New York Jets vs. New England Patriots: Full Report Card Grades for New England
Despite the talent disparity, the New England Patriots have always had difficulties against Rex Ryan's New York Jets. That pattern proved true yet again, as the Jets played their best game of the season and nearly stole the game from the Patriots at the last second, only for New England to block the final field-goal attempt.
The Pats started the game auspiciously, utilizing an up-tempo pace that resulted in a 49-yard touchdown pass to Shane Vereen after a coverage breakdown from Jets corner Antonio Allen. With the quick-strike finish, the drive resembled the strong finish New England had in Buffalo last week.
New York came in with a clear mandate to control the clock, and an opening seven-minute drive helped stem some of the Patriots' early momentum. The Jets compiled 47 rushing yards on their first drive, with the bruising Chris Ivory providing a difficult challenge for a thin defensive front seven on a short week. A similar 10-play second drive led to another field goal, and despite trailing 7-6, New York largely controlled the opening quarter's rhythm.
That pattern continued into the second quarter, as the Patriots fell into a vicious cycle of three-and-outs, leading to solid field position and long drives for the Jets. At halftime, the Pats led 17-12, yet trailed 22:03-7:57 in time of possession.
New York opened with more of the same, going on a seven-minute, Ivory-heavy drive to take a 19-17 lead. The see-saw continued perpetually, with both teams trading scores and punts. Schematic adjustments from both defenses led to four consecutive three-and-outs at one point, as the teams essentially mirrored each other throughout the night.
The Pats broke through midway through the second quarter, overcoming a series of penalties to convert on 3rd-and-goal from the 19-yard line. Danny Amendola, who played his best game of the season, improvised well, beating his man on a seam to the end zone for the go-ahead score.
The Jets mounted a late challenge, responding immediately with a touchdown but failing to hit the two-point conversion. A last-second desperation drive put Nick Folk in position to win the game, but in a measure of poetic justice, Chris Jones blocked the kick to preserve the 27-25 win for the Pats.
Read on for full positional grades from New England's tightest win of the season.
Quarterback
1 of 10
The Patriots reverted back to the three-receiver spread sets that they ran for much of the first month, likely in concession to New York's advantages in the trenches. Brady took advantage of his time in the pocket at times, posting 261 yards and three touchdowns, though he completed just 20 of 37 passes.
During the first half, Brady demonstrated a willingness to roll out of the pocket and take deep shots. His 49-yard touchdown to Vereen was the most obvious manifestation of this, but he also set up a field goal to end the second half after Danny Amendola drew a 32-yard pass interference penalty on a deep fade route.
However, the Jets ratcheted up the pressure after halftime, employing more stunts and blitzes to disrupt Brady's time in the pocket. Consequently, the Pats largely reverted to three-step concepts in the second half featuring Julian Edelman. New York was particularly active on third downs, forcing four three-and-outs from New England and helping tilt time of possession toward the Jets.
Nonetheless, considering how one-dimensional the offense was, Brady did well in bearing a heavier burden than customary. He passed more out of the pocket than he has all season, and for the most part, his steadiness and improvisation helped keep the Patriots offense afloat.
Grade: B+
Running Back
2 of 10
Shane Vereen illustrated how dangerous he can be when at his best, as he exploited a Jets linebacking crew that devoted most of its attention to New England's tight ends. In the Patriots' first game without Stevan Ridley, Vereen finished with 114 total yards on 16 touches, as he was the Pats' most consistent offensive weapon of the game.
The Pats made a more conscientious effort to get Vereen the ball on the perimeter, as the majority of his touches came as either a wide split end receiver or on customary outside sweeps. New York does not possess much second-level speed to begin with, but Vereen magnified that deficiency by picking up significant chunks on a routine basis.
On early downs, Jonas Gray received the nod over Brandon Bolden, contrary to the expectations of some mainstream media. Gray acquitted himself well with his physical running style, exhibiting a low pad level and strong finish to most of his runs. The third-year back received just three carries in his Pats debut, accruing 12 yards, but showed enough in a brief glimpse to warrant further usage in future weeks.
The Patriots got away from the run for much of the game, with just six attempts in the first half. New England finished with 37 pass attempts compared to just 15 rushes, a reflection of its unwillingness to challenge New York's daunting interior trio of Muhammad Wilkerson, Sheldon Richardson and Damon Harrison.
Given the matchup, it's hard to dock the Patriots' lack of production on the ground too severely. The Patriots did average 4.2 yards per attempt, and given Vereen's receiving contributions, this unit was a net positive.
Grade: A-
Wide Receiver and Tight End
3 of 10
Danny Amendola has been criticized for his lack of offensive production this season, and rightfully so. However, while Amendola did not totally erase the ill will he had banked from Pats fans over the first six weeks, his 19-yard fourth-quarter touchdown was the game's most crucial play, highlighting how he still fulfills an important niche for the offense.
