New England Patriots: Winners and Losers from Sunday's Win Against New York Jets

Going into Sunday, the New England Patriots had posted an impressive 30-5 record in October, going back to the 2003 season.  

The coaches, players, and fans of would expect nothing less than a victory against hated division rivals the New York Jets, and so the team went out and simply took care of business, as has so often been the case during the Bill Belicheck era.

Both teams played hard and in the end, the victory went to the host Patriots. The three-time Super Bowl champion of the new millennium pushed the Jets to one game below .500 (2-3) after their 30-21 win at Gillette Stadium. The Pats push forward to 4-1 overall and continue their undefeated home winning streak in the 2011 season.

Overall, both teams played well and it made for an intense game for everyone watching. Here are some of the winner's and losers from the Patriots and Jets match up.  

Winners: Benjarvus Green-Ellis

New England running back Benjarvus Green-Ellis seized the opportunity of running against the Jets' inconsistent run defense, posting a career high 136 yards and two rushing touchdowns.

It was evident throughout the game that the New England offensive line was sharp in giving Tom Brady enough time to throw as well as opening up ample running lanes for the backs.  

Aside from being quick, Green-Ellis's strongest attribute appears to be his hard-headed running style. Multiple times throughout the game, he lowered his head and tried to run through defenders for those extra yards.  

One of the most remarkable stats that follows him is that he has never lost a fumble in his NFL career. Playing under a coach who prides himself on the smaller details makes him a perfect fit for this New England offensive structure.   

Losers: New York Jets Offense

Although scoring 21 points is in no way a dismal performance, the Jets offense simply looked stagnant at times.  

One of the biggest disparities between the two teams could be found in the third down efficiency numbers. 

The New England Patriots were 7 for 14 on third down conversions, while the Jets lumbered to 3 for 11 on the day.  

Not being able to keep a drive going disrupted the flow of the Mark Sanchez-led offense for most of the game.

The Jets also managed only 255 total yards while the Pats flew to a total of 446, out-throwing the Jets 294-158 and outrunning them 152-97.  

Sanchez had a decent game, going 16 for 26 with 166 yards and two touchdown passes. He did not have any interceptions which, considering prior weekends, helped the team immensely.

However, some people may ask if now Sanchez needs to do more to see this team succeed.  

Winners: Bill Belichick

Congratulations to coach Bill Belichick on his impressive win against the New York Jets.

Aside from keeping an extremely balanced offensive attack throughout the night, he won two crucial challenges during the game.  

The first came at the start of the third quarter when Patriots wide receiver Deion Branch was called for a fumble after the catch.

Coach Belichick decided to challenge the ruling on the field and in the end, the call was reversed after officials determined that Branch had been down by contact before the ball had popped loose.  

Later in that quarter on a third and 10 attempt, Jets receiver Plaxico Burress caught a sideline pass that was ruled in bounds.

However, after Belichick challenged the play, it was soon reversed and the Jets were forced to punt away on fourth down.  

Both plays may seem fairly insignificant in the grand scheme, but they helped shut down the momentum of New York's offense and defense—not easily achieved.

Losers: Darrelle Revis

At the end of the second quarter, the momentum had swayed definitively to the Jets' sideline after an interception in the redzone by Jets cornerback Antonio Cromartie.  

New York found themselves down only a field goal going into halftime, and with the Jets defense looking very strong, it didn't seem too far out of the picture to expect a second-half feat at Foxboro.

But then came a critical play resulting from miscommunication between Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis and safety Eric Smith.

It was Patriots ball to start the third quarter. Tom Brady ended up finding Wes Welker on a 73-yard catch, which drastically shifted the momentum toward the home team.  

That play eventually led to a two-yard touchdown pass from Brady to Branch. New England never looked back.

The Jets had to keep those big plays to a minimum due to the offense struggling to put up any significant numbers. Allowing a 70-yard play is the last thing Jets head coach Rex Ryan wants, what with the Pats able to put up 40 points on any given night.

Winners: New England Patriots Offense

If we can expect anything from the New England Patriots, its that they can and will put up prodigious offensive numbers.  

Even against a tough New York Jets defense, they scored 30 points and had over 400 yards of total offense. It was the 13th consecutive time New England has hit the 30-point mark in a regular season game—the second longest streak in the NFL behind the 1999-00 St. Louis Rams.

Benjarvus Green-Ellis had a career game, Wes Welker earned another 100-plus yards receiving, and Tom Brady threw for over 300 yards and a touchdown.  

This offense at times looks unstoppable, with a back who can run for over 100 yards and multiple scores, tight ends and receivers who catch well and run well, and a quarterback who is on pace for another MVP caliber season.  

The Jets, who had so impressively shut down the vaunted Pats offense in the 2011 playoffs, were unable to repeat that considerable achievement.

Look out for the New England Patriots and their overly efficient offensive squad to come in and make a serious run toward the Lombardi trophy. New season, same old tune coming out of New England.