NEW YORK JETS DAILY CLIPS

October 26, 2015

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Table of Contents

ASSOCIATED PRESS ................................................................................................................................................ 2

Jets come up short again in New England, lost to Pats 30-23 (Pat Eaton-Robb) ...................................................... 2

NEWSDAY .............................................................................................................................................................. 3

Secondary guessing: Jets mistake leads to key Pat's completion (Greg Logan) ........................................................ 3

Jets have win within reach, let it slip away to Patriots (Kimberley A. Martin) .......................................................... 4

Steve Weatherford: 'I'm not happy with the way I punted' (Kimberley A. Martin) .................................................. 6

No moral victories, but Jets acquitted themselves well (Greg Logan) ...................................................................... 6

THE RECORD .......................................................................................................................................................... 8

Brady, unbeaten Patriots turn it on in 4th, beat Jets 30-23 (J.P. Pelzman) ............................................................... 8

Jets notes: Shaky return for Steve Weatherford (J.P. Pelzman) ................................................................................ 9

NEW YORK TIMES ................................................................................................................................................ 10

Tom Brady Throws, and Throws Again, as the Patriots Top the Jets (Ben Shpigel) ................................................ 10

Stakes Rise for Jets, but Coach Todd Bowles Plays the Same Hand (William C. Rhoden) ....................................... 11

ESPN NEW YORK .................................................................................................................................................. 13

New era for Jets, but same ol' result -- too much Tom Brady (Rich Cimini) ............................................................ 13

Brandon Marshall takes blame for Jets' loss to Patriots (Rich Cimini) .................................................................... 14

Ryan Fitzpatrick up, Brandon Marshall down in Jets' loss (Rich Cimini).................................................................. 15

NEW YORK POST .................................................................................................................................................. 16

Jets’ dramatic finish falls flat in gut-wrenching loss to Patriots (Bart Hubbuch) .................................................... 16

Patriots’ SOB may never stop torturing the Jets (Steve Serby) ............................................................................... 17

Ryan Fitzpatrick salvages game after nightmare 2nd play (Brian Costello) ............................................................ 19

Jets’ sky-high Chris Ivory hopes were dashed on very 1st play Bart Hubbuch) ...................................................... 20

‘Pissed’ Jets send loud message to Patriots: This is a battle (Mark Cannizzaro) ..................................................... 21

Jets rip hearts out of gambling Patriots fans (Brian Costello) ................................................................................. 22

Rob Gronkowski blew up every scheme helpless Jets had (Bart Hubbuch) ............................................................ 23

Jets report card: How low can their special teams go? (Brian Costello) ................................................................. 24

NJ ADVANCE MEDIA ............................................................................................................................................ 24

Nick Mangold, Buster Skrine, Calvin Pryor | Jets injury update after loss to New England Patriots (Dom Cosentino) ............................................................................................................................................................... 24

Leonard Williams says Jets showed, in loss, that they won't be 'run over' by New England Patriots (Darryl Slater) ................................................................................................................................................................................. 25

Jets' Brandon Marshall: 'My A** should be walking back to New York' (Darryl Slater) .......................................... 26

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New England Patriots 30, Jets 23: The good, the bad, the ugly from another bitter defeat in Foxborough (Darryl Slater) ...................................................................................................................................................................... 27

Jets' Chris Ivory says hamstring tightness limited him in loss to New England Patriots (Darryl Slater) .................. 28

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS ...................................................................................................................................... 29

Jets RB Chris Ivory hurts hamstring in loss to Patriots (Seth Walder) .................................................................... 29

Patriots too much for Jets, win AFC East showdown 30-23 (Seth Walder) ............................................................. 30

Jets make too many costly mistakes late to beat defending champion Patriots (Manish Mehta) ......................... 32

Jets hold breath over Nick Mangold's injury (Seth Walder) .................................................................................... 33

METRO NEW YORK .............................................................................................................................................. 34

Jets show they're no pushovers in AFC showdown loss to Patriots (Kristian Dyer) ................................................ 34

SUNDAY’S SPORTS TRANSACTIONS ...................................................................................................................... 35

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Jets come up short again in New England, lost to Pats 30-23 (Pat Eaton-Robb) Associated Press October 25, 2015

http://www.pro32.ap.org/article/jets-come-short-again-new-england-lost-pats-30-23

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Brandon Marshall recovered an onside kick that gave the New York Jets a chance against the New England Patriots.