Amendola only had a single reception on the night, though, as most of the passing production ran through Brandon LaFell and Julian Edelman. LaFell was open on several deep dig routes in the first half and finished with four catches for 55 yards. Edelman became Brady's go-to second-half target, though he was uncharacteristically inefficient in catching just four of nine targets. No. 11 had two particularly costly back-to-back drops in the fourth quarter, one of which led to a punt.
After two weeks of heavy usage, the tight ends were minimized a bit by New England's spread-heavy approach. Rob Gronkowski did lead the team with 10 targets, but he caught just five passes for 68 yards. The Jets routinely double- and triple-teamed Gronk in the red zone, eliminating the Pats' top scoring threat at all costs. That did help open Vereen up for his second touchdown reception, though, illustrating Gronk's indirect effect, even when his stat line is unspectacular.
Tim Wright saw his snaps dip for a second consecutive week, as he was not targeted on the night. Wright's most notable contribution was a false start penalty that backed the Patriots up on a goal-to-go situation, leading to his benching for the rest of the night.
The Pats continue to get unheralded contributions from this unit. Amendola followed in the footsteps of Brian Tyms and Wright in producing timely scores despite receiving almost no attention. With a couple foundational pieces in Gronkowski and Edelman, the Pats are getting enough from the supporting cast to get by.
Grade: B+
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Offensive Line
4 of 10
Much like they did last week against the Denver Broncos, the Jets rarely blitzed, instead sending three and forcing the Patriots to find holes in their seven- and eight-man coverages. Consequently, Brady often enjoyed eons of time to throw, which played a part in his stellar performance.
Nonetheless, the ragged offensive line deserves credit for performing well against the Jets' best unit. The fivesome of Nate Solder, Jordan Devey, Ryan Wendell, Josh Kline and Sebastian Vollmer held down the fort, conceding just one sack the entire night.
This line is undersized yet agile, and the Pats took advantage of that by calling plenty of stretch and outside zone concepts. Wendell and Kline in particular provided steady blocking in the interior, while Solder fared better in one-on-one matchups than he has in past weeks.
The only stain for this unit was Marcus Cannon, who continues to struggle when rotated in at right tackle. Perhaps Vollmer is dealing with an undisclosed health issue, but Cannon consistently concedes more pressures than the veteran right tackle. When the likes of Dan Connolly, Bryan Stork and Cameron Fleming return to health, Cannon could find himself a game-day scratch based on his performance thus far.
Grade: A-
Defensive Line
5 of 10
New England's lack of depth along the line came back to haunt it, as the trio of Vince Wilfork, Chris Jones and Casey Walker once again played heavy snaps. Given that the Pats were facing two power-based offenses in four days, it seems rather predictable that this unit wore down by the end of the game.
The Jets consistently won in the trenches, as the defensive line was unable to generate consistent penetration. Consequently, Chris Ivory was able to build steam into the second level, delivering bruising shots that allowed him to fall forward and pick up further chunks of yardage.
However, the Patriots did receive some timely plays from their line to stifle the Jets' comeback attempts. Walker and Chandler Jones both delivered fourth-quarter sacks, with the latter instance ending a Jets drive.
Chris Jones earns the game ball for this positional group, however, based on his numerous big plays in critical situations. Jones delivered a pair of pressures, one of which caused Geno Smith to underthrow a potential touchdown to Jeremy Kerley, and another that temporarily knocked Smith out of the game. Jones also blocked the final field goal, redeeming himself for last season's gaffe on special teams against the Jets.
At some point, the Patriots will need to find more reliable depth to keep this unit healthy into the winter. Sealver Siliga will return from short-term injured reserve in another month, while Joe Vellano has experience and sits on the practice squad. Nonetheless, if teams continue running the ball on New England, attrition may eventually cause the defensive line to break.
Grade: C+
Linebacker
6 of 10
With Jerod Mayo out, the Patriots were almost entirely reliant on Dont'a Hightower and Jamie Collins to provide versatile three-down excellence. That could put a strain on their durability, and based on Thursday's performance, there is a drop-off in being stretched so thin.
Hightower took over the "green-dot" helmet in Mayo's stead, which signifies the player who receives the play calls and relays them to the defense. The third-year linebacker held that role last year when Mayo went down with a torn pectoral, and he continued to demonstrate his increasing awareness by ably handling the role. Hightower held less of an edge-rushing role than he did over the first month, but some well-timed A-gap blitzes provided nice pressure.
Collins was shakier, as he appeared tentative at times in run support. There were also multiple instances in which Collins had an opportunity to stop Geno Smith on a third-down scramble, only to stop the Jets quarterback a split-second too late to prevent the first down. It seems as though his lingering thigh injury may still be an issue, as Collins appeared slowed at certain points.
