Jones tosses 2 TDs, Patriots roll 54-13 as Jets lose Wilson
Oct 24, 2021, 1:32 AM | Updated: 5:11 pm
New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones smiles while talking with reporters during a news conference following an NFL football game, Sunday, Oct. 24, 2021, in Foxborough, Mass. The Patriots defeated the New York Jets 54-13, for Jones' first home season win. (AP Photo/Mary Schwalm)
(AP Photo/Mary Schwalm)
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — The Patriots walked off the field Sunday with the type of win that had eluded them. The Jets left with two losses, one that could further complicate an already frustrating year.
Mac Jones threw two touchdown passes in his first 300-yard game, Damien Harris and J.J. Taylor ran for two TDs each and New England won for the first time at home this season, rolling past New York 54-13.
“We finally kind of saw a little bit of a result that was good, and we’ve just got to stick to the formula and stick to the process,” Jones said.
The Patriots (3-4) earned their 12th straight victory and sixth consecutive season sweep over the Jets (1-5), who played most of the game without rookie quarterback Zach Wilson after the second overall draft pick left with 12:31 remaining in the second quarter with a right knee injury.
Wilson was hit by Patriots linebacker Matt Judon, who fell on the back of Wilson’s legs after he released a pass that fell incomplete for Keelan Cole. Wilson initially was down for several minutes as he was examined by the training staff before eventually being able to walk off the field on his own power. He did not return and was replaced by Mike White — who hadn’t previously taken an NFL regular-season snap.
Wilson said the initial diagnosis is an injured posterior cruciate ligament.
“At first, it wasn’t necessarily like a painful thing,” he said. “I felt a pop. I felt a twist. So you kind of know when it’s different than just getting some sort of bruise or getting landed on. I knew something had happened.”
Wilson will have an MRI and further evaluation Monday.
“Initially you feel good. But you never know,” Jets coach Robert Saleh said.
Jones finished 24 of 36 for 307 yards, and Harris rushed 14 times for 106 yards to lead a Patriots offense that gained a season-high 551 yards. Safety Kyle Dugger and J.C. Jackson both added interceptions.
“We’ve got to do that every time. It can’t be a one-time thing,” Jones said.
The 54 points are the most allowed by the Jets since losing 55-21 at New England on Oct. 29, 1978. It is the fourth-most points ever allowed by New York.
“They punched us in the mouth and scored points,” Saleh said. “Been part of some of those in my life. They don’t feel good.”
White eventually finished off the drive following Wilson’s injury with a 3-yard TD pass to Corey Davis to pull New York within 17-7. White ended the day 20 of 32 for 202 yards and two interceptions.
The Patriots dominated the rest of the period, scoring twice more to take a 31-7 lead into halftime. The Jets have been outscored in the first half 106-20 this season.
New England went to their bag of trick plays on the game’s opening drive to take a 7-0 lead just 2:17 into the game.
Jones threw a pass behind the line of scrimmage to receiver Kendrick Bourne, who faked the run before stopping and tossing a 25-yard touchdown pass over the top to a wide-open Nelson Agholor. It was the first career NFL pass for Bourne. The Patriots covered 65 yards in just four plays.
After a Jets punt, New England moved quickly again, getting into the red zone after just five plays courtesy of a 32-yard run by Harris.
Harris capped it two plays later with a 1-yard touchdown run.
“I think we’re finding out who we are, play by play,” Bourne said. “The rhythm was right.”
INJURIES
Jets: LB Jamien Sherwood, RB Ty Johnson and LB Quincy Williams were all evaluated for concussions in the third quarter. Johnson and Sherwood returned, but Sherwood left again with a calf injury. … LB Blake Cashman also left in the third with a groin injury.
Patriots: S Devin McCourty (abdomen), DL Carl Davis (wrist), TE Jonnu Smith (shoulder) and LB Harvey Langi (knee) all left in the second quarter. … RG Shaq Mason left in the fourth quarter with an injured abdomen.
1ST-QUARTER WOES
The Jets trailed 14-0 at the end of the first quarter and have gone scoreless for each of the first six games (outscored 44-0) this season.
The last team to be held scoreless in the opening period over its first six games was the 2008 Detroit Lions, who went 0-16 that season.
LITTLE MAN SACK
Patriots 5-foot-9 cornerback Myles Bryant brought a quick end to the Jets’ first possession, blitzing untouched off the slot and dropping Wilson for an 8-yard sack.
It was the first career sack for the second-year Bryant, who appeared in just his third game of the season.
FOLK HERO
New England’s Nick Folk made two field goals, giving him 301 for his career. He’s the 35th player to reach 300 and is fifth active kicker to reach the mark, joining San Francisco’s Robbie Gould, Green Bay’s Mason Crosby, Arizona’s Matt Prater and Baltimore’s Justin Tucker.
UP NEXT
Jets: Host the Bengals next Sunday.
Patriots: Visit the Chargers next Sunday.
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