Patriots-Jets LIVE Blog: Sloppy Patriots Beat Jets 13-10
BOSTON (CBS) - Follow all the updates from Gillette Stadium as the Patriots host the New York Jets!
Final -- Patriots 13, Jets 10: That was terrible, awful football.
But the Patriots are, somehow, 2-0 on this season and now have a nice long week to watch this game over, and over, and over again. Sounds like cruel punishment, but that's what the Patriots deserve.
At least that's what the Patriots' offense deserves. The defense held up their end of the bargain with three takeaways, though they benefitted greatly from playing a rookie quarterback making his first start on the road.
Tom Brady was frustrated all game, and displayed his displeasure with his rookie receivers on several occasions. There were a bunch of key drops by Aaron Dobson and Kenbrell Thompkins, but #12 deserves some of the blame as well.
We'll be breaking this one down all night, so stick with CBSBostonsports.com for all the reaction and analysis. That is if you can stomach it.
4th Quarter, 0:38: And there it is. Aqib Talib picks off Geno Smith for the second time tonight, sealing it for the Patriots.
There's flags everywhere after some extracurricular activity after the play. Two Jets have been ejected after throwing punches, and when the dust settles Brady will just have to kneel to put this one in the win column.
Hard to believe the Patriots won this one, but they can thank their defense -- and a couple of bad throws by Geno Smith.
4th Quarter, 0:56: After Ridley comes up empty on three rush attempts, the Jets get the ball back at their own 29 with under a minute left.
It's up to the defense to hold on to this one.
4th Quarter, 2:00: Stevan Ridley nearly fumbled this one away on a pitch from Brady -- which probably isn't the smartest play given the conditions -- but gained control to get back to the line of scrimmage.
Pats are barely holding on to this one with just two minutes left. They're at their own 44, and still have a lot of work left over the final 120 seconds.
4th Quarter, 2:12: Amendola passed the torch to Edelman before this one.
He just came up with a big first-down grab on a 3rd-and-5, just the Patriots fourth conversion on third down in 17 tries.
Edelman is up to 13 catches on the night for 78 yards.
The Jets called a time out with 2:12 left.
4th Quarter, 4:23: Geno Smith tried to go deep on a 3rd-and-4, but he under threw Gates badly and was picked off by Alfonzo Dennard.
Offense takes over at their own 31, and they should just run the ball to chew up some clock. If it wasn't for the three takeaways, this one could look verrrryyyy different.
4th Quarter, 6:07: Now it's just getting silly.
Another 3-and-out for the Patriots, with the only noteworthy play on that possession another Edelman reception. He's up to 11 catches on the night for 69 yards.
Allen's boot goes into the end zone for a touch back, so the Jets will take over at their 20. He's up to 488 punting yards on the night, more than double the Patriots' total offense (220 yards).
4th Quarter, 7:27: Neither team can hold on to the ball tonight, as Bilal Powell just had a big drop on a third down pass from Smith.
Edelman is really doing it all tonight. His 15-yard punt return has the Patriots set up at the New York 47.
4th Quarter, 8:37: Well, at least the Patriots offense converted on a third down on the last possession.
But they couldn't pull it off twice, and were forced to punt once again. Ryan Allen is the MVP tonight for New England.
That third down conversion was big in a few ways, as Dobson made a grab over the middle to move the chains. Edelman made a nice grab going out of bounds a few plays later on a ball that Brady put a little too much on, making a nice finger-tip catch.
But on the following third down, Brady didn't have anyone open and time was running out, so he threw it low over the middle and incomplete to Thompkins.
Jets take over on their own 22 after Allen's 49-yard punt.
4th Quarter, 11:13: The Patriots defense gets a gift on a bad mistake by Geno Smith.
The Jets were driving and threatening to at least tie the game when Smith threw behind Santonio Holmes over the middle, and Kyle Arrington was able to get a hand on it. The ball went up in the air and into the hands of Aqib Talib for the pick at the New England 10 for the Pats' second takeaway of the night.
