Jets Come Away with Odd Loss Despite Strong Performance on Stat Sheet

The New York Jets suffered an odd 27-25 loss at the hands of the New England Patriots on Thursday, becoming the first team since time of possession was first tracked in 1977 to lose a game while recording 40 or more minutes of possession, 200 or more rushing yards and no turnovers, per ESPN Stats & Info.

The Patriots, meanwhile, became just the fifth team in league history to win a game in which it was outrushed by 150 or more yards and did not produce a takeaway, according to ESPN Stats & Info.

As one might expect, the Jets had little trouble moving the ball Thursday night, but they struggled to keep things going once they approached the New England goal line.

The team managed touchdowns on both of its second-half scoring drives, but that was only after a first half that saw kicker Nick Folk boot four field goals.

Despite not punting in the half, the Jets entered the locker room facing a 17-12 deficit, with Folk having kicked field goals from 22, 47, 46 and 27 yards out.

Things were quite a bit different in the second half, as the Jets took a 19-17 lead with a touchdown on their first series but then punted on each of the next three possessions.

The team pulled within 27-25 by scoring a touchdown its penultimate drive, only to see quarterback Geno Smith overthrow tight end Jace Amaro on what could have been a game-tying two-point conversion.

Following an unsuccessful onside kick, the Jets got the ball back at their own 12-yard line with no timeouts and just 66 seconds remaining. Smith led the team to the edge of Folk's field-goal range, but the game-winning attempt from 58 yards was blocked by Patriots defensive tackle Chris Jones, whose penalty on a field-goal attempt in a Patriots-Jets game last season led to a Jets victory in overtime at the Meadowlands.

While Jones got his revenge, the Jets were left with a 1-6 record, despite playing arguably their finest game of the season.

The team piled up 205 passing yards and 218 rushing yards, outgaining New England 423 to 323 in a game that did not have any turnovers. The Jets also did well to convert nine of their 16 third-down attempts, and the penalty numbers were nearly identical for the two teams.

The Jets' struggles in New England territory only provide part of the explanation for the statistical oddity of the game, as the Patriots offense had a rather unusual night. Five of New England's 10 drives ended with a three-and-out, while the other five all led to points.