PATRIOTS REPORT CARD VS. JETS
PASSING OFFENSE: A-minus -- Tom Brady bounced back nicely from an uncharacteristically poor performance
against the Giants. Although the Jets dropped three sure interceptions,
Brady completed 26 of 39 passes for 329 yards and three touchdowns
against one of the top secondaries in the NFL. TE Rob Gronkowski
continued his stellar season with two more touchdown catches in the red
zone.
RUSHING OFFENSE: B -- The
Patriots didn't run much, but they spread the wealth in the backfield
with five different players, including Brady, getting carries. Danny Woodhead was the most effective of them all, carrying seven times for
38 yards. He did his best work in the second half while the Patriots
were distancing themselves from the Jets on the scoreboard.
PASS DEFENSE: A -- You would
have never guessed this would be possible without Devin McCourty and
Patrick Chung, but the Patriots held the Jets' passing game in check
despite a makeshift secondary. New England got an outstanding effort
from the pass rush, particularly Andre Carter, who set a franchise
record with 4.5 sacks. The whole front seven played well, pressuring
Mark Sanchez throughout the game.
RUSH DEFENSE: B -- Not bad, but
not great either. Shonn Green was effective at times, rushing for 61
yards on 13 carries, but the Jets never really established enough of a
presence in the running game to dissuade the Patriots from blitzing
Sanchez heavily. Numbers aside, the Patriots did the job, even with
Sanchez rushing for a touchdown.
SPECIAL TEAMS: A -- Credit the
coverage unit for never quitting when the Jets' Joe McKnight muffed a
punt in the third quarter, ultimately recovering the ball in New York
territory. Aside from that one play, not much else stood out. Stephen
Gostkowski's 50-yarder -- one of two field goals for him -- was the
only other major highlight. Solid effort all around.
COACHING: A -- This was the
kind of aggressive game plan fans have been calling for. Rather than
sitting back and waiting for their makeshift secondary to get picked
apart, the Patriots kept constant pressure on Sanchez, forcing the
third-year quarterback into a number of ill-advised throws. Sanchez
never got comfortable, and the Patriots, for once, showed the
aggressiveness they've been lacking all year.
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| Jets
Mark Sanchez sacked by Patriots Andre Carter Nov 13, 2011.
Carter recorded 4.5 on the day. (Nick Laham/Getty Images) |
JETS REPORT CARD VS. PATRIOTS
PASSING OFFENSE: D -- QB Mark
Sanchez and his receivers were unable to adequately exploit a New
England pass defense that entered the game ranked last in the NFL.
Worse yet, the already injury-plagued secondary lost its best player,
CB Devin McCourty, to a shoulder injury in the second quarter. He
didn't return. Sanchez was sacked five times and threw two
interceptions, including his second pick-six of the season. WR Santonio Holmes had six receptions for 93 yards, but his 27-yard catch on the
first drive went for naught as he failed to keep his feet with a chance
to get to the end zone. The Jets didn't score on that drive.
RUSHING OFFENSE: B-plus --
Incomplete might be a more accurate grade, as the Jets ran effectively
in the first half with 78 yards on 16 rushes, but only sparingly (nine
attempts for 32 yards) afterward. Sanchez's 2-yard quarterback draw for
a touchdown was made possible by RG Brandon Moore's block of NT Vince Wilfork.
PASS DEFENSE: F -- The Jets
didn't sack Tom Brady once, nor could they cover TE Rob Gronkowski, who
had eight receptions for 113 yards and two TDs. He would have had a
third touchdown had he not stepped out of the back of the end zone
before making a diving grab. WR Deion Branch outmaneuvered CB Kyle Wilson for an easy 8-yard score, and Wilson also dropped a potential
momentum-changing interception in the first half. Even Chad Ochocinco
came out of mothballs to catch two passes, including a wide-open
53-yarder in the first quarter.
RUSH DEFENSE: A -- After
rushing for a career-high 136 yards in the previous meeting, BenJarvus Green-Ellis was limited to eight yards on eight carries. The Patriots
finished with only 60 yards on the ground, but former Jet Danny
Woodhead did have runs of 5, 6 and 7 yards to help jump-start New
England's final touchdown drive. CB Darrelle Revis showed his
versatility later in that drive by spilling Kevin Faulk for a 3-yard
loss.
SPECIAL TEAMS: D -- K Nick Folk
missed a 24-yard chip shot in the first quarter, silencing the home
crowd and ruining the Jets' momentum. Joe McKnight nearly broke a
38-yard kickoff return, but later muffed a punt, setting up a Patriots'
field goal. T.J. Conley averaged 41.2 yards net on five punts, and the
Jets held the Patriots' return game in check for the most part.
COACHING: F -- Coach Rex Ryan
and defensive coordinator Mike Pettine were unable to get the proper
personnel on the field many times, and on several occasions Patriots'
receivers were uncovered at the line of scrimmage. Offensive
coordinator Brian Schottenheimer was unable to make the adjustments to
slow down the Patriots' pass rush. As for special teams, using McKnight
on a punt return instead of sure-handed Jim Leonhard wasn't smart.
Clock management also was a major issue. Finally, Ryan's team simply
wasn't mentally sharp in such a big game, and that falls on the head
coach.
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