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NYJ |
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Lewis scores twice, Patriots secure home-field with 26-6 win
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) Bill Belichick made it a priority to get his team prepared for frigid weather leading up to the Patriots' regular-season finale against the New York Jets.
With home-field advantage throughout the playoffs following a 26-6 victory on Sunday, the AFC's road to the Super Bowl will again run through New England.
Dion Lewis ran for a touchdown and caught a scoring pass, helping the Patriots wrap up the top seed. The win clinched the seventh 13-win season for the Patriots (13-3), which is second in NFL history to San Francisco's nine seasons.
It was also Belichick's 250th career regular-season win, moving him into a tie with Tom Landry for third all-time among head coaches.
New England has defeated New York in four straight meetings, and the Patriots haven't lost to the Jets (5-11) at home during the regular season with Tom Brady starting since 2006. Brady's 13th win as a starter this season tied him with Brett Favre for the most by a starting quarterback at age 40 or older.
''Our biggest games are ahead of us,'' Brady said. ''We're 13-3, that's the best in the AFC, that's what we're playing for, so that's pretty good.''
Lewis finished with a season-high 26 carries for 93 yards . Brandin Cooks had 11 catches for 79 yards and touchdown for New England, which will have a first-round bye in the playoffs. Tight end Rob Gronkowski was held without a catch for the first time this season.
James Harrison, signed by New England last Tuesday after being cut by Pittsburgh, had two sacks - on consecutive plays to end the game - and finished with five total tackles and a forced fumble.
''I always wonder why I'm not playing,'' Harrison said when asked if this was statement game for him. ''Like they say, it's never easy and it's never late. It's just timing.''
Temperatures dipped into the low-teens at kickoff, but it didn't stop the Patriots from being aggressive at the outset.
They won the coin toss and elected to receive, going away from their typical decision to defer until the second half. Brady and the offense went to work, quickly moving 75 yards in just 13 plays to take a 7-0 lead on a 3-yard TD run by Lewis. The drive included a fourth-down pass conversion, one of three hookups between Brady and Danny Amendola in the series.
Penalties on the Jets' defense aided New England's final two scores of the first half. Safety Marcus Maye was called for a 39-yard pass interference penalty early in the second quarter that set up a 5-yard TD pass from Brady to Cooks that made it 14-3.
Then just before halftime, New York cornerback Juston Burris was flagged for defensive holding on a Patriots third-down pass attempt. New England got into the end zone three plays later via another 5-yard TD pass, this time from Brady to Lewis.
The Jets' offense was anemic throughout with Bryce Petty playing the entire game at quarterback after it appeared Christian Hackenberg might see his first regular-season action at some point in the finale. New York was 0 for 12 on third down and 0 for 1 in its lone trip into the red zone.
''We stuck together,'' linebacker David Bass said. ''We went through adversity, ups and downs, but more downs than we wanted. We stuck together through it all.''
Patriots safety Devin McCourty said getting the top seed shows the toughness of a team that lost key players such as Julian Edelman and Dont'a Hightower to injury.
''Those things we went through, when you wrap up the 2017 season, molded us, shaped us,'' McCourty said. ''You look back on all that now, we needed all that.''
INJURIES
Jets: CB Morris Claiborne left briefly in the first quarter, but was able to return. ... Maye limped off the field in the second quarter with an ankle injury and did not return. ... WR Robby Anderson left after a fourth-quarter hit from Stephon Gilmore to have his head evaluated. Coach Todd Bowles said after the game that Anderson suffered a concussion.
Patriots: LB Elandon Roberts was shaken up on a play in the third quarter.
ECLIPSING 1,000
The Patriots have three players with 1,000-plus scrimmage yards in the same season for the first time in franchise history: Lewis, Gronkowski, Cooks.
FRIGID TEMPS
It was 13 degrees at kickoff, and the Patriots wanted to make sure their visitors knew it.
A thermometer was hung in the Jets' tunnel on Sunday. New York players filed past on their way to and from the field before the game .
It was the coldest regular-season home game in Patriots history. They had a playoff games that was colder - a divisional round game against the Tennessee Titans on Jan. 10, 2004, when it was 4 degrees with a wind chill that made it feel like minus 10.
Jets safety Jamal Adams went out pregame without a shirt to test the weather. He soon got a text from his mother.
''I put my shirt on, real quick,'' he said.
BELOW 50
Brady's 48.6 completion percentage (18 of 37) marked only the second time this season he completed less than 50 percent of his passes. He completed 44.4 percent (16 of 36) in the Patriots' season-opening loss to Kansas City. Before that, it hadn't happened since Oct. 20, 2013, in a 30-27 road loss to the Jets.
UP NEXT
Patriots: Have a bye in the first round of the playoffs.
