New England Patriots

Tom Brady, Sony Michel lead Patriots to 27-13 win over Jets

Follow along for the latest news from MetLife Stadium Sunday afternoon.

Patriots Jets Football
New England Patriots' Chris Hogan celebrates with teammate Rob Gronkowski after Gronkowski scored a touchdown during the first half. AP Photo/Seth Wenig

By Mark Dunphy and The Boston Globe

8 minutes to read

Maybe a bye week is just what the Patriots needed. New England’s offense got back into gear Sunday with a 27-13 win over the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium, two weeks removed from a 34-10 loss to the Tennessee Titans, the Patriots’ worst loss of the season.

Tom Brady threw for 283 yards and two touchdowns and running back Sony Michel rushed for a career high 133 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries to put the Patriots (8-3) at .500 on the road this season at 3-3.

The game was close for the majority of it, featuring three ties and one lead change in its first 41 minutes, a run that ended when Jets’ kicker Jason Myers made a 38-yard field goal with four minutes remaining in the third quarter to tie it 13-13.

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With 1:52 remaining in the third, Tom Brady connected with Julian Edelman on a 21-yard touchdown pass to cap a 75-yard drive and give the Patriots a 20-13 lead.

Michel put the Patriots up by two scores on a rush from the 1 that broke the plane by inches with 8:54 left in the fourth quarter.

Brady became the NFL’s all-time passing yards leader (regular season and postseason), surpassing Peyton Manning with a four-yard completion to Michel in the second quarter.

Fourth quarter

FINAL:

Patriots 27, Jets 13

Patriots 27, Jets 13 (1:52): The Patriots secondary stood tall in the red zone to keep the Jets out of the end zone. First, Stephon Gilmore broke up a Josh McCown pass intended for Robby Anderson on the goal line. Then Jason McCourty knocked away a floated ball towards the corner of the end zone on 4th and 2 from the New England 4-yard line. The Patriots took over on downs and ran out the clock.

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Patriots 27, Jets 13 (5:15): The Patriots matched their opponents with a three-and-out of their own. A 2-yard Sony Michel rush and two short Tom Brady completions weren’t enough to move the chains, so punter Josh Allen pushed the Jets beyond midfield.

Patriots 27, Jets 13 (7:44): The Jets went three-and-out on their next possession. Josh McCown threw two completions, for a 7-yard gain and 3-yard loss, before tossing a third down pass incomplete. Jets punter Lachlan Edwards sent the Patriots back to their own 41-yard line after a Julian Edelman return.

Patriots 27, Jets 13 (8:54): Sony Michel, on the field after an earlier injury, led the Patriots 80 yards downfield for a touchdown. On the first play of the drive, the rookie running back raced for 33 yards. Three plays later, Josh Gordon reeled in a Tom Brady pass on 3rd and 10 for a 17-yard gain to keep the drive alive. A Tom Brady to Julian Edelman connection, plus a roughing the passer penalty, brought the Patriots to the goal line.

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On 2nd and Goal, Michel dove for the end zone through a collection of Jets defenders. The play was initially ruled a touchdown, but Michel was ruled down short of the goal line after a replay review. Michel scraped in for a touchdown on the next play.

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Patriots 20, Jets 13 (13:23): Deatrich Wise sacked Josh McCown for a 7-yard loss on 3rd and 14 to stall the Jets drive. McCown had completed a pass to tight end Chris Herndon for 21 yards to reach New England territory, before an offensive holding penalty and the sack stopped New York short.

Third quarter

Patriots 20, Jets 13 (1:52):

Tom Brady and the Patriots offense needed just four plays to travel 75 yards for seven points. First, Brady connected with Chris Hogan for a 27-yard gain. Then James White raced for 27 yards on the ground, before Julian Edelman found a gap in the Jets secondary, caught a pass from Tom Brady, and burst into the end zone for a 21-yard touchdown.

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Patriots 13, Jets 13 (4:00): After a 12 play, 55-yard Jets drive, Jason Myers split the uprights on a 38-yard field goal. The highlight of the drive came on 3rd and 10 from the New England 34-yard line, when Josh McCown scrambled for 10 yards and a first down. Three plays later, McCown looked down the left sideline for Jermaine Kearse. His pass landed incomplete as the Patriots defense held New York to three points.

Patriots 13, Jets 10 (8:37): Stephen Gostkowski kicked a 32-yard field goal to cap a 14 play, 66-yard drive for the Patriots. On the first play of the drive, Sony Michel cut past a series of Jets defenders on the first play of the second half for 31 yards.

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Later in the drive, Michel was slow to get up after the Jets defense stuffed him at the line of scrimmage on third down. Cordarelle Patterson fought for a first down on 4th and 1 from the New York 11-yard line, before three straight Tom Brady incompletions stalled the drive.

Second quarter

The team were tied entering the break. A few stats:

Total yards: NE 246, NYJ 195

Plays: NE 33, NYJ 29

Yards per play: NE 7.5, NYJ 6.7

First downs: NE 11, NYJ 8

Third down: NE 2-6, NYJ 3-7

Penalties: NE 7-75, NYJ 4-25

Tom Brady: 11-17, 180 yards, 1 TD, 119.7 rating

Josh McCown: 15-22, 179 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, 89.0 rating

Patriots 10, Jets 10 (0:08): 

Jason Myers kicked a 55-yard field goal to draw the Jets level going into halftime. Jermaine Kearse set up the score, reeling in a Josh McCown pass and fighting for 16 yards to reach the New England 37-yard line.

