There were 11 days of hype leading up to last night’s big Monday Night Football game between the Patriots and Jets.
New York lived up to precisely none of it.
The teams came into the game with identical 9-2 records, but only the Patriots played like it. They embarrassed the Jets, 45-3, at a freezing cold Gillette Stadium.
Maybe Rex Ryan ate some bad clam chowder before the game. Or maybe Mark Sanchez forgot the color of his jersey. Whatever the reason, the Jets were out of this one from the get-go.
Tom Brady won his record-setting 26th consecutive regular-season home game, going 21-for-29 for 326 yards and four touchdowns.
Brady hit eight different receivers, including former Jet Danny Woodhead, who burned New York for four catches and 104 receiving yards. Wes Welker, Deion Branch and rookie tight end Aaron Hernandez all found the end zone.
The Jets came in with one of the best run defenses in the league, but that didn’t phase Bill Belichick. BenJarvus Green-Ellis led the charge with 72 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries.
As good as the offense looked, credit the defense for never giving the Jets a reason to feel they were in this game.
While Jets cornerbacks Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie were supposed to give the Patriots’ receivers trouble, they didn’t make any noise on the night.
Instead, it was the Pats’ 2010 draft class that stepped up. Rookies Brandon Spikes and Devin McCourty came up with a pair of interceptions in the red zone that added insult to injury.
The turnover game
For the fourth consecutive game, the Patriots won the turnover battle — and in turn won the game. They picked the Jets off multiple times, but also protected the ball on their end.
In fact, New England has been great at cutting down on turnovers for a month.?This was a far cry from the teams’ first meeting.
