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Week 1 Game Recap: New England Patriots 38, New York Jets 14
What you need to know
| New England Patriots |
The Patriots came into this game with some new weapons to show off, and that is exactly what they did in this match up with the New York Jets. The early stages of the game were a back and forth chess match between the two teams resulting in a 14-7 Patriots lead going into halftime. It was with this break, that the Patriots were the ones that seemingly made all the right moves, sprinting out of the gate in the second half and outscoring the Jets 24-7, en route to a big week one victory.
Tom Brady had all kinds of time and consistently spread the wealth through out the air. He hit Wes Welker early and often, and as the game opened up, so did his on-field relationship with newly acquired Randy Moss, connecting with him nine times for 189 yards and a score. There never seemed to be a time where Brady was hurried or rushed and many of his big gains came on third and long.
The rushing game of the Patriots featured a dual-attack consisting of Laurence Maroney and Sammy Morris working together to accumulate a total of 126 yards. Maroney started the game, carrying 20 times for 72 yards, while Sammy Morris provided some spark of his own, carrying 11 times for 54 yards. The Patriots seamlessly worked both backs in during all four quarters and Maroney and Morris found room to run all day long. It seemed pretty clear that Morris will have a valuable role in this offense.
The Patriots defense looked stout and put pressure on Chad Pennington and the Jets for four quarters, accumulating five total sacks. Scheming their way through many different looks on the defensive side of the ball, they allowed only 202 yards through the air, while holding Thomas Jones and company to a miniscule 60 total rush yards. Their special teams, which could have provided the biggest play of the day, got a record setting 108 yard kick return from Ellis Hobbs to open up the second half and providing an insurmountable lead.
| New York Jets |
The Jets came into their week one game looking for revenge from last year's playoff loss. A confident and rejuvenated Jets team hung with the Patriots for the first 30 minutes of football; However, New York could not keep up with the high powered Patriots attack and left the Meadowlands with an opening day loss.
Chad Pennington picked his way through the New England secondary and worked the Jets down the field connecting on 16 of his 21 passes, two of which were touchdowns to Laveranues Coles. He performed well and kept his composure, despite being pressured all day and sacked five times in total. During the middle of the third quarter he was brought down and seemingly had his ankle rolled up on, causing him to limp off the field under his own power, to a chorus of cheers for backup quarterback Kellen Clemens who was taking the field. Clemens saw only limited action, completing five passes for 35 yards before Pennington returned to action. Pennington later gave way again to Clemens.
Thomas Jones and the Jets' rushing attack had a hard time finding room to run against a penetrating front of the New England Patriots. Jones had 14 carries for 42 yards, most of which came in the 2nd half of the ball game as he had little space to work with in the first two quarters. Leon Washington provided some extra pop to the rushing attack, using his elusiveness and carrying four times for 15 yards, while adding three catches for a total of 30 yards
The Jets receiving corps had a busy day on their opening weekend, with Laveranues Coles being the beneficiary of two touchdown passes from quarterback Chad Pennington. His eight targets were second best to Jerricho Cotchery, who was targeted nine times, pulling in six of those for 57 total yards.
The New York Jets defense was on the field for over 33 minutes of the game. They provided no pressure to New England quarterback Tom Brady and did not record any sacks or interceptions, as they allowed 431 total yards of offense, and looked outmatched.
What you ought to know
| QB Tom Brady, Pass: 22 - 28 - 297 - 3 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 1 - 4 - 0 |
Brady provided much of the offense, tossing three touchdown passes and amassing 297 yards. He looked sharp with his passes, completing 78% of them while spreading most of his looks out to Randy Moss and Wes Welker. His highlight of the day was a perfectly thrown deep ball that allowed Randy Moss to run under it for a 51 yard touchdown reception. Brady seemed to have all day to pick apart the New York defense and was able to step up in the pocket to deliver pinpoint accurate strikes.
| RB Laurence Maroney, Rush: 20 - 72 - 0 |
Maroney was a workhorse getting the first three carries of the game, followed by 17 more through the four quarters on his way to 72 total rushing yards for the day. He ran hard and hit his holes quickly moving the chains against an under whelmed Jets defense.
| RB Sammy Morris, Rush: 11 - 54 - 0, Rec: 2 - 11 - 0 (2 targets) |
Morris provided a change of pace for the Patriots rushing 11 times 54 total yards. He looked quick and punishing while running and receiving as he also caught two balls for 11 yards. He's a more physical runner than Maroney and looks to have a definite role in this offense.
| RB Kevin Faulk, Rush: 1 - 4 - 0, Rec: 1 - 9 - 0 (1 targets) |
Faulk saw one target, which was good for a nine yard gain. He also rushed once for four yards.
| WR Randy Moss, Rec: 9 - 183 - 1 (9 targets) |
Moss had a game that was reminiscent of his days in Minnesota, hauling in all nine of his targets for 183 yards and a touchdown. He worked the Jets secondary, always finding a space in traffic and made some very difficult catches. His return to the old days was topped off with a patented deep ball, which he ran under, and converted into a 51 yard touchdown catch. He made it look easy outrunning defenders when it came time to kick into another gear. From an attitude standpoint, he looked thrilled to be a Patriot. He was laughing and congratulating Wes Welker early in the game after Welker's TD. After the game, he said he'd never played with a coaching staff or QB like he has now.
| WR Wes Welker, Rec: 6 - 61 - 1 (9 targets) |
Welker saw nine total targets as well, hauling in six of them for 61 total yards and the game's first touchdown. On a third and eight from the Jets' 11 yard line, Welker caught a 5 yard hook pass and did the rest by foot, racking up seven hard fought yards to find the end zone. He seemed to be always open and Brady did not hesitate to look his way early and often.
