The battle of the rookie quarterbacks in Foxborough was a runaway winner for the Patriots from the start, and it got especially ugly for the Jets.
The Patriots rolled up seven touchdowns on eleven possessions in a 54-13 win. That's twelve in a row over their AFC East rivals.
Worse for New York, promising QB Zach Wilson suffered a knee injury on a second quarter hit by the Patriots' Matthew Judon. Wilson was later declared out for the rest of the afternoon. The extent of the injury is unknown.
New England's rookie QB, Mac Jones, was his typical consistent self in his first NFL game of 300 yards passing or more (24-36, 307 yds., 2 td, 0 int) as the Patriots led, and mostly led big, since the opening minutes. Rugged RB Damien Harris ran for 106 yds. on just 14 carries in his first two-touchdown game as a pro.
The Patriots put their usual pounding on the Jets early, dominating the first quarter. Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels scripted a few unusual plays for the Pats’ opening drive. A tight end screen to Jonnu Smith gained 28 yards. Then, the Jets were badly fooled by a Mac Jones lateral pass to WR Kendrick Bourne, who found a wide open Nelson Agholor for a 25 yard touchdown throw.
Jones knows there's no rule requiring the QB to be the guy throwing the ball (another WR, Jakobi Meyers, has completed both of his pass attempts this year). He enjoyed Bourne's scoring pass, right through the post-touchdown dance.
"I think it just adds another variable to our offense," says Jones. "KB has a good throw there, and a good celebration."
The Patriots put the heat on Wilson right away. A corner blitz by Myles Bryant resulted in a sack that quickly ended the Jets' first drive.
Then, the Patriots reverted to a more standard offense against a Jets "D" that was missing top LB C.J. Mosley (hamstring). They scored again, on a 7-play, 53 yard drive. Harris ripped off a 32 yard run, then made it into the end zone from 1 yd. out.
The Patriots outgained New York 155-41 in the first quarter and led 14-0.
After Nick Folk put the Patriots up 17-0 with a 39 yd. field goal, the Jets got the news that made their lousy afternoon an extra-lousy, it-still-ain't-easy-being-green J-E-T-S groaner.
Judon smacked Wilson as he threw, taking the quarterback to the turf. After remaining down on the field for a few minutes while doctors checked him out, Wilson was helped off the field and didn't return.
Jets rookie QB Zach Wilson (#2) faced pressure (this time from Davon Godchaux, #90) before leaving the game later with a knee injury, 10/24/21Dave Mager/WTIC News
Wilson’s deep pass on that play resulted in a pass interference call against the Patriots S Kyle Dugger, setting up the Jets near the goal line. In his first NFL regular season action, QB Mike White, in his third year out of Western Kentucky, threw a 3 yd. TD pass to WR Corey Davis.
That got the Jets on the scoreboard, but the Patriots would dominate again from that point. A 13 yd. Mac Jones scramble on 3rd down kept the next drive alive. He then hit Brandon Bolden for a 15 yd. catch-and-run TD. Later, Hunter Henry caught a 1 yd. TD pass from Jones.
Halftime: Patriots 31, Jets 7.
In the third quarter, Jets rookie WR Elijah Moore scored his first NFL touchdown, a 19 yard run. But young QB White started to struggle, airmailing a pass over the head of TE Ryan Griffin. Dugger made the diving interception. On the next Jets drive, White was intercepted again, this time by J.C. Jackson.
The Patriots would dominate the rest of the game, with Harris and Jones rolling up more yards. In the fourth quarter, Harris plowed into the end zone again from three yards out. Second year RB J.J. Taylor then scored his first two NFL touchdowns, both one-yarders.
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Last week, thousands of Dallas Cowboys fans descended on Foxborough, and gregarious team owner Jerry Jones greeted some of them before the game. This week, Jets owner Woody Johnson could have greeted every Jets fan in the building if he wanted. Easily identified by their standout kelly green gear, there were only a few hundred in the building, some having made the 3 1/2 to 4 hour trek from the New York Metro area.
--While the Patriots were having a relatively un-Belichickian moment, coming in with a 2-4 record, the Jets will test any fan’s loyalty. New York has now lost 11 straight games in Foxboro, as the Patriots have won 12 meetings in a row and 20 of the last 22 overall.
--The win was the Patriots' first in five tries at home this season. 4 home losses are their most for any single year at Gillette Stadium, and their most in Foxborough since 2000 (5).
