Jets, Victory Over Patriots in September

The Jets’ ability to overcome adversity has been a central theme this season. Recovering from their 45-3 loss to the Patriots and going on to beat the Steelers in Pittsburgh two weeks later is one example. Tuning out issues related to off-the-field shenanigans – some self-inflicted – has been another.
The Jets’ ability to live, learn and move on has not been limited to negative events. Their place in the N.F.L.’s final 8 might not have been possible without a victory – the 28-14 win over the Patriots on Sept. 19 – that has been given little notice in the last month.
Simply put, the victory changed the Jets’ fortunes. They were 0-1 after losing their season opener to Baltimore, 10-9, at home, and the natives were already getting restless. Was the offense ever going to score a touchdown? Were the Jets more like a 5-11 team instead of the one Rex Ryan said was going to the Super Bowl? Was Mark Sanchez a bust? Did Brian Schottenheimer deserve to be fired?
New England had just torched Cincinnati, 38-24, in its season opener. And if Tom Brady and the Patriots could not be reined in, the Jets were going to fall to 0-2, and they still had a challenging early schedule ahead.
Let’s go down the list of highlights:
1) With the pressure on, Mark Sanchez (21 of 30, 220 yards, 3 TDs) played his best game of the season. His 3 TD passes equaled his season high. His completion percentage (70.0) and his passer rating (124.3) were his best marks of the season. And Sanchez was at his best in the second half, when he threw 2 of his touchdown passes and the Jets controlled the ball for more than 20 minutes (20:02).
2) The Jets’ defense played the second half without the injured Darrelle Revis (hamstring), but it didn’t matter. The Patriots were kept off the scoreboard, the only time this season they were scoreless in a half.
3) The Patriots were held to their lowest point total of the season (the Browns also held the Patriots to 14 points, on Nov. 7).
4) The defense forced three turnovers in the second half (2 INTs and a fumble recovery). The two interceptions were half of Brady’s season total of 4.
5) The defense weathered the Patriots’ early storm. New England rolled up 211 yards in the first half, including touchdown drives of 80 and 75 yards. But the Patriots managed only 90 total yards in the second half.
6) Dustin Keller (7 receptions for 115 yards, TD) had one of his most active games of the season. His 115-yard total was a season high, and his seven catches equaled his season high.
The victory was the Jets’ fourth-most decisive of the season, bettered only by their two wins over Buffalo and a 26-10 victory over Cincinnati. The victory also sent the Jets off on a stretch in which they won 9 of their next 10.
It’s perfectly understandable that the Jets’ 28-14 victory hasn’t gotten a lot of attention this week. The reason can be summed up in three numbers: 45-3. But victories all count the same. As Bill Belichick said earlier this week, it is probably fitting for this season series to be settled by a best-of-3.
Extra Point: Does the Jets’ 28-14 victory over the Patriots deserve to be viewed as relevant?