The Patriots clinch at least the No. 2 seed and a first-round bye with a 38-3 win over the Jets
Follow along for the latest news from Gillette Stadium Sunday afternoon.
The Patriots clinched the No. 2 seed in the AFC with a 38-3 win over the Jets Sunday at Gillette Stadium in the regular-season finale.
New England has clinched its ninth straight first-round bye and 13th since 2001. Tom Brady was 24 of 33 with 250 yards passing and four touchdown passes. Julian Edelman caught five passes for 69 yards and a touchdown, and Chris Hogan had six catches for 64 yards.
New England can get the No. 1 seed if the Chiefs and Chargers both lose. The Chiefs host the Raiders and the Chargers are on the road against the Broncos. Both teams kick off at 4:25. The Patriots (11-5) defeated the Chiefs this season. The Chiefs (11-4) can clinch the AFC West with a win or a tie plus a Chargers loss or tie. The Chargers (11-4) can clinch the AFC West with a win plus a Chiefs loss or a tie, or a tie plus a Chiefs loss.
New England will play at Gillette in the AFC Divisional Round either Jan. 12 or Jan. 13.
“Essentially, we won next week because we won today,” Patriots coach Bill Belichick said. “We’ll see who the next team is. We know they’ll be good or they wouldn’t be playing this time of year. We’re going to need to play our best game.”
The Jets (4-12) never led Sunday. The Patriots scored the first touchdown of the game when Brady threw a 17-yard touchdown pass to James White with 5:16 left in the first quarter. After a 40-yard field goal from Jets kicker Jason Myers, the Patriots rattled off 31 straight points.
Devin McCourty left the game in the third quarter with a head injury and did not return.
Below are drive-by-drive updates from the game as it unfolded.
Fourth quarter
FINAL — Patriots 38, Jets 3Patriots 38, Jets 3 (0:00):
Backup quarterback Brian Hoyer handed off to Sony Michel, then knelt twice before Ryan Allen punted.
On the next play, the final offensive snap of the Jets season, wide receiver J.J. Jones fumbled and Patriots linebacker Albert McClellan recovered the football.
The Patriots ran out the clock to clinch at least the No. 2 seed in the AFC and a first-round bye.
Patriots 38, Jets 3. Patriots end the regular season 11-5. They are guaranteed a first-round bye in the playoffs and will likely be the AFC’s No. 2 seed. They still have a shot at the No. 1 seed but would need both KC and LAC to lose tonight.
— Nora Princiotti (@NoraPrinciotti) December 30, 2018
Patriots 38, Jets 3 (2:15): Lachlan Edwards’s fifth punt of the afternoon forced a fair catch at the New England 10-yard line.
Sam Darnold connected with Robby Anderson for 13 yards and a first down on the first play of the drive, before a 2-yard completion, an incompletion, and a 3-yard completion on 3rd and 8 brought the Jets to a halt.
Patriots 38, Jets 3 (3:26): After a 10 play, 64-yard drive, Tom Brady found Julian Edelman wide-open in the end zone for a 5-yard touchdown.
https://twitter.com/Patriots/status/1079479714534674432
The drive started with an 11-yard Sony Michel rush and included a 18-yard completion to Edelman and 12-yard gain for James White. This is the first four touchdown game of the season for Brady.
Patriots 31, Jets 3 (8:32): Sam Darnold couldn’t connect with tight end Jordan Leggett on 3rd and 10 as the three-play Jets drive stalled at the New York 27-yard line.
Julian Edelman returned Lachlan Edwards’s punt to the New England 36-yard line.
#Patriots injury update: Devin McCourty (head) has been downgraded to out.#NYJvsNE
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) December 30, 2018
Patriots 31, Jets 3 (9:40): Stephen Gostkowski extended the Patriots’ lead with a 38-yard field goal.
Tom Brady connected with Chris Hogan on back-to-back throws to start the drive, for gains of 17 and 20 yards respectively. Brady was sacked two plays later on second down, and his completion to James White for 9 yards on 3rd and 11 did not keep the offense on the field.
