Jets Unable To Help Patriots As Upset Bid Falls Short Versus Houston
BOSTON (CBS) – The Patriots nearly received playoff help from an unlikely source on Saturday.
The New York Jets took a late lead over the Houston Texans, but Deshaun Watson found DeAndre Hopkins for what turned out to be the deciding score with 2:15 to play. Houston added a field goal 57 seconds to play, capping a 29-22 win.
If the Jets had knocked off the Texans, the Patriots would have been in the driver's seat for a first round bye. Instead, for the time being it is Houston that slides into the No. 2 spot with a 10-4 record.
Should the Patriots lose to Pittsburgh on Sunday, New England would fall to 9-5 and need a Texans loss before season's end to get a bye.
It will be a moot point, however, if the Patriots win their final three games. That's because New England has the head-to-head tiebreaker against Houston.