Then, his false start penalty led to a 10-second clock runoff that ended the game and left the Jets with a frustrating 30-23 loss to their AFC East rivals Sunday.

"Games like this, situations like this, it creates championship teams or it creates teams that fold," Marshall said. "We'll take a day and get this nasty taste out of our mouth and come tomorrow and move on."

New York led 20-16 in the fourth quarter, outgained the Patriots 372 yards to 353, and held New England to just 16 yards rushing. But the Jets could not hold on, coming up short for the ninth time in their last 11 meetings with the Patriots, and losing a chance to move into a tie for the division lead.

The Jets (4-2) held New England (6-0) to just 16 points and 205 yard over the first three quarters. But Tom Brady threw for a pair of touchdowns in the fourth, completing 13 of 16 passes for 135 yards in the final 15 minutes.

The Super Bowl MVP was 34 of 54 for 355 yards overall — numbers that would have been even better if not for the 11 drops by his receivers, six by newly activated Brandon LaFell.

"Tom is great at dissecting any defense and that's what he did down the stretch," said Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis, who spent last season in New England. "He ended up making more plays than us. He ended up finding the matchups that he wanted to find and made the plays he needed to throw."

The Jets rallied in the final minute, kicking a 55-yard field goal on first down with 18 seconds left and then recovering the onside kick. But after a short pass from Ryan Fitzpatrick left the Jets 37 yards from the tying score, before Marshall's penalty ended the game.

"There is a lot of fight in this team, but we know that," Fitzpatrick said. "We can't really take any moral victories from it."

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Fitzpatrick finished 22 of 39 for 295 yards and two touchdowns. Chris Ivory, who entered as the AFC's leading rusher, was held to 41 yards on 17 carries while dealing with a sore hamstring he tweaked early in the game.

"He was in the game and he was healthy," coach Todd Bowles said. "You've got to give (the Patriots' defense) credit. They get paid, too."

Fitzpatrick fumbled on the second play of the game, giving the Patriots the ball at the New York 19. After losing 1 yard in three plays — including Brady's first sack of the game — Stephen Gostkowski kicked the first of his three field goals.

Folk tied it for New York and then the Jets went 83 yards on the next drive to take a 10-3 lead on Fitzpatrick's 5-yard pass to Jeremy Kerley.

On the next New England possession, the Patriots stalled with a third-and-10 at the Jets 13, but Brady scrambled for 11 yards for the first down. James White was stopped short of the goal line and, after an incompletion to Gronkowski, Brady connected with the big tight end but he couldn't get into the end zone.

On fourth down from the 1, Brady jumped over the line on a keeper to make it 10-10.

Gostkowski's second field goal gave New England the 13-10 lead going into the half.

Rob Gronkowski had a career-high 11 catches for 108 yards and a touchdown, Danny Amendola had eight for 86 and a TD and Brady also scored on a keeper from the 1 to give the defending Super Bowl champions their ninth straight victory, dating to last year's playoffs.

New York led 20-16 after Fitzpatrick hit Ivory for a 9-yard score late in the third and Nick Folk kicked the second of his three field goals. Brady was 7 for 8 for 85 yards on the next drive, finishing it off with an 8-yard touchdown pass to Amendola, who was upended before landing on the goal line.

The Jets went four-and-out and then Brady took over again, completing seven of nine attempts for 65 yards and ending it on a 15-yarder to a wide open Gronkowski, who trotted in untouched to make it 30-20.

"It's Week 7," Revis said. "We knew what this game meant in terms of being on top in the division. But we're fine. We've got a long season."

