Zach Wilson Throws 4 INTs, Patriots Dominate Jets In 25-6 Victory
BOSTON (CBS) -- For the first time in his NFL career, Mac Jones is a winner.
Jones was the better of the two rookie quarterbacks on Sunday, with Zach Wilson throwing three first-half interceptions in what ended up being a 25-6 Patriots win.
Jones completed 22 of his 30 passes for 186 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions. Damien Harris ran for 62 yards and a touchdown, while James White had 65 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown of his own. Nick Folk kicked four field goals, setting a Patriots franchise record for most consecutive successful field goals at 33 in the process.
Wilson's debut in front of his home fans was disastrous, as he threw interceptions on his first two pass attempts and finished the game with four interceptions overall. Wilson was 19-for-33 for 210 yards with no touchdowns and the four picks. He was also sacked four times.
J.C. Jackson came down with two interceptions, while Devin McCourty and Adrian Phillips made one pick apiece. Josh Uche recorded two sacks, with Carl Davis and Matt Judon each recording a sack as well.
The Patriots lost a chance to take a lead on the opening possession when Jones took a sack on third down, but J.C. Jackson -- with an assist from Devin McCourty -- intercepted Wilson's first pass of the game.
The Patriots scored a field goal with the short field.
Wilson's next pass was also intercepted -- this time by Adrian Phillips.
James White did the heavy lifting on the six-play, 68-yard touchdown drive that followed. White broke free for a 28-yard pickup on a screen pass, before sending a pass across the field back to Jones for a successful trick play. White capped off the drive with two straight runs for seven yards, the latter of which went for a touchdown to make it 10-0 Patriots.
The Jets drove for a score of their own but were stopped on a third-and-goal run from the 2-yard line and settled for a field goal.
Jones and the Patriots offense executed a successful field goal drive before halftime to take a 13-3 lead.
That first half also featured major issues for the Patriots at right tackle. Yasir Durant got the start but was replaced by Justin Herron after giving up three sacks. That was a role reversal from last week, when Herron entered for an injured Trent Brown, only to be replaced by Durant.
The Patriots picked off Wilson for a fourth time on the opening drive of the second half, with Devin McCourty resembling a punt returner more than a safety, and quickly converted that into a touchdown with a 26-yard Harris run. That touchdown run featured several missed tackles for a demoralized Jets defense.
Nick Folk missed the PAT, giving New England a 19-3 lead.
The Jets responded with a promising drive, getting the ball to the New England New England 26-yard line. But Wilson was sacked by Carl Davis on third-and-5, leading to an unsuccessful 53-yard field goal attempt for Matt Ammendola to keep the score at 19-3 in favor of the Patriots.
Jones hit Hunter Henry for a 32-yard catch-and-run up the right seam to start the ensuing drive, which also featured Jones throwing a block to spring Kendrick Bourne for a 16-yard run.
Folk kicked a 31-yard field goal to bump the Patriots' lead to 22-3 to end that drive.
The Jets turned it over on downs on the following possession, with Jonathan Jones breaking up a Wilson pass on a fourth-and-2 at the New England 47-yard line. Boos from the home crowd rained down on Wilson for some inaccurate passes on that drive, and they continued as the Jets' offense had to depart the field following the failed fourth down.
The Jets got back on the board with a little over six minutes remaining in the game, with Ammendola kicking a 35-yard field goal to cut New England's lead to 22-6.
After another failed fourth-down attempt by the Jets gave the Patriots the ball at the New York 25-yard line. Harris ran for 12 yards on a third-and-7, on a play when Jones was hit before making the handoff, causing the ball to pop free but land safely in the arms of Harris. Folk kicked a short field goal -- his 33rd consecutive successful field goal -- to make it 25-6 for the Patriots just inside the two-minute warning.
Now 1-1 on the season, the Patriots will be back in Foxboro next week, to host the New Orleans Saints at 1 p.m.