Deontae Skinner does not possess the agility or awareness to play on passing downs, but his third-quarter insertion helped stifle the Jets running game. New York was almost entirely reliant on Geno Smith's arm in the fourth quarter, a welcome shift from the ground game it had established. Skinner provides steady gap fits against the run, an important niche that should keep him active this season.
Grade: C
Secondary
7 of 10
To combat Mayo's loss, the Pats continued a pattern they began against Buffalo in playing lots of three-safety "big nickel" packages, even when the Jets ran out power personnel. Consequently, Patrick Chung became a three-down player, while Duron Harmon and Tavon Wilson both saw slight upticks in snaps. Considering New England's safety depth, especially once Nate Ebner returns from a finger injury, look for that personnel package to represent the Pats' most frequently used base defense.
In terms of performance, four holding penalties plagued the secondary, nullifying numerous excellent plays elsewhere. In his season debut, Brandon Browner committed two holding penalties while also being noticeably winded, as conditioning issues were evident. Browner rotated in with Alfonzo Dennard and Logan Ryan throughout the night.
Darrelle Revis' faceoff against his old team was much ballyhooed, but Revis did not necessarily fulfill whatever pregame hype had emerged. Revis largely shadowed Eric Decker, who finished with four catches for 65 yards on seven targets. That's hardly a flashy performance from Revis, but per usual, he did a professional job of limiting the opposition's top threat.
The secondary broke down a bit toward the end of the game, allowing the Jets to drive down the field for a touchdown and then to set up a potential game-winning field goal. Dennard and Chung in particular experienced some difficulties on crossing routes, as their lack of top-end speed was evident.
The degree of difficulty was not particularly high, so while the Jets averaged just 6.6 yards per attempt, New England's poor late-game form sinks the final grade a bit.
Grade: B-
Special Teams
8 of 10
Amendola made his greatest impact on this unit, providing an unexpected boost as a kick returner. On four attempts, No. 80 averaged 26.3 yards per return, demonstrating slippery agility and nice vision to pick up extra yards through small creases. Amendola also recovered the Jets' onside kick attempt, a particularly heads-up play after Brandon LaFell bobbled the initial recovery attempt.
The kick coverage team did experience a big breakdown, however, conceding a 62-yard return to Walter Powell. This typically solid unit has also conceded two returns of 30-plus yards to Brandon Tate and C.J. Spiller earlier this year, illustrating how this would represent a more pressing issue if not for Stephen Gostkowski's near-automatic touchback rate.
The kicking game was fine, as Gostkowski squeaked in his only field-goal attempt from 36 yards out. Ryan Allen had a couple shaky punts, and his final punt that set up the Jets' last drive was downed at the 12-yard line. Given how close New York came to scoring, even a few extra yards would have proven invaluable in that situation.
Grade: B
Coaching
9 of 10
After the Patriots succeeded with power Ace/12 and Tank/22 personnel the past two weeks, reverting to a shotgun spread-oriented offensive scheme may have seemed risky at first glance. However, with the receivers and tight ends having established a much better rapport with Brady since the first month, the decision proved prescient, as the Jets' sterling defensive line was neutralized for much of the night.
Defensively, Bill Belichick's best decision came in inserting Skinner to help stymie the Jets running game during crunch time. Part of that stemmed from the game situation, as the Jets needed to erase a late eight-point deficit, but forcing the ball into Geno Smith's hands was undeniably the correct adjustment.
If there's one major complaint, it is the weekly offensive pass interference that occurs on Brandon LaFell. The Patriots have always utilized pick and rub concepts to beat man coverage in tight areas, but a specific slant-flat combination with LaFell and Amendola has failed spectacularly all season. That play is now a recognizable and irritating negative, and it has become borderline infuriating that the Patriots insist on setting themselves back 10 yards.
Still, for the most part, it was hard to complain with any of Belichick's game management. Running down the clock on the final offensive drive forced the Jets to drive the ball the length of the field in just over 70 seconds.
Grade: B
Final Grades
10 of 10
| Position Unit | Final Grade |
| QB | B+ |
| RB | A- |
| WR/TE | B+ |
| OL | A- |
| DL | C+ |
| LB | C |
| DB | B- |
| ST | B |
| Coaching | B |
| Cumulative Grade | B |
This was far from the Patriots' best game, but on a short week with a depleted roster, their gritty effort deserves some commendation. The Jets are a desperate team intimately familiar with the Pats, making for a dangerous combination that was always going to make this game closer than the public may have expected.
The Patriots do still have problems, though the issues on run defense may be due in part to the short turnaround. Nonetheless, as impregnable as New England has seemed at times over the past two weeks, Thursday's victory illustrated that the Patriots are far from reaching their peak.
Given that it is only Week 7, that is not an untenable truth. The Patriots are stabilizing, and though there are units that need more depth—defensive line and linebacker in particular—Pats fans should be encouraged by this team's ability to execute consistently in high-stress situations and continue pulling out wins.
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