Let's see if it fuels the offense a little bit.
End 3rd -- Patriots 13, Jets 10: It's amazing the Patriots still have the lead in this one. They had just 23 yards of offense in the third quarter, and Brady's frustration level looks to be at an all-time high with his receivers.
The fourth quarter didn't start off on a good note either, as Brady overthrows a diving Thompkins on third down. Pats are just 2-for-13 on third downs tonight, and it doesn't seem like they'll be turning things around anytime soon. They've missed on their last nine third down attempts.
Time for another punt, and another chance for the Jets to tie things up or take the lead.
Is Deion Branch around? Hell, is Doug Gabriel around?
3rd Quarter, 2:32: The Patriots did pick up a first down on the most recent possession, but you can hardly call it a drive.
Dobson had another chance to pick up a first, but didn't turn around and wasn't ready for Brady's pass over the middle. He went to a reliable target in Julian Edelman to pick up the first down on a 3rd-and-9, but was sacked ensuing first down.
The Brady's throw was off target to Kenbrell Thompkins on 3rd-and-8, and the Pats had to punt again.
At least Ryan Allen looks solid in his second career game. His 54-yarder was only returned three yards by Kyle Wilson and the Jets will start at their own 16 yard line.
Credit the rain for the special teams tackle though.
3rd Quarter, 5:05: It's a whole new ball game with Bilal Powell finding the end zone to make it 13-10 Patriots.
Smith hit Santonio Holmes for a nice catch on the sidelines on a 2nd-and-6. Homles got both feet in, despite sliding on the slick surface, to set the Jets up at the New England 27.
Five plays later, Powell ran it in from three yards out and Nick Folk added the extra point to pull New York within a field goal.
The Patriots' offense hasn't done anything since Dobson's first quarter touchdown. Here comes a big possession for Brady and company.
3rd Quarter, 11:02: Nothing doing as the Pats go three-and-out.
Brady went Dobson's way on 3rd-and-7, but once again the rookie couldn't come up with the pass. He's up to seven targets, but still has just two catches.
Once again, no Jets were back to receive the punt, though it makes a little more sense with Ryan kicking from his own end zone.
Jets will take over on their own 42.
3rd Quarter, 11:42: The Jets pick up another first down on a third down play, thanks to a 34-yard connection between Smith and Gates, but the Pats D stops them on the next set of downs.
Powell ran twice after the Jets moved the chains, but on 3rd-and-7 he was stuffed up the middle by Ninkovich for a four-yard loss. Ninkovich is up to three tackles on the evening.
Pats take over at their own 4-yard-line though, so they have their work cut out for them.
3rd Quarter, 15:00: The skies have opened up in Foxboro, and a sloppy game might get even sloppier.
Expect a lot of running plays in the second half.
Halftime -- Patriots 13, Jets 3: More missed opportunities for the Patriots.
It looked like Brady had hit another one of his rookies for a nice touchdown, but Kenbrell Thompkins' 25-yard grab was reviewed and ruled incomplete. Thompkins made a nice bid for diving touchdown catch in the end zone, but the ball hit the ground while it was in his hands, and the play was reversed.
Stephen Gostkowski, who has been solid so far, missed a 43-yard attempt as time expired, so the Pats head into the locker room up by just 10. The Jets will get the ball to start the second half.
On a brighter note, Dobson made a nice grab on the second play of the drive, catching a ball thrown behind him for an eight-yard gain. That might get at least one foot out of Brady's doghouse, but we'll see.
Brady finished the first half 11-of-24 for 136 yards an a touchdown. Edelman has been his go-to guy tonight, with seven receptions for 42 yards.
Both Dobson and Thompkins have two catches each for 47 yards.
We'll see if the Patriots' offense can figure it out in the locker room after a very frustrating first half. They might get a little extra time to think, with a nasty storm heading towards Gillette.