NOTES: Bowles said center Nick Mangold suffered a neck injury and would have X-rays on Monday to determine the extent of the injury. ... Steve Weatherford averaged 40.3 yards on four punts for the Jets after being signed Saturday. Bowles said Ryan Quigley was fine during the week, but had a swollen right shin Saturday and was added to the injury report. "He couldn't move it and it was black and blue," Bowles said, "and we had to get a punter."

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NEWSDAY

Secondary guessing: Jets mistake leads to key Pat's completion (Greg Logan) Newsday October 25, 2015

http://www.newsday.com/sports/football/jets/secondary-guessing-jets-mistake-leads-to-key-pat-s-completion-1.11009150

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - Most of Darrelle Revis' Sunday afternoon was spent renewing his acquaintance with former Patriots teammate Julian Edelman. There were times in the third quarter when it seemed as

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if Revis was in Edelman's head as the slot receiver argued with the officials for an interference call and then dropped a pass at the goal line that was a sure touchdown.

As the game stretched into the fourth quarter with the Jets protecting a four-point lead, Revis thought they had the Patriots and quarterback Tom Brady right where they wanted them, facing third-and-17 at their own 27. But that's where it all came unraveled for the Jets. Revis was stuck in zone coverage when Edelman found open space for a 27-yard reception on which he beat safety Dion Bailey, who was playing in place of injured starter Calvin Pryor.

The Patriots went on to a 30-23 victory, and Revis' only consolation was the Super Bowl ring he won with them last season.

"He makes plays, especially down the stretch," Revis said of Brady. "I felt like the key play was that third-and-17 where Edelman slipped into the middle of the field and made a big play.

"I thought that was the turning point. That's when the momentum changed."

First-year Jets coach Todd Bowles agreed with Revis, explaining he felt the Jets had to change it up on Brady in that situation. Bowles blamed himself for making an adjustment on the sideline and not going onto the field to communicate it clearly to Bailey.

The second-year safety said he'll find out Monday what his mistake was, but he counted it as a valuable learning experience in his first time facing Brady.

"Anybody can watch film and think they've got it down pat," Bailey said. "But you go out there and it's live bullets, and they're making adjustments and we're making adjustments. I'm not going to go out there and pick him off 30 times. He's Tom Brady. He's good at what he does. I'll get better with experience."

Explaining his view of the play, Bailey said: "I thought he was running another route. He disguised it well, and Tom anticipated it. It was a great throw and catch. It's thousands of reps with them and not enough reps with me going against it."

There was a lot more to the loss than that one play, but it was critical to a fourth quarter in which Brady completed 11 of 13 passes while leading touchdown drives of 80 and 68 yards. "Tom is great at dissecting any defense down the stretch, and that's what he did," Revis said. "He ended up finding the matchups he wanted to find and made the throws he needed to throw."

Naturally, the New England media wanted to know how Revis felt facing the team that rented him last season. He gave them nothing, saying, "It was a Week 7 game."

As for his brief exchange with Brady after the game, Revis said, "He just said, 'Good seeing you.' "

Just like old times.

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Jets have win within reach, let it slip away to Patriots (Kimberley A. Martin) Newsday October 25, 2015

http://www.newsday.com/sports/football/jets/jets-can-t-stop-tom-brady-in-fourth-quarter-in-30-23-loss-to-patriots-1.11008617

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - Brandon Marshall just sat there, staring off into space.

With his legs outstretched and just a towel around his waist, the Jets receiver seemed frozen in time.

The eerie quiet inside the visitors' locker room at Gillette Stadium said it all.

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"It wasn't good enough today," Marshall said after the Jets' deflating 30-23 loss to the Patriots on Sunday.

New England improved to 6-0 overall and 2-0 in the AFC East while the Jets dropped to 4-2, 1-1.

Marshall's drop in the end zone on a potential touchdown pass, a third-and-17 conversion against Todd Bowles' defense and questionable late-game decisions contributed to one giant missed opportunity for the Jets.

