Patriots vs. Jets: Who Should Take the Blame for New England's Epic Choke Job?

The New England Patriots, a huge favorite going into Sunday's game versus the New York Jets, played about as poorly as they have the entire season and now get to watch the rest of the playoffs from home.

While it seems borderline heresy to go after head coach Bill Belichick for this loss, there's no reason he should escape any blame for the Patriots' lack of effort on Sunday. The Patriots were out-played and out-coached in their own stadium after finishing the regular season 14-2.

Where did the Patriots go wrong? Was it the attempt to surprise the Jets with an onside kick? Was it the fake punt?

How did the Patriots allow Braylon Edwards, a receiver known for dropping passes when it matters the most, to make some of the biggest catches of his career?

Why was Wes Welker punished for veiled comments alluding to the Rex Ryan foot fetish story in a playoff game? While Belichick can claim the moral victory on that one, he'll be doing it from his living room while the Jets travel to Pittsburgh to take on the Steelers.

Welker is a key component of this offense, and the punishment didn't seem to fit the crime. Belichick picked the worst time imaginable to decide to take a moral stand. This is coming from the coach who was proven to have cheated, but only claimed to have "misinterpreted the rules."

Tom Brady, the quarterback that has won three Super Bowls, looked frustrated on the field and didn't seem to have any answers for the Jets pass rush. Brady was sacked five times while only completing 29-of-45 passes. To say the offensive line will get a long look in the offseason probably is an understatement.

Most egregious, Brady threw an interception in his first series, his first pick in 340 pass attempts, and that seemed to immediately throw the entire Patriots offense out of rhythm. As good as the offense looked in the opening series, it never looked that smooth again until the game really no longer was in doubt.

Brady spent the rest of the game on the run, missing his receivers and generally not looking like "Tom Brady."

Mark Sanchez was the better quarterback on the field this day, going 16-of-25 for 194 yards and three touchdowns. He finished with a 127.3 QB rating, much higher than Brady's 89.

What really is puzzling was Belichick's lack of adjustment, especially after halftime. While Belichick can be forgiven for getting behind in the first half, especially with Brady's pick, the team didn't look any better after halftime, and looked just as tight and out of sync as they had in the first half.

While this isn't the team that won three Super Bowls, a 14-2 record would suggest a much better performance in the playoffs than what was shown on Sunday.

Where was the Patriots running game? Combined, Benjarvus Green-Ellis and Danny Woodhead didn't have 90 yards on the ground.

Where was the defense? While none of the Jets wide receivers would blow anyone away with overwhelming numbers, Jericho Cotchery had 92 yards while Edwards had two big catches for 52 yards plus the touchdown.

Santonio Holmes had his moment in the sun with his touchdown in the second half, and despite the Patriots' ability to shut down passing games for much of the second half of the season, all the cracks in their armor were blown wide open on Sunday.

After the game, Bart Scott said the Jets defense had been disrespected and that the Patriots defense "couldn't stop a nosebleed." It's hard to argue with that statement at this point in time.

The Patriots laid an egg on Sunday, and no one should escape blame for that, but past victories should not give Belichick or Brady a free pass for poor play and poor coaching. They should be treated no different than any other coach and quarterback who let their team down.