Patriots vs. Jets: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Patriots Game 10: Patriots 31 – Jets 34 (OT)

The Good:

Rookie linebacker Jerod Mayo fills gaps in the running game with authority, finishing with a team-high 20 tackles (16 solo), while adding one pass defended.

Randy Moss' 16-yard touchdown with one second left, in which he kept his feet in bounds and caught the ball outstretched while falling out of bounds is one of the great clutch catches in recent memory.

The Bad:

Kickoff coverage Unit, comprised of Kelley Washington, Pierre Woods-or-Le Kevin Smith, Sam Aiken, Heath Evans, James Sanders, Larry Izzo, Gary Guyton, Brandon Meriweather, Matthew Slater, Ellis Hobbs-or-Ray Ventrone and Stephen Gostkowski struggled to contain Leon Washington.

While the Patriots out gained the Jets 511-375, New York made the plays when it counted, going 9-of-16 (56 percent) on third downs, while New England was just 4-of-14 (28 percent).

The Jets scored on their first three series, plus a 92-yard kickoff return by Leon Washington, four days after scoring on all seven of their first-half possessions in a 47-3 rout of the St. Louis Rams.

Cornerback Ellis Hobbs can't make the play on a 46-yard catch in the second quarter that sets up a touchdown to give the Jets a 24-6 lead.

The Patriots picked up a pair of first downs on their second possession of the second half, but the drive was short-circuited by a mis-communication on a shotgun snap that led to a 24-yard loss when Matt Cassel wasn't ready for the feed from center Dan Koppen.

The Ugly:

Jay Feely knocked in a 34-yard field goal with 7:11 remaining in overtime to give the Jets a 34-31 win. The victory gave New York sole possession of first place in the AFC East!!!

Brett Farve played mistake free football! After seven consecutive games with an interception earlier this year, Favre didn't throw one for the second straight contest. Favre went 26-of-33 for 258 yards and two touchdowns, and was 5-of-6 for 54 yards in OT, setting up Feely's winning field goal.

The Patriots had won eight consecutive overtime games (including playoffs) before falling to the Jets. It was the longest such streak in NFL history.

Final Thoughts:

"I would say it was a tough loss. I thought our players fought hard. We made a lot of plays, the Jets made a lot of plays. In the end they made a couple more than we did. Give them credit. We’re close, just not quite good enough tonight." -- Patriots Coach Bill Belichick

"Anytime you can come back from a 24-6 deficit, it's a building block. That was great for the team." -- Patriots QB Matt Cassel

“This is big win for the morale of the team. The enthusiasm and the excitement of the guys on the team, I haven’t seen that in a long time. It brings back fond memories of what I got accustomed to." -- Newly Jets acquired CB Ty Law

The loss to the Jets wasted a brilliant performance by Matt Cassel, whose first pro start after Brady's season-ending knee injury in the opener came in a 19-10 win over the Jets. Cassel completed 30 of 51 passes for 400 yards, all career highs, and three touchdowns. He ran eight times for 62 yards.

WR Wes Welker extended his record of catching at least six passes in a game to start the season to 10 games.

Matt Cassel threw for 400 yards and ran for 62 yards, becoming the first player since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger to have 400 or more passing yards and 60 or more rushing yards in a game. His 62 rushing yards are the most by a Patriots quarterback in a game in more than 30 years.