Tom Brady now has 6,001 completions, fourth most all time. #Patriots
— Jim McBride (@globejimmcbride) December 30, 2018
Patriots 28, Jets 3 (12:33): Two plays after Patriots defensive end Lawrence Guy sacked Sam Darnold for a 9-yard loss on first down, punter Lachlan Edwards gave the ball back to New England.
https://twitter.com/Patriots/status/1079473003015024640
Darnold had found wide receiver Deontay Burnett with a deep ball for 25 yards on the play before Guy’s first sack of the season.
Third quarter
Patriots 28, Jets 3 (1:14):
Sony Michel failed to reach the first down marker on 3rd and 1 and the Patriots drive stalled at the New England 43-yard line.
The Patriots’ short-yardage run game remains …. a work in progress. Sony Michel is just not getting it done this year
— Ben Volin (@BenVolin) December 30, 2018
The running back had ripped off a 14-yard rush early in the drive, but after he was stopped short punter Ryan Allen pinned the Kets on their own 13-yard line.
Patriots 28, Jets 3 (5:05): The New England defensive front stuffed Jets running back Elijah McGuire for no gain on 4th and 1 at the New England 9-yard line.
Malcom Brown and Elandon Roberts were credited with the stop, which ended a 10 play, 59-yard drive highlighted by a 15-yard completion from Sam Darnold to Andre Roberts.
Patriots 28, Jets 3 (10:48): After Patriots defensive tackle Adam Butler knocked the football out of Sam Darnold’s hand, linebacker Kyle Van Noy scooped it up and raced 46 yards for a touchdown.
https://twitter.com/Patriots/status/1079466722518720512
On the first play of the drive, Dont’a Hightower and Devin McCourty were both slow to leave the field with injuries.
Patriots say it’s a head injury for McCourty, which often is code for a concussion https://t.co/xNtODVjY0y
— Ben Volin (@BenVolin) December 30, 2018
Patriots 21, Jets 3 (12:22): The Patriots matched the Jets with a three-and-out of their own.
On 3rd and 20 from the New England 18-yard line, Tom Brady fired a deep ball to Chris Hogan, who couldn’t hang on to keep the drive alive. Brady had found Rob Gronkowski on first down, but the tight end’s 30-yard rumble was negated by an offensive pass interference penalty on Dwayne Allen. Three incompletions later, Ryan Allen punted to the New York 39-yard line.
That was a ticky-tack penalty on Allen. Maybe swallow the whistle on that one
— Ben Volin (@BenVolin) December 30, 2018
Patriots 21, Jets 3 (13:11): The Jets went three-and-out on the opening drive of the second half.
Sam Darnold handed off to Elijah McGuire for four yards, threw to Robby Anderson for four more, then lost eight yards as Patriots defensive end Trey Flowers set a career-high mark with 7.5 sacks on the season.
Second quarter
The Patriots led 21-3 entering the break. A few stats:
Total yards: NE 232, NYJ 108
Plays: NE 36, NYJ 24
Yards per play: NE 6.4, NYJ 4.5
First downs: NE 15, NYJ 6
Third down: NE 4-6, NYJ 2-5
Penalties: NE 2-15, NYJ 2-14
Tom Brady: 16-22, 165 yards, 3 TDs, 133.5 rating
Sam Darnold: 7-13, 81 yards, 72.9 rating
Patriots 21, Jets 3 (0:00):
Patriots defensive end Derek Rivers sacked Sam Darnold for a 10-yard loss on the first play of the Jets drive to end the half.
https://twitter.com/Patriots/status/1079458402168758272
Patriots 21, Jets 3 (0:25): James White was stuffed for no gain on 4th and 1 as the Patriots turned the ball over on downs at the Jets 36-yard line.
Patriots get stuffed on third-and fourth-and-short. Woof
— Ben Volin (@BenVolin) December 30, 2018
The unsuccessful fourth down attempt stalled a drive that went 59 yards in eight plays, highlighted by a 17-yard Tom Brady to Julian Edelman connection over the middle.
Patriots 21, Jets 3 (4:28): After Jets head coach Todd Bowles decided to go for it on 4th and 3 from the New England 5-yard line, Sam Darnold failed to connect with wide receiver Robby Anderson in the back of the end zone.
