2 weeks Ago By By Tyler Hetu [email protected]
FOXBORO — The New England Patriots were without starting quarterback Drake Maye for part of the second quarter and the entire second half Sunday against the New York Jets due to a concussion. No matter. Reenter Jacoby Brissett.
Brissett, who opened the season as the Pats’ starting signal-caller, stepped in for Maye and led New England to a 25-22 come-from-behind win on a last-minute touchdown. Facing a third-and-10 on the Jets’ 43-yard line, Brissett hit Kayshon Boutte on a 34-yard pass to set up the Patriots with first-and-goal on the 9-yard line with 1:14 to go. Brisset then found Boutte again as he was downed at the 1-yard line with 23 seconds to go.
Needing a yard, possibly less, for the winning score, Brissett handed off to Rhamondre Stevenson for the touchdown to give the Patriots the lead. After a review, the play stood, and Brissett hit Stevenson again for the two-point conversion to make it a three-point game. The Jets got the ball back on their own 30-yard line with 22 seconds to go and no timeouts.
Aaron Rodgers threw incomplete, then completed a 16-yard pass to Davante Adams, but the Jets were unable to get back to the line of scrimmage for another play as the clock hit zeroes. The win for the Patriots was their first at home in over a calendar year, and moves the Patriots to 2-6, tied with the Jets, in the AFC East. The loss also snapped a six-game skid for New England.
In a week where head coach Jerod Mayo had called the Patriots “soft” following last week’s 32-16 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in London, trade narratives had risen and there was doubt in the competitiveness of the Patriots going forward, but Mayo said his players stepped up. “I thought the guys showed the resilience that they’ve developed over the last few weeks,” Mayo said. “Really proud of the guys, there was a lot of noise and chatter, and I’m appreciative of their attitude and professionalism on an every day basis.
It’s good to get a win at home here at Gillette. “It means a lot,” Mayo added. “When you preach something and it shows up in the game, it’s always going to be more impactful.
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I never questioned the resilience of this team. We have a room full of guys with the mentality of you’ve got to change the page every day. Today is a new day.
” Maye left the game following a series where he was hit in the back of the helmet by the Jets linebacker Jamien Sherwood as Maye went down to slide after running the ball downfield. No penalty was called on the play and Maye finished the drive, despite needing help to get up on his feet following the hit. After going to the sideline and receiving attention in the medical tent, Maye went to the locker room and was confirmed out for the remainder of the game.
Mayo said that he felt officials made some questionable decisions through the game. “The competitor that he is, he wanted to go back out there and play,” Mayo said. “There’s a protocol he has to go through.
We can’t wait to get him back. They didn’t call (a penalty) and I had conversations with them and I thought some of the calls were questionable. I have to go back and watch the film and we’ll have a conversation.
“We talk about next man up mentality,” Mayo added. “We lose Drake early in the game and felt Jacoby was ready to go. Was it perfect? No, but at the same time, I thought the operation was good.
I thought he made some good throws and we have to build on that.” The Patriots jumped on the board early with a 17-yard rushing score to the corner of the end zone by Maye at 5:15 of the first quarter. The Jets responded at 1:23 after a pair of Patriots’ defensive pass interference calls put the ball on the 1-yard line.
Aaron Rodgers hit Tyler Conklin across the middle, threading the needle through traffic for the touchdown. Jets kicker Greg Zuerlein, who has struggled this season, missed the point-after to keep the Patriots ahead at 7-6. The Jets capitalized again in the second quarter from the 1-yard line with Rodgers finding Xavier Gipson for the touchdown, making it 13-7 with nine minutes to halftime.
The Patriots responded in the third quarter with a 62-yard return from Marcus Jones that went to the Jets’ 26-yard line. From there, the Patriots needed only six plays to find the end zone, scoring on a 3-yard Stevenson carry to trail 16-14. The Jets added a field goal from 23 yards out to make it 19-14 and nearly extended their lead again early in the fourth quarter, but Zuerlein missed a 44-yard attempt wide left to give the Patriots the ball on their own 26-yard line.
Needing the points on the following drive, New England kicked from the Jets’ 5-yard line to regain the lead at 19-17. With time running out, the Patriots were unable to stop the Jets again, letting them march down the field to score on a 2-yard Braelon Allen punch across the goal line to make it 22-17 following a failed 2-point try. The Jets’ scoring drive went 13 plays, 70 yards, and used 4:37 to give New England the ball with 2:57 to go in the game and two timeouts before Brissett cashed in one final time.
The Jets struggled with their run, allowing 4.0 yards per carry on 28 attempts, and were 17 of 28 in the passing game with 233 yards allowed. Mayo credited the Patriots’ defense with Christian Ellis collecting a team-high nine tackles and a sack.
“The guys went out there and executed,” Mayo said. “There’s no magic pill or drink. It’s a mentality that we’re going to stop the run.
” Stevenson led the Patriots with 48 yards on 20 carries and two scores. Both Patriots quarterbacks combined for 57 yards on six runs. Despite a number of drops, the Patriots receivers showed up when it mattered late with Boutte posting a team-high 36 yards on three catches.
“In the run game, there’s a certain philosophy where a 3-yard run is not a good run, but if it’s physical, I liken it to boxing,” Mayo said. “Those are body blows. You get enough of those body blows, you get to the second half, and then you get some big ones.
I think that’s what happened.” Maye finished the day rushing for 46 yards on three attempts, passing 3-for-6 with 23 yards. Brissett wound up 15-for-24 with 132 passing yards and a quarterback rating of 77.
1. With Maye’s status looking doubtful for next week, the Patriots will visit the Tennessee Titans (1-6)..