Patriots 10, Jets 7 (0:51): The New England offense wasn’t able to capitalize on the turnover. Sony Michel ran for no gain, six yards, then two yards to bring out the punt unit. The Jets took over on their own 43-yard line after a 47-yard Josh Allen boot.

Patriots 10, Jets 7 (1:52): On the first play of the Jets drive, Josh McCown fired a deep ball to Quincy Enunwa for a 41-yard gain. The New York quarterback looked downfield on the next play, but his pass was intercepted at the New England 2-yard line by cornerback Stephon Gilmore.

Patriots 10, Jets 7 (2:30): Stephen Gostkowski split the uprights on a 34-yard field goal to cap an 11 play, 54-yard drive for the Patriots. Sony Michel marched New England into the red zone. On 2nd and 4 from the Jets 16-yard line, Brady looked for Rob Gronkowski in the end zone. The tight end was forced to swap roles with safety Jamal Adams and break up a potential interception. On the next play, an under pressure pass from Brady again intended for Gronkowski was off the mark.

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Patriots 7, Jets 7 (7:25): After two successive false start penalties on first down, the Jets went three-and-out. Josh McCown threw for gains of seven and eight yards but could not make up the 20-yard gap between the chains. Julian Edelman was tackled on the punt return at the New England 30-yard line.

Patriots 7, Jets 7 (8:57): The Patriots drive was marred by penalties and stalled in their own half. First, Sony Michel looked to have picked up 25 yards on a rush up the middle, but the play was negated by a holding penalty on offensive lineman Trent Brown. Six plays later, a James White first down was wiped out by a chop block penalty on David Andrews. Tom Brady threw an incompletion on the next play and Patriots punter Josh Allen was called into action.

Jets 7, Patriots 7 (14:10): The Jets picked up one first down, through a 17-yard Josh McCown to Quincy Enunwa connection, before an incompletion on 3rd and 3 from the New England 43-yard line forced them to punt. The Patriots took over at their own 10-yard line.

First quarter

Jets 7, Patriots 7 (1:11): 

Before Tom Brady absorbed a big hit on 3rd and 12 from the Jets 34-yard line, he lofted a pass over the New York secondary to tight end Rob Gronkowski for a touchdown. The score capped a five play, 75 yard drive for the Patriots that included a 23-yard completion to Josh Gordon and a 20-yard gain by Chris Hogan.

Jets 7, Patriots 0 (4:02): Jermaine Kearse hauled in a Josh McCown pass over the middle and stretched for a 16-yard touchdown. The Jets drive — highlighted by two 19-yard completions by McCown — began on the New York 20-yard line and ended nine plays and 80 yards later in the end zone.

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Patriots 0, Jets 0 (8:14): After a quick first down on the Patriots first drive, Tom Brady found wide receiver Julian Edelman on a crossing route downfield. Edelman picked up 36 yards before Jets cornerback Darryl Roberts flipped him to the turf in New York territory. Sony Michel ran for no gain on the next play, Brady threw an incompletion, then safety Jamal Adams broke up a pass intended for Rob Gronkowski on 3rd and 10 and the Patriots were forced to punt.

Patriots 0, Jets 0 (11:28): On the opening drive of the game, Jets quarterback Josh McCown found wide receiver Jermaine Kearse for a 17-yard gain and a first down. That was the only time New York moved the chains on the possession. An offensive holding penalty set the Jets back 10 yards before an overthrown McCown deep ball fell incomplete on third down. Lachlan Edwards punted to the New England 13-yard line.

Coin toss: Patriots captain Matthew Slater won the toss and elected to defer. Josh McCown and the New York Jets will get the ball first.

Pregame scenes

Tom Brady

Tom Brady warms up prior to the game against the New York Jets.

Patriots Jets Football

Patriots cornerback Stephon Gilmore signs autographs before a game against the New York Jets.

Patriots Jets Football

New York Jets quarterback Josh McCown warms up before a game against the New England Patriots.

Inactives

Patriots

Keionta Davis, DL; Matt Tobin, OL; Duke Dawson, DB; Derek Rivers, DE; Dwayne Allen, TE; Nate Ebner, S; James Ferentz, OL

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Jets

Sam Darnold, QB; Deontay Burnett, WR; Marcus Maye, S; Derrick Jones, CB; Jeremiah Attaochu, OLB; James Carpenter, LG; Rishard Matthews, WR

Keys to victory

Jets

1. Quarterback Josh McCown has to be given the time to find some receivers. If he can’t avoid turbulence — namely Trey Flowers and Kyle Van Noy — this will be a long flight.

2. Isaiah Crowell has been New York’s most consistent offensive threat. Punch his ticket plenty to move the chains and keep that clock ticking.

3. Woolly mammoth Leonard Williams has to wreak havoc in the front seven. He must cause enough pressure to delay the departure of Tom Brady’s connections with his receivers.

Patriots

1. New England’s struggles on the road this season have one common theme: slow starts. Get out of the gates early to ensure a smooth and successful business trip.

2. Let Sony Michel handle some of the heavy work. The rookie running back is just about a month removed from his injury scare and appears poised to get back on track.

3. The coverage units have struggled this season. It’s time to button up those units and prevent electric return man Andre Roberts from flipping the field.

– Jim McBride

Pregame reading

■ Chad Finn’s Unconventional Preview: The Patriots don’t need a blowout vs. the Jets — they just need to win (Read more)

■ Tara Sullivan: How will the Patriots respond to the NFL’s offensive explosion? (Read more)

■ If the Patriots don’t play well on the road, they may not have a first-round bye (Read more)

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■ Jets’ Josh McCown to face Tom Brady in battle of veteran quarterbacks (Read more)

■ After nearly a month, Rob Gronkowski should be ready to go (Read more)