Here are 3 reasons why the Patriots beat the New York Jets

FOXBOROUGH – Sunday afternoon started promisingly. That’s how it ended.

It was a beautiful fall day in New England. Drake Maye took the field and dazzled the Gillette Stadium crowd. The offensive line wasn’t very good. His receivers weren’t always getting open or catching the ball. However, patriots Overall, the No. 3 pick was a problem.

The New York Jets chased Maye down the field for a quarter on Sunday. The rookie quarterback looked like the future as he rushed for a long field goal to give the Patriots an early lead over their division rivals. Even when plays broke down, Maye made the Jets’ defense pay for it.

Maye looked good and appeared to be having fun playing with the Patriots rookie quarterback.

Unfortunately, that feeling has disappeared.

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1:09 left in the first quarter Maye was shot in the back of the head By Jets linebacker Jamien Sherwood. Even though the quarterback finished that drive, it was clear something was wrong. After this series Maye left the game and eventually ruled out due to concussion.

Jacoby Brissett entered the game to a chorus of boos, which quickly turned into chants. With the Patriots defense showing toughness, Jerod Mayo’s team stayed in this game despite Aaron Rodgers and the Jets charging for the lead with 2:57 left on the clock.

That’s when the magic happened. Brissett orchestrated a game-winning drive that ended with Rhamondre Stevenson’s 1-yard touchdown run.

The Patriots improved their score to 2-6 by beating the Jets 25-22 on Sunday.

Here’s what happened:

Drake Maye brought the Patriots to life

The Patriots offense started this game with an uninspiring three-and-out. The back ended up losing a yard after Rhamondre Stevenson’s 6-yard run, and then Maye’s third-down pass fell incomplete.

With Maye taking over, the Patriots’ next drive was less than inspiring. The rookie quarterback kept the chains moving when he hit Hunter Henry for 11 yards on third-and-5. He then took off for an 11-yard gain for another first down. Four plays later, Maye came out of the pocket again and made the Jets defense pay with a 17-yard touchdown pass. The Patriots took an early 7-0 lead over the Jets at 5:18 of the first quarter.

In that series, Maye was 3-of-3 for 23 yards and rushed twice for 28 yards with a touchdown.

On the Patriots’ third series, the receivers fumbled the ball twice. On first down, Maye rolled to his right and threw a big, deep ball to Tyquan Thornton. Even though the ball hit Thornton’s chest, the receiver could not resist. Then on third-and-12, Maye threw a catchable ball to Kayshon Boutte, but the football left the receiver’s hands.

The goals kept coming for the Patriots.

In that series, Maye ran for a lead of 18 but hit his helmet after slipping. The rookie quarterback went to the blue medical tent after the Patriots punted. Maye later went to the locker room with a head injury and was judged doubtful to return.

Jacoby Brissett took over on the next drive as the crowd booed and the Patriots went up three points.

Jacoby Brissett leads Patriots to comeback victory

The Patriots offense needed some help in the second half. They got it from Marcus Jones. Punt returner Thomas Morstead returned the punt and ran it back 62 yards at 13:27 of the third quarter.

This set up Brissett and the offense at the 26-yard line. The veteran quarterback soon hit Boutte for an 8-yard gain to move the chains. After Stevenson lost 5 yards, running back Brissett made it 14-yard play. This set up the Patriots with third-and-1 at the 3-yard line, and Stevenson ran for a 3-yard touchdown. With this score, the Patriots took a 14-13 lead at 10:55 of the third quarter.

The Patriots’ next road trip did not go as planned. The series went in the opposite direction when Michael Jordan was called for a holding penalty. This negated Brissett’s 39-yard pass play to Hunter Henry. The Patriots couldn’t get out of this hole as Brissett was sacked on third down.

The offense backed up to the 9-yard line on the next series. The group went three and out as the wide receivers’ rough day continued. On third and eight, Kendrick Bourne threw a pass that should have been a first down. This was buyers’ third decline of the afternoon.

After the Jets missed field goal, the Patriots took control and made a solid move. A hard pass penalty pushed the Patriots to midfield. On third-and-11, Brissett hit Henry for a 12-yard gain at the 18-yard line. The veteran quarterback then hits Thornton for a 14-yard gain to set up first-and-goal from the 3-yard line.

Unfortunately, the Patriots moved backwards after Brissett fumbled the ball. The charge culminated in a 23-yard Joey Slye field goal to take a 17-16 lead with 7:34 to play.

Trailing by five points, 22-17, the Patriots got the ball back with 2:57 left. Brissett hit Henry for a 12-yard gain to move the chains. The quarterback then ran 14 points past midfield. At 1:29, Brissett hit Boutte for a 34-yard gain, setting up first-and-goal from the 9-yard line.

Brissett hit Boutte at the 1-yard line for a 4-yard gain with 32 seconds on the clock. It all came down to one last play; Fourth and 1 from the 1 yard line.

With 22 seconds left, Stevenson kicked a game-winning 1-yard field goal. The running back also hit the 2-point conversion, giving the Patriots a 25-22 lead.

Patriots defense showed toughness

The Patriots special teams unit allowed a 40-yard field goal by Xavier Gipson at the start of this contest. This left the defense in a difficult position with Aaron Rodgers and the Jets close to midfield. But the defense showed toughness out of the gate, keeping New York three and out after forcing an incomplete pass on third-and-3.

The defense appeared to hold the Jets to a field goal attempt on the second drive before the referees stepped in. Christian Gonzalez was called for what appeared to be a controversial defensive pass interference penalty on a third-down incomplete pass. This moved the Jets to the 22 yard line. Three plays later, on third-and-3, Christian Elliss was called for a flagrant defensive pass interference penalty while near the end zone. This pushed New York all the way to the 2-yard line. On the next play, Rodgers hit Tyler Conklin for a touchdown.

The Patriots defense had three penalty calls for 35 yards in this series. Jets kicker Greg Zuerlein missed the extra point and the Patriots took a 7-6 lead at 1:23 of the first quarter.

The Jets took the lead after Maye left the game due to a head injury. On that drive, Rodgers hit Garrett Wilson for a 27-yard gain at the 1-yard line. On the next play, the Jets’ quarterback caught Gipson for a 1-yard touchdown pass and New York took a 13-7 lead at 9:06 of the second quarter.

The Patriots defense opened the second half by holding the Jets to three-and-out. New York was making rapid progress in the next series, but the Patriots did not give up. Rodgers hit Wilson for a 35-yard gain and then hit Davante Adams for 15 yards. Shortly after that, the Jets faced a second-and-1 situation. First, Dell Pettus stuffed Breece Hall for no gain, then on third down, Christian Gonzalez deflected a pass intended for Adams.

At 7:54 of the third quarter, Zuerlein’s 29-yard field goal made the Jets score 16-14.

On their next series, the Jets gained a first down, but the Patriots’ defense held strong and forced a punt four plays later. On the next series, Christian Elliss sacked Rodgers on third down. On the next play, Zuerlein missed a 44-yard field goal with 12:43 left.

Rodgers saved his best drive for last. The veteran point guard mounted a much-needed scoring spurt for the Jets after the Patriots took a 17-16 lead. Rodgers hit Wilson for 22 yards, Hall for 13 yards, and then Adams for 17 yards. This set up a first-and-goal at the 3-yard line. Two plays later, with 2:57 left, Braelon Allen kicked a 2-yard field goal. Rodgers’ 2-point attempt failed and the Jets took a 22-17 lead with 2:57 left.