The New England Patriots defeated the New York Jets in the first Thursday Night Football game of the season on the NFL Network. Thought it was a sloppy game, the Patriots were able to out maneuver the Jets as both squads came into this game pretty banged up.
Brady's numbers were not pretty, but the Patriots had all the offense they needed in the first half as they beat the Jets in a close game, 13-10.
Brady had a tough time getting the ball to his receivers. Well, his receivers had a tough time catching the ball. Between Aaron Dobson and Kenbrell Thompkins, the two rookies, they caught only five catches. Julian Edelman became the most useful weapon, as expected, for Brady as the two consistently found each other. Edelman finished the game with 13 catches for 78 yards.
Ironically, things looked bright for Dobson, Brady and the Patriots early on. They drove down the field in the game's opening drive, scoring a touchdown as Brady and No. 17 hooked up for a 39-yard score. The Patriots kept getting great field positioning as Edelman continued to give the Patriots yardage on punt returns. However, Brady could not get the ball to his receivers.
The Jets and Patriots exchanged field goals after the opening touchdown. Stephen Gostkowski knocked in a 21-yarder, while Nick Folk kicked a 37-yarder. The second quarter's only score; a 30-yard field goal by Gostkowski. The Jets did a great job stopping the run as the Pats totaled 51 yards.
With no running game and a weak passing game, the Jets had plenty of chances to score, either for the tie or the lead. In the third quarter, Smith threw three interceptions in the fourth quarter. His first interception came as the Jets were threatening and sitting just outside of the Patriots' red zone. The second came with less than five minutes left in the game and once again, the Jets were trying to work their way deeper into Patriots territory.
It was a game highlighted by errors and a lot of rookie mistakes. However, with the win, the Patriots are 2-0 and have won 12 straight games against AFC East division rivals despite all of their struggles.