| WR Jabar Gaffney, Rec: 1 - 5 - 0 (2 targets) |
Gaffney seemed to be lost in the onslaught of Randy Moss and Wes Welker; however he was targeted twice, reeling in one of those targets for a five yard gain
| WR Donte Stallworth, Rec: 1 - 19 - 0 (2 targets) |
Stallworth was a player who seemed lost in the Patriots game plan. He was also targeted twice, catching one pass for nineteen yards from quarterback Tom Brady.
| TE Ben Watson, Rec: 2 - 9 - 1 (2 targets) |
Watson made the most out of his two targets, hauling both of them in for nine total yards and his first touchdown of the season, which was a five yard, pass on a third and goal.
| PK Stephen Gostkowski 1 - 1 FG, 5 - 5 XP, 8 points |
Gostkowski made a 22 yard field goal in the fourth quarter, and converted four extra point attempts.
| NE Rush Defense |
The front four of the Patriots did a great job stopping the run, giving up a total of only 60 yards, while not allowing a touchdown. Thomas Jones and Leon Washington seemed to have nowhere to run, which was evident by a 12 yard Jones scamper, which was the longest of the day.
| NE Pass Defense |
The Patriots pass defense was swarming and put pressure on Chad Pennington throughout the game. They accumulated five total sacks and allowed 202 yards through the air. They gave up their only points of the game through the air, which came on two touchdown passes from Chad Pennington to Laveranues Coles.
| QB Chad Pennington, Pass: 16 - 21 - 167 - 2 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 1 - 3 - 0 (1 targets) |
Pennington had a pretty solid day despite being under pressure and hurried for most of the game. His accuracy led him to a day where he saw 76 percent of his passes completed for 167 yards and two touchdowns. He threw no interceptions and was consistently finding an open man. On a third quarter drive, Penning suffered what appeared to be an ankle injury and had to hobble of to the sidelines. Backup quarterback Kellen Clemens came in for the remainder of the series while Pennington was being attended to on the sidelines. The Jets starting quarterback returned a series later to lead a touchdown drive, which ended on a pass to Laveranues Coles. This was the end of his day however; as he retired to the sidelines in the fourth quarter, with the game seemingly out reach for the Jets.
| QB Kellen Clemens, Pass: 5 - 10 - 35 - 0 TD / 0 INT |
Clemens saw his first action of the season late in the third quarter, in relief of Chad Pennington. He was five of ten for 35 yards.
| RB Thomas Jones, Rush: 14 - 42 - 0, Rec: 1 - 6 - 0 (2 targets) |
Jones had a rough start to his debut as the feature running back for the New York Jets. At the end of the first half, he was under ten total rushing yards for the game. The New England defense was putting consistent pressure on the offense, getting through the gap and plugging up the running lanes. After the first half Jones showed some good burst and elusiveness, finishing the day with 14 rushes for 42 yards. He was targeted twice, once by each quarterback, which he converted into one catch for a six yard gain.
| RB Leon Washington, Rush: 4 - 15 - 0, Rec: 3 - 30 - 0 (3 targets) |
Washington started the game and provided some zip to the outside running and passing games. The Jets came on to the field in a spread offensive formation, which featured Washington in the package. He was called upon on the second play of the game, rushing three yards, as well as well as the very next play, where he caught an eleven-yard screen pass. The Jets coaching staff did a good job giving Washington ample time in the backfield, where he amassed 30 yards on three catches, and added another 15 yards rushing on four carries.
| WR Laveranues Coles, Rec: 7 - 59 - 2 (8 targets) |
Coles had a big game Sunday pulling in seven of his nine targets for 56 yards and two scores. He seemed to be Chad Pennington's go-to receiver as evident by his second touchdown catch of the game from the Jets signal caller. On a first and goal from the one yard line, Pennington threw a stop-fade to Coles, which was bobbled and broken up for an incomplete pass. The very next play was a second and goal in which Pennington called Coles number again, hitting him on the same pattern, for a one yard score.
| WR Jerricho Cotchery, Rec: 6 - 57 - 0 (9 targets) |
Cotchery was the possession receiver for the Jets on Sunday, totaling nine targets on passes mainly in the middle of the field. He hauled in six of his nine targets for 57 yards and was looked upon in many key third down situations. Cotchery showed good ability to run after the catch as he fought for some very tough yardage through out the day tough.
| WR Justin McCareins, Rec: 1 - 10 - 0 (3 targets) |
McCareins was targeted three times, all being in the fourth quarter from quarterback Kellen Clemens. He managed to pull one of these three targets down, which was good for a ten-yard gain.
| TE Chris Baker, Rec: 2 - 29 - 0 (3 targets) |
Baker saw three targets on the day, hauling in two of them for a total of twenty nine yards. He was used mainly as a check down option for quarterback Chad Pennington, who had to hit Baker once, as he was scrambling out of the pocket.
| PK Mike Nugent 0 - 0 FG, 2 - 2 XP, 2 points |
Nugent did not have any field goal attempts, but did convert two extra point attempts.
| NYJ Rush Defense |
The rush defense of the Jets had a long day at the office. They were constantly gashed for runs over five yards, while giving up a total of 134 yards on the ground. Whether it was Laurence Maroney or Sammy Morris, the Jets seemed to have no answer for either rusher.
| NYJ Pass Defense |
The Jets were overmatched in the passing game and it showed, as they allowed 297 passing yards and three touchdowns through the air. They had no answer for the spread offense that the Patriots employed, as Randy Moss and Wes Welker both had big days. Tom Brady went the entire game without being sacked and the New England offense averaged 10.6 yards per passing play.
