 from the New York 28 - eight plays later running back Stevan Ridley finding paydirt from 17 yards out for a 21-10 Patriots' lead going into the locker room at halftime.
That would be the last time New England would see the end zone - but the Jets were just getting started.
The Patriots got the ball first in the second half, but two plays in Jets' defensive back Antonio Allen snagged an underthrown ball intended for Gronkowski and 23 yards later the Jets were within 21-17 - Smith's ankle breaking run giving them the lead back and another Folk field goal giving them a tenuous 6 point lead going into the final quarter.
The bright late October Sun doomed a nice New England drive just into the fourth quarter, as a wide open Gronkowski couldn't find a Brady throw that eclipsed the big ball of fire and the Patriots had to settle for a Stephen Gostkowski field goal to cut the Jets lead to three...
...and his second field goal of the game tying the score at the end of regulation, coming after another Brady to Gronkowski disconnect, a high ball down the seam that would have been another touchdown falling incomplete.
New England got the ball first in overtime, failed to do anything at all with it and gave up the ball to Smith and the Jets who clinched the game with a field goal with 5:12 left in the extra frame, a pair of personal fouls by the Patriots' defense putting the Jets in position for the game winner.
Overall, the Patriots defense was stout, the 177 yards coming on 52 carries for a pedestrian 3.4 yards per carry and yielding Smith's 233 yards through the air, a fantastic effort given that they were missing their top four defenders to injury, breaking in a new signal caller and dealing with the ineffectiveness of Arrington and safety Steve Gregory...
...and it would have been enough had the New England offense kept their part of the deal - but a combination of the stout Jets' defense and many miscues in the passing game doomed the Patriots to their second loss of the season and catapulted New York to within a game of New England in the AFC East.
No one would have thought that the New York Jets would be in this position going into the halfway mark of the season, what with a rookie quarterback and many losses in personnel, but a violent defense and a just good enough offense has suddenly made the division race very interesting.
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