The rookie quarterback led New York 61 yards in 10 plays. The drive was highlighted by Darnold’s fine pass down the right sideline to former USC teammate Deontay Burnett, who tapped his toes for a 22-yard gain.
The Patriots took over on downs on their own 5-yard line.
Pretty toss, pretty catch. #NYJvsNE pic.twitter.com/91spb2g2Bs
— New York Jets (@nyjets) December 30, 2018
Patriots 21, Jets 3 (11:03): New England capitalized on the short field position as Phillip Dorsett held on to a 9-yard touchdown pass in the back of the end zone.
https://twitter.com/Patriots/status/1079452137812193280
The Patriots needed some help from the officials after a holding penalty on left tackle Trent Brown pushed them back 10 yards. Tom Brady threw an incomplete pass on 3rd and Goal from the 18-yard line, but Jets defensive end Henry Anderson was penalized for roughing the passer and the quarterback had a new set of downs to work with. He handed off to Sony Michel for no gain and threw an incompletion before finding Dorsett on third down.
Brady keeps the play alive, throws on the run, finds Phillip Dorsett in the corner of the end zone for a 9 yard TD. That’s the old Brady we’re used to seeing
— Ben Volin (@BenVolin) December 30, 2018
Patriots 14, Jets 3 (12:43): Patriots defensive end Trey Flowers forced Jets running back Elijah McGuire to fumble on the first play of the New York drive. Devin McCourty recovered the loose ball, ran for 14 yards, and the Patriots took over on the Jets 8-yard line.
https://twitter.com/Patriots/status/1079450893634793474
Patriots 14, Jets 3 (12:53): Tom Brady threw a gorgeous floater over the Jets secondary into Rex Burkhead’s hands for an 18-yard touchdown.
https://twitter.com/Patriots/status/1079449112771145728
Early in the seven play, 75-yard drive, Julian Edelman reeled in two passes, both for 18-yard gains. Then, after Edelman was whistled for a False Start penalty, James White sprinted for 21 yards up the sideline to set up Burkhead’s first touchdown of the season.
First quarter
Patriots 7, Jets 3 (0:54):
Jason Myers kicked a 40-yard field goal to put the Jets on the board.
Sam Darnold led New York on a 10 play, 56-yard drive, highlighted by his 28-yard scamper through the heart of the Patriots defense. The drive stalled at the New England 28-yard line when cornerback Stephon Gilmore broke up a 3rd and 9 pass intended for Robby Anderson.
Watching Stephon Gilmore play cornerback is very fun.
— Nora Princiotti (@NoraPrinciotti) December 30, 2018
Patriots 7, Jets 0 (5:16): New England running back James White capped a 9 play, 59-yard drive with a 17-yard touchdown reception.
https://twitter.com/Patriots/status/1079443109031759873
Tom Brady kept the chains moving as the Patriots advanced downfield, finding Phillip Dorsett for a first down on 3rd and 3, then firing a screen pass to Chris Hogan. Hogan left a would-be tackler grasping at thin air with a shimmy, then powered for a 9-yard gain and watched Rex Burkhead pick up the first down on the ground.
It’s an all Hogan-Dorsett offense now. Quick, everyone delete your old takes.
— Nora Princiotti (@NoraPrinciotti) December 30, 2018
After Rob Gronkowski scooped an off-target pass from near his heel to reach the red zone, Brady connected with White across the middle for the first score of the afternoon.
Patriots 0, Jets 0 (10:30): Rookie quarterback Sam Darnold and the New York offense went three-and-out on their first possession.
After Darnold threw an incompletion on first down, Patriots linebacker Dont’a Hightower stuffed Jets running back Elijah McGuire for a 1-yard loss on second down. Darnold’s third down pass sailed past wide receiver Robby Anderson down the left sideline and punter Lachlan Edwards sent the Patriots back to their 41-yard line.
Patriots 0, Jets 0 (11:26): The Patriots’ first drive of the game stalled at the 50-yard line.
Tom Brady handed off to Sony Michel on three straight snaps to open the drive, and the rookie running back picked up a first down on 3rd and 1. Then Brady connected with Julian Edelman for 11 yards and another first down, before a pass to James White on 3rd and 7 slipped through the running back’s hands for an incompletion.
