by Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo caused a stir when he called his team soft after last Sunday’s loss to the Jaguars, but he likely won’t offer the same characterization this week.
Running back Rhamondre Stevenson scored a 1-yard touchdown run to cap a 12-play, 70-yard drive with 22 seconds left and the Patriots beat the Jets 25-22 at Gillette Stadium. Quarterback Jacoby Brissett, who was present because Drake Maye suffered a head injury, completed passes to convert on two long third downs, including a 34-yard strike to Kayshon Boutte that made up for the drops previous offshore.
The Jets got the ball back and Aaron Rodgers appeared to complete a 21-yard pass to Garrett Wilson on first down, but officials ruled it incomplete and did not review the play. They completed a pass to Davante Adams on of the next snap, but time ran out before they could attempt another play.
The Jets took a 22-17 lead on a Braelon Allen touchdown run before the two-minute warning, but their defense was not up to the task of stopping a Patriots offense that struggled all season. the season.
Their bid to win for the first time since Week 3 was also hampered by two missed shots from Greg Zuerlein, who has now missed seven shots this season. That meant any glimmer of production from Wilson, running back Breece Hall and tight end Tyler Conklin was for naught.
That’s now five straight losses for a 2-6 Jets team that seems more likely to be eliminated from the playoffs in December than to put up the kind of consistent play that would put them in the postseason. They’ll host the Texans on Halloween and it’ll be a scary crowd waiting for them after Sunday’s collapse.
The Patriots will be at Tennessee and this is another winnable game for them, whether Maye is cleared to return to action or not.