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Copyright 2017 by AP. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of AP is strictly prohibited.
B. Petty
14 QB 232 PaYds, RuYd |
9
FPTS
|
|
D. Lewis
33 RB 93 RuYds, RuTD, 40 ReYds, ReTD, 6 RECs |
25
FPTS
|
Team Stats | ||
---|---|---|
Time of Pos | - | - |
1st Downs | 0 | 0 |
Rushing | 0 | 0 |
Passing | 0 | 0 |
Penalty | 0 | 0 |
3rd Down Conv | 0-0 | 0-0 |
4th Down Conv | 0-0 | 0-0 |
Total Net Yards | 0 | 0 |
Total Plays | 0 | 0 |
Avg Gain | 0 | 0 |
Net Yards Rushing | 0 | 0 |
Rush Attempts | 0 | 0 |
Avg Rush Yards | 0 | 0 |
Net Yards Passing | 0 | 0 |
Comp. - Att. | 0-0 | 0-0 |
Yards Per Pass | 0 | 0 |
Penalties - Yards | 0-0 | 0-0 |
Touchdowns | ||
Rushing TDs | 0 | 0 |
Passing TDs | 0 | 0 |
Other | ||
Turnovers | 0 | 0 |
Fumbles - Lost | 0-0 | 0-0 |
Int. Thrown | 0 | 0 |
Punts - Avg | 0-0 | 0-0 |
Return Yards | ||
Punts - Returns | 0-0 | 0-0 |
Kickoffs - Returns | 0-0 | 0-0 |
Int. - Returns | 0-0 | 0-0 |
Red Zone Eff. | 0-0 -0% | 0-0 -0% |
Goal to Go Eff. | 0-0 -0% | 0-0 -0% |
Safeties | 0 | 0 |
Passing | CP/ATT | YDS | TD | INT | FPTS |
B. PettyÂ
9 QB
9 FPTS
|
B. Petty | 19/36 | 232 | 0 | 0 | 9 |
Rushing | ATT | YDS | TD | LG | FPTS |
B. PowellÂ
29 RB
5 FPTS
|
B. Powell | 13 | 46 | 0 | 24 | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||
R. AndersonÂ
11 WR
0 FPTS
|
R. Anderson | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
B. PettyÂ
9 QB
9 FPTS
|
B. Petty | 1 | -1 | 0 | -1 | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||
E. McGuireÂ
35 RB
1 FPTS
|
E. McGuire | 4 | -6 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
Receiving | TAR | REC | YDS | TD | LG | FPTS |
N. SterlingÂ
85 WR
7 FPTS
|
N. Sterling | 8 | 5 | 74 | 0 | 35 | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
J. KearseÂ
10 WR
5 FPTS
|
J. Kearse | 7 | 5 | 59 | 0 | 22 | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
A. StewartÂ
18 WR
4 FPTS
|
A. Stewart | 2 | 1 | 46 | 0 | 46 | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
E. McGuireÂ
35 RB
1 FPTS
|
E. McGuire | 6 | 3 | 16 | 0 | 11 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
C. HansenÂ
16 WR
1 FPTS
|
C. Hansen | 4 | 1 | 15 | 0 | 15 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
E. TomlinsonÂ
83 TE
1 FPTS
|
E. Tomlinson | 2 | 2 | 10 | 0 | 6 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
B. PowellÂ
29 RB
5 FPTS
|
B. Powell | 2 | 1 | 10 | 0 | 10 | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
R. AndersonÂ
11 WR
0 FPTS
|
R. Anderson | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
J. NatsonÂ
87 WR
0 FPTS
|
J. Natson | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Defense | T-A | SACK | INT | FF |
R. MilesÂ
45 FS
|
R. Miles | 8-1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
D. DavisÂ
56 ILB
|
D. Davis | 8-3 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
J. BurrisÂ
32 CB
|
J. Burris | 5-0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
B. SkrineÂ
41 CB
|
B. Skrine | 5-3 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
M. PennelÂ
98 DE
|
M. Pennel | 3-2 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
M. ClaiborneÂ
21 CB
|
M. Claiborne | 3-1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
J. AdamsÂ
33 SS
|
J. Adams | 3-7 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
J. JenkinsÂ
48 OLB
|
J. Jenkins | 3-1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
X. CooperÂ
75 DE
|
X. Cooper | 2-0 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
D. BassÂ
47 OLB
|
D. Bass | 2-0 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
J. MartinÂ
95 OLB
|
J. Martin | 2-1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
T. HennessyÂ
42 LS
|
T. Hennessy | 1-0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
T. BrooksÂ
23 DB
|
T. Brooks | 1-0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
D. LeeÂ
58 ILB
|
D. Lee | 1-1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
S. McLendonÂ
99 NT
|
S. McLendon | 1-2 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
L. WilliamsÂ
92 DE
|
