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New England Patriots 17, Jets 16: The good, the bad and the ugly from another close loss for Rex Ryan
Darryl Slater | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com By Darryl Slater | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
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on December 21, 2014 at 3:50 PM, updated December 21, 2014 at 3:55 PM
EAST RUTHERFORD -- Another game against the Patriots for Jets coach Rex Ryan, another agonizingly close loss.
Ryan, who almost certainly will be fired after the season, is now 4-9 against the Patriots during his time as the Jets' coach, including 1-7 in his past eight games.
Sunday's loss -- Patriots 17, Jets 16 -- drops the Jets to 3-12 on the season, with one game remaining, next week at Miami.
Of Ryan's previous four losses to New England before Sunday, three were by very small margins: two, three and three points. Last year in MetLife Stadium, the Jets won by three.
And yet again Sunday, Ryan's Jets lost a tight one to the Patriots.
Here's a look at the good, the bad and the ugly from this game:
THE GOOD
Ryan's defense kept the Jets in the game against the NFL's top-scoring offense. The Patriots, who entered Sunday averaging 31.6 points, had scored 20 in every game this season, except two -- 14 against the Chiefs and 16 against the Raiders. After the Jets got a field goal to take a 17-16 lead with 7:53 remaining, the Jets had out-gained the Patriots 311 yards to 180. The Jets sacked Tom Brady four times in the first half, after which the Patriots had 52 yards and the Jets led 10-7. But it wasn't enough.
THE BAD
When the Jets kicked a field goal to go up 13-7 with 6:39 remaining in the third quarter, they had out-gained the Patriots 252 yards to 61 at that point. But the Jets were 0 for 2 in the red zone, having settled for field goals on their first two trips inside the Patriots' 20-yard line. This has been an issue for the Jets all season. They entered Sunday 31st in the NFL in red-zone percentage (41 percent). They went 2 for 2 in the red zone in last week's win at the Titans. But in their previous five games before Tennessee, they went 2 for 12. So even after going up 13-7 on the Patriots on Sunday, the Jets were 4 for 16 in the red zone in their last six-plus games. With 7:53 left in the game, the Jets got all the way to the Patriots' 10, where they had second-and-8. But they again had to settle for a field goal, moving them to 0 for 3 in the red zone Sunday. The field goal cut New England's lead to 17-16.
THE UGLY
The Jets lost center Nick Mangold in the second quarter to an ankle injury, and he did not return, after being carted off. With one game remaining in this season, it sure looks like Mangold's year is over, though the severity of the injury remains unclear. Mangold, a first-round draft pick by the Jets in 2006, has missed just two games in his entire career, both in 2011. The injury is unfortunate for Mangold, who was having a strong season, and is in contention to make his sixth Pro Bowl. Mangold had just one penalty all season before Sunday. His replacement, second-year pro Dalton Freeman, was flagged for holding in the third quarter. This was a tough spot for Freeman to enter the game, particularly since the Patriots have Vince Wilfork at defensive tackle.
Darryl Slater | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com By Darryl Slater | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
Email the author | Follow on Twitter
on December 21, 2014 at 3:50 PM, updated December 21, 2014 at 3:55 PM
EAST RUTHERFORD -- Another game against the Patriots for Jets coach Rex Ryan, another agonizingly close loss.
Ryan, who almost certainly will be fired after the season, is now 4-9 against the Patriots during his time as the Jets' coach, including 1-7 in his past eight games.
Sunday's loss -- Patriots 17, Jets 16 -- drops the Jets to 3-12 on the season, with one game remaining, next week at Miami.
Of Ryan's previous four losses to New England before Sunday, three were by very small margins: two, three and three points. Last year in MetLife Stadium, the Jets won by three.
And yet again Sunday, Ryan's Jets lost a tight one to the Patriots.
Here's a look at the good, the bad and the ugly from this game:
THE GOOD
Ryan's defense kept the Jets in the game against the NFL's top-scoring offense. The Patriots, who entered Sunday averaging 31.6 points, had scored 20 in every game this season, except two -- 14 against the Chiefs and 16 against the Raiders. After the Jets got a field goal to take a 17-16 lead with 7:53 remaining, the Jets had out-gained the Patriots 311 yards to 180. The Jets sacked Tom Brady four times in the first half, after which the Patriots had 52 yards and the Jets led 10-7. But it wasn't enough.
THE BAD
When the Jets kicked a field goal to go up 13-7 with 6:39 remaining in the third quarter, they had out-gained the Patriots 252 yards to 61 at that point. But the Jets were 0 for 2 in the red zone, having settled for field goals on their first two trips inside the Patriots' 20-yard line. This has been an issue for the Jets all season. They entered Sunday 31st in the NFL in red-zone percentage (41 percent). They went 2 for 2 in the red zone in last week's win at the Titans. But in their previous five games before Tennessee, they went 2 for 12. So even after going up 13-7 on the Patriots on Sunday, the Jets were 4 for 16 in the red zone in their last six-plus games. With 7:53 left in the game, the Jets got all the way to the Patriots' 10, where they had second-and-8. But they again had to settle for a field goal, moving them to 0 for 3 in the red zone Sunday. The field goal cut New England's lead to 17-16.
THE UGLY
The Jets lost center Nick Mangold in the second quarter to an ankle injury, and he did not return, after being carted off. With one game remaining in this season, it sure looks like Mangold's year is over, though the severity of the injury remains unclear. Mangold, a first-round draft pick by the Jets in 2006, has missed just two games in his entire career, both in 2011. The injury is unfortunate for Mangold, who was having a strong season, and is in contention to make his sixth Pro Bowl. Mangold had just one penalty all season before Sunday. His replacement, second-year pro Dalton Freeman, was flagged for holding in the third quarter. This was a tough spot for Freeman to enter the game, particularly since the Patriots have Vince Wilfork at defensive tackle.