But for now, the rain has stayed away and the crowd is going crazy as the Patriots honor Tedy Bruschi.
2nd Quarter, 1:14: Pinned deep in their own zone, Chandler Jones got to Geno Smith again for his second sack of the evening.
That set up a 3rd-and-14, and Smith felt the pressure from both Jones and Ninkovich in the end zone as he went deep to Hill. The pass fell incomplete, and Brady and the offense will get another chance to tack on to this lead before heading into the locker room.
2nd Quarter, 2:00: After a catching a touchdown on his first career reception, Dobson isn't doing himself any favors.
It was a strange call to throw a pass 30-yards down the field on 3rd-and-1, and Brady and Dobson couldn't connect as the Patriots go three-and-out.
Allen boots it 56 yards though, and Marquise Cole downed it at the New York 6 to take us to the two minute warning.
We're almost halfway through this ugly game.
2nd Quarter, 3:54: It didn't take long for the Patriots to record their second sack of the season.
With the Jets facing 3rd-and-5 deep in their zone, Jones burst through the inside and tracked down Smith for an 11-yard loss, forcing New York to punt again.
And with the sack, Chandler got to do his awful-yet-entertaining dance afterwards. Whatever works, right?
2nd Quarter, 5:05 -- Patriots 13, Jets 3: The Red Zone is an issue for the Patriots tonight, as Brady and Dobson cannot connect on 3rd-and 5 from the NY 12.
Brady was hot on the bench after, unhappy with his rookie wide out. Hopefully he doesn't talk to his three-year-old that way.
Brady did have a nice 38-yard connection with Kenbrell Thompkins to start the drive, but they end up settling for a 30-yard field goal by Gostkowski to take a 13-3 lead.
2nd Quarter, 6:41: The Patriots pass-rush is starting to ramp up a bit, and they have their first sack of the season because of it.
Rookie Michael Buchanan rushed off the edge to get to Smith, as he records the first sack of his career.
2nd Quarter, 7:34: Aaron Dobson looked great on his first career NFL catch, but not so much on the next two times Brady went his way.
Dobson dropped a second down pass on the sidelines, and then dropped a deep pass by Brady on third down.
If the "Growing Pains" theme song just popped into your head, you are not alone.
Allen booted a 50-yard punt to the Jets' 34, and Kyle Wilson was actually back there this time for the fair catch. Baby steps for the Jets. Baby steps.
2nd Quarter, 8:09: The Jets made it into Patriots' territory with an 11-play drive, but that was it.
On 3-and-7 from the Pats' 41, Smith went deep to Gates but the pass was broken nicely by Kyle Arrington. It was a big stop for the Pats, with the Jets now 3-for-7 on third down conversions.
The Patriots nearly forced a fumble the play before, with Rob Ninkovich laying a nice hit on Chris Ivory.
2nd Quarter, 14:27: Edelman picked up a HUGE first down on a 3rd-and-15, but the big play was wiped out by a Logan Mankins hold.
Instead of a first down in Jets territory, it set up a 3rd-and-25. The Pats were facing 3rd-and-15 thanks to a false start on Nate Solder.
It was a sloppy drive for the Patriots, with what could have been a fumble lost followed by two penalties.
But it was a little worse for the Jets, who forgot to send out a punt returner on the ensuing Patriots' punt. Jets football at it's best....
Ryan Allen booted it 44 yards, and the Patriots downed it on the New York 22.
2nd Quarter, 14:42: If this game feels slow, you can thank the officials for that one.
Brady hit Edelman on 1st-and-10, but after picking up 5 yards Edelman coughed it up and the Jets Dee Milliner picked it up. It was ruled a fumble on the field, and it looks like Edelman made a couple steps. But the officials ruled it an incomplete pass, and the Patriots keep the ball.