L. Williams | 1-1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
O. GwachamÂ
57 LB
|
O. Gwacham | 0-2 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
M. MayeÂ
26 FS
|
M. Maye | 0-1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
Kicking | FG | LG | XP | PTS |
C. CatanzaroÂ
7 K
6 FPTS
|
C. Catanzaro | 2/3 | 48 | 0/0 | 6 |
Punting | NO | AVG | IN20 | LG |
L. EdwardsÂ
4 P
|
L. Edwards | 7 | 46.3 | 2 | 54 |
Kickoff Returns | NO | AVG | LG | TD |
J. NatsonÂ
87 WR
0 FPTS
|
J. Natson | 3 | 14.7 | 23 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
E. McGuireÂ
35 RB
1 FPTS
|
E. McGuire | 1 | 16.0 | 16 | 0 |
Punt Returns | NO | AVG | LG | TD |
J. Natson 87 WR
0 FPTS
|
J. Natson | 2 | 2.0 | 5 | 0 |
Passing | CP/ATT | YDS | TD | INT | FPTS |
Rushing | ATT | YDS | TD | LG | FPTS |
Receiving | TAR | REC | YDS | TD | LG | FPTS |
B. CooksÂ
14 WR
13 FPTS
|
B. Cooks | 11 | 5 | 79 | 1 | 37 | 13 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
D. AmendolaÂ
80 WR
4 FPTS
|
D. Amendola | 7 | 4 | 43 | 0 | 16 | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
D. LewisÂ
33 RB
25 FPTS
|
D. Lewis | 7 | 6 | 40 | 1 | 10 | 25 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
P. DorsettÂ
13 WR
2 FPTS
|
P. Dorsett | 5 | 3 | 26 | 0 | 11 | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
B. BoldenÂ
38 RB
4 FPTS
|
B. Bolden | 4 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
J. HollisterÂ
47 TE
0 FPTS
|
J. Hollister | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
J. DevelinÂ
46 FB
0 FPTS
|
J. Develin | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
D. AllenÂ
83 TE
0 FPTS
|
D. Allen | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
K. BrittÂ
85 WR
0 FPTS
|
K. Britt | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Defense | T-A | SACK | INT | FF |
D. McCourtyÂ
32 FS
|
D. McCourty | 7-1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
J. JonesÂ
31 CB
|
J. Jones | 5-0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
M. FlowersÂ
59 LB
|
M. Flowers | 4-0 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
L. GuyÂ
93 DE
|
L. Guy | 3-2 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
T. FlowersÂ
98 DE
|
T. Flowers | 3-0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
J. HarrisonÂ
92 OLB
|
J. Harrison | 3-2 | 2.0 | 0 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||
M. ButlerÂ
21 CB
|
M. Butler | 2-0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
P. ChungÂ
23 SS
|
P. Chung | 2-0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
J. BademosiÂ
29 CB
|
J. Bademosi | 2-0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
J. RichardsÂ
37 SS
|
J. Richards | 2-0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
S. GilmoreÂ
24 CB
|
S. Gilmore | 2-1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
R. Jean FrancoisÂ
94 DT
|
R. Jean Francois | 1-0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
E. RobertsÂ
52 OLB
|
E. Roberts | 1-1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
D. WiseÂ
91 DT
|
D. Wise | 1-0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
M. SlaterÂ
18 WR
|
M. Slater | 1-0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
E. LeeÂ
55 DE
|
E. Lee | 1-1 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
N. GrigsbyÂ
50 LB
|
N. Grigsby | 1-0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
E. RoweÂ
25 CB
|
E. Rowe | 1-0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
G. GrissomÂ
96 LB
|
G. Grissom | 1-0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
M. BrownÂ
90 DT
|
M. Brown | 0-2 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
Kicking | FG | LG | XP | PTS |
S. GostkowskiÂ
3 K
6 FPTS
|
S. Gostkowski | 1/1 | 21 | 3/3 | 6 |
Punting | NO | AVG | IN20 | LG |
R. AllenÂ
6 P
|
R. Allen | 8 | 42.3 | 5 | 53 |
Kickoff Returns | NO | AVG | LG | TD |
D. McCourtyÂ
32 FS
0 FPTS
|
D. McCourty | 1 | 3.0 | 3 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
P. ChungÂ
23 SS
0 FPTS
|
P. Chung | 1 | 4.0 | 4 | 0 |
Punt Returns | NO | AVG | LG | TD |
D. Amendola 80 WR
4 FPTS
|
D. Amendola | 4 | 6.0 | 15 | 0 |