Per CBS, this is the 23rd straight game that the Jets don’t score on their opening possession. The next-longest streak in the NFL is 9 games
— Ben Volin (@BenVolin) December 30, 2018
Punter Ryan Allen pinned the Jets at their own 19-yard line.
Coin toss: The Jets won the toss and elected to defer. Tom Brady and the Patriots offense will start with the ball.
Jets win the toss and defer. Patriots went 6-10 on coin tosses this year
— Ben Volin (@BenVolin) December 30, 2018
Pregame notes
■If the Patriots win, it will mark the franchise’s 500th regular season win since it began playing in 1960.
■ With a win, New England will secure a first-round bye for the 13th time since 2001, more than twice as may as any team in the last 18 years. A first-round bye would be the club’s ninth consecutive, extending an NFL record.
■A win would tie the Patriots’ own record for wins (regular and postseason) in a decade (126). The 2000-09 Patriots also won 126 games.
■ A win would mean an undefeated season at home for the seventh time since 2002, and the club’s 13th straight win at home.
Pregame scenes
Tom Brady of the New England Patriots runs out of the tunnel.
Brady just had a brief chat with Walt Coleman, today’s referee. I imagine it went something like, “Hey, remember the Tuck Rule?”
— Ben Volin (@BenVolin) December 30, 2018
New York Jets quarterback Sam Darnold warms up.
Jets are in their white uniforms and green pants today pic.twitter.com/713Itoupno
— Ben Volin (@BenVolin) December 30, 2018
Siblings Richard Lisavich, left, of Chelmsford, Mass., and Irene Lisavich, of Windham, N.H., play backgammon while tailgating in the parking lot of Gillette Stadium.
Inactives
Patriots: James Ferentz, OL. Adrian Clayborn, DE. Jacob Hollister, TE. Duke Dawson, DB. Obi Melifonwu, S. Keionta Davis, DL. Cordarrelle Patterson, WR.
Brady’s weapons today vs. Jets. A little bit less than a full deck:
RB: Michel, White, Burkhead
WR: Edelman, Hogan, Dorsett
TE: Gronk, Allen
FB: Develin
— Ben Volin (@BenVolin) December 30, 2018
This is the first NFL game Cordarrelle Patterson has ever missed. He’s been in the league for six years.
— Nora Princiotti (@NoraPrinciotti) December 30, 2018
Jets: Davis Webb, QB. Jermaine Kearse, WR. Trumaine Johnson, CB. Brandon Bryant, DB. Eric Smith, OT. Destiny Vaeao, DL. Folorunso Fatukasi, DL.
Keys to victory
Jets
1. Sam Darnold must command a steady ship. There’s no such thing as a rookie in Week 17, so Darnold has to block out the noise, avoid the turbulence, and make smart decisions.
2. Inside linebackers Avery Williamson and Neville Hewitt have to shed blocks (look out for Shaq Mason!) and plug the gaps to put the brakes on Sony Michel.
3. Andre Roberts is an exquisite return man. He needs to make some plays on special teams in order to shorten the field for a shorthanded offense.
Patriots
1. Tom Brady needs to start fast and get all his passengers on board early. When Brady starts handing out snacks to everyone, there’s few defenses that have an escape plan.
2. Put on an extra lifejacket and keep Leonard Williams out of the backfield. This jumbo jet of a defensive end can ragdoll and bullrush as he crashes pocket.
3. Elijah McGuire has been pretty productive runner/receiver since having his role increased lately. Better spy the diminutive back and prevent him from hijacking this one.
– Jim McBride
Pregame reading
Chad Finn’s Unconventional Preview: Struggles on road illustrate need for Patriots to clinch bye Sunday (Read more)
What experts are predicting for Sunday’s Patriots-Jets game (Read more)
Tara Sullivan: Here’s why this Patriots’ AFC East crown is the best one ever for Devin McCourty (Read more)
NFL playoffs guide: Schedules and scenarios for Week 17 (Read more)
Patriots’ Dont’a Hightower has enjoyed a healthy season (Read more)