That would have been Edelman's first career fumble in 50 games. Antonio Allen hit Edelman hard after the fumble, but it looks like the receiver is OK. That would have been the last thing the Patriots needed tonight -- in addition to a fumble of course.
2nd Quarter, 15:00: Rex Ryan challenged the spot of the ball, but the call on the field was confirmed. So he lost a time out and the Jets still had to punt.
Patriots will take over at their own 39.
End of 1st Quarter -- Patriots 10, Jets 3: The Pats pick up a first down, but the offense stalls after that and has to punt.
Stevan Ridley is running very well tonight, and holding onto the ball. He made a nice 7-yard run on 1st down, making a nice cut at the line to gain a few extra yards. He's up to 23 yards on five carries.
After an Edelman end-around picked up a first down the Patriots couldn't get another 10 yards. A quick pass to Kenbrell Thompkins picked up nine yards on 2nd-and-10, but Ridley couldn't pick up the first as the Jets stuff him at the line.
But before we could even explain all that, the Patriots defense forces a three-and-out for the Jets. It looks like New York will be punting to start the second quarter, unless the refs change the spot on 4th-and-1.
1st Quarter, 4:02 -- Patriots 10, Jets 3: The Jets put together a nice little drive, but they couldn't punch it into the end zone and had to settle for a field goal.
With the ball on the New England 9, Smith went to Clyde Gates in the end zone on 3rd-and-7 and it was initially ruled that Gates made the catch. But after reviewing the play, it was clear that Gates didn't have possession as he went to the ground thanks to a nice job by Jerod Mayo to knock it out.
Chandler Jones was a little too anxious earlier on the drive on a 3rd-and-7, leveling Smith as he got rid of the ball. Smith hit Santonio Holmes for a 27-yard completion, and the 15 yard penalty on Jones gave the Jets the ball at the NE 35. Jones also got beat on a Chris Ivory run a few plays later.
Ivory had a nice little drive, running for 23 yards on four carries.
1st Quarter, 9:18 -- Patriots 10, Jets 0: Geno Smith hit Stephen Hill for a big gain over the middle, but Aqib Talib put a nice hit on the receiver and he fumbled after taking a few steps.
Devin McCourty scooped it up and took it it all the way to the Jets 8-yard line.
The Patriots have now caused a turnover in 29 straight games.
But Brady and the offense couldn't get anything going in the Red Zone, and settle for a 21-yard field goal from Stephen Gostkowski.
The Patriots had a 10-0 lead against the Bills on Sunday, and that quickly disappeared thanks to turnovers. Let's see if they can keep building on this one, instead of letting it get away.
1st Quarter, 10:40: After having great success on their first offensive possession, the Patriots go three-and-out on their second.
Brady tried a quick slant to Edelman on 3rd-and-7, but the play only got them 5 yards and the Patriots were forced to punt.
After a nice 49 yard punt by Ryan Allen, the Jets will take over on their own 19.
Right guard Dan Connolly is being checked out on the bench. Marcus Cannon took over for him on the last drive.
1st Quarter, 12:07: Three-and-out for the Jets on their first possession of the game.
Pats caught a break on 3rd-and-5 though, as linebacker Dont'a Hightower was caught covering running back Bilal Powell. But Geno Smith overthrew him a bit down the sidelines, and the Patriots D gets off the field.
Brady and company will take over on their own 24.
1st Quarter, 12:54 -- Patriots 7, Jets 0: Welcome to the NFL, Aaron Dobson.
With Danny Amendola out, the Patriots' rookie receivers needed to step up. Dobson, in his first game as a pro, made an instant impact on a beautiful play-action fake by Tom Brady.
The Jets bit hard on, and Brady hit Dobson in stride for the 39-yards score. It's the rookies first reception, and obviously, his first career touchdown. It's also the longest play by the Patriots in the young season.
Brady has now thrown a touchdown in 50 straight games. He went 3-for-4 for 54 yards on the drive. He and Drew Brees are the only two players to accomplish that feat.
The drive lasted just six plays, covering 81 yards in 2:06.
1st Quarter, 15:00: The great Gil Santos joined Patriots' captains for the coin toss, but the Jets called heads and won. They defer to the Pats.
Update -- 8:15 p.m.: They will eventually play football tonight, we promise.
Teams are taking the field with just a few minutes left until kickoff. The Jets heard plenty of boos from the Gillette Stadium crowd as they took the field.
The Patriots are honoring victims of the Boston Marathon bombings on the field prior to kickoff, with the Kraft family greeting each one of the survivors after they were introduced. It made for a very touching moment at Gillette.
6:59 p.m.: As expected, Danny Amendola is out for tonight's game against the Jets.
Amendola was one of seven inactives for the Patriots, along with running back Brandon Bolden, offensive lineman Will Svitek, linebacker Steve Beauharnius, tight ends Rob Gronkowski and Zach Sudfeld, and recently signed defensive lineman Chris Jones.
One report on Thursday night said Amendola could miss anywhere from 2-6 weeks with his injury.
Rookie receiver Aaron Dobson is active after being inactive on Sunday. He was one of the many Patriots to take the field early for warm ups.
For the Jets, quarterbacks Mark Sanchez and Brady Quinn, wide receiver Jeremy Kerley, guard Will Campbell, offensive tackles Ben Ijalana and Oday Aboushi, and defensive end Quinton Coples are all inactive.
6:30 p.m.: Football is back at Gillette Stadium.
The Patriots open their home schedule tonight as they host their AFC East rival, the New York Jets. Both teams are coming off comeback wins last Sunday, and both are dealing with their share of injuries on this short week.
The Patriots are likely without Week 1 star Danny Amendola, who is nursing a groin injury. Add him to the list of injured Pats along with running back Shane Vereen (placed on the IR this week with a broken bone in his wrist) and tight end Rob Gronkowski, who along with Amendola was listed as "doubtful" on the Wednesday injury report.
READ: What To Watch For
That leaves Julian Edelman as the veteran receiver for Tom Brady. Edelman had seven catches in Buffalo, including both of the Patriots' touchdowns in the game. The pressure will be on rookie receivers Aaron Dobson, Josh Boyce and Kenbrell Thompkins to make an impact in this one. Rookie tight end Zach Sudfeld was listed as "questionable" on Wednesday, but reports say it's unlikely he suits up tonight as well, leaving the Patriots with just Michael Hoomanawanui and Matt Mulligan at tight end.
That means running back Stevan Ridley will have to bounce back from last week's benching against the Bills, and in a big way. Ridley found himself on the bench after his second quarter fumble was returned for a touchdown. He knows he needs to be better, and knows his team is counting on him with Vereen out. LeGarette Blount and potentially Brandon Bolden will get some runs too, but with the uncertainty surrounding the young receivers, it will be up to Ridley to really step up in this one.
The Jets are banged up as well, with top receiver Jeremy Kerley out with a concussion. Veteran tight end Kellen Winslow is probably their biggest weapon on offense for rookie quarterback Geno Smith, as he caught seven passes for 79 yards and a touchdown on Sunday against the Bucs. Receiver Santonio Holmes will also be expected to step up for the Jets.
READ: Pats-Jets Predictions From WBZ, 98.5 The Sports Hub
It will be important for the New England defense to get off the field tonight, as they had great success doing so on Sunday -- though some of that was thanks to Buffalo penalties and poor play-calling.
It's a steamy one at Gillette tonight, with the temperature in the 80's. There is a risk for rain late in the game, but it looks like that should only dampen some post-game tailgating.
We'll have all the updates throughout the game and full coverage following here on CBSBostonsports.com. Tune in to the game on 98.5 The Sports Hub or listen LIVE online, and they'll have a full postgame show when it's all over. Patriots 5th Quarter will also have you covered following the game on myTV38.