"I'm [ticked] off because I feel like we had them," right guard Willie Colon said. "I feel like we were the better team out there, but obviously, we were not . . . They beat us fair and square and that is the bottom line."

Despite the loss, the consensus among players is that the 2015 Jets aren't far behind the Patriots. Asked to describe the gap between the two teams, Marshall said: "Very small."

Said Calvin Pace: "I don't think there is a gap. I thought the game plan that we came with, I thought was excellent. We just didn't do enough."

And that makes the loss sting even more.

"You show me a good loser, I'll show you a loser," Bowles said. "So we are going to stew over it for a night and get ready for Oakland."

With the Jets leading 17-16 early in the fourth quarter, Ryan Fitzpatrick (22-for-39 for 295 yards, two touchdowns) looked to his favorite target on third-and-7 from the Patriots' 12. Marshall tried to adjust to Fitzpatrick's throw, turning his body around and away from the defender in the end zone, but couldn't hold on to the ball. The Jets were forced to settle for Nick Folk's field goal and a 20-16 lead.

Without hesitation, Marshall accepted responsibility.

"Absolutely, that is all on me," he said after catching four passes for 67 yards. "If I make that play, it puts us in a better position . . . You have to make those plays in games like this. It will definitely be my fuel this week to get better."

From there, it was all Patriots as Tom Brady worked his magic. The Patriots scored twice in the fourth quarter, first on Danny Amendola's 8-yard reception, which was set up by Julian Edelman's 27-yard catch on third-and-17 from the New England 27.

"That was the back-breaker," Jets cornerback Antonio Cromartie said.

On the Patriots' next drive, Brady threw a 15-yard touchdown pass to Rob Gronkowski with 1:13 left to make it 30-20. Gronkowski, Brady's favorite target, caught 11 passes for 108 yards.

Brady, who improved to 21-6 against the Jets in his career, was 34-for-54 for 355 yards with two touchdowns. He also scored on a quarterback sneak.

"This game is on us," linebacker David Harris said, referring to the Jets' defense.

But sprinkled among the blank stares and scowls was some perspective. "It's one game. It's not making us, it's not breaking us," said Cromartie, echoing Bowles' message to the team.

"There is no quit in us," said Fitzpatrick, who rebounded from his sack and lost fumble on the Jets' second play of the game and rushed for 29 yards on five carries.

Seldom-used slot receiver Jeremy Kerley gave the Jets their first lead of the day, 10-3, on a 5-yard touchdown reception early in the second quarter. And although Chris Ivory was a shell of himself (41 yards on 17 carries) because of a tight hamstring, the bruising back easily walked in on a 9-yard touchdown pass that gave the Jets a 17-16 lead in the third quarter.

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"Guys work so hard to be in situations like this, and to come up short is frustrating, but at the same time, there is a lot of football left," Marshall said. "Games like this, situations like this, create championship teams or it creates teams that fold."

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Steve Weatherford: 'I'm not happy with the way I punted' (Kimberley A. Martin) Newsday October 25, 2015

http://www.newsday.com/sports/football/jets/steve-weatherford-i-m-not-happy-with-the-way-i-punted-1.11009400

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - Without warning, Ryan Quigley's right shin began swelling. And it didn't stop.

Everything seemed fine during Friday's practice, the Jets punter said. But by the next morning, the swelling in his leg "was kind of out of control." Turns out he had an infection underneath the skin.

"It started from the blocked punt," Quigley said Sunday, referring to last week's fourth-quarter miscue against the Washington Redskins in which his punt attempt was returned for a touchdown. "I got hit in the shin, so it caused a little scratch. It's one of those crazy things that can happen."

Quigley said he went through his normal week of practice without feeling anything but that on Friday night, "it kind of escalated," he said.

"We were playing it safe today," Quigley added. "We didn't want to risk it because if that gets into the blood, then you'll see problems . . . It was one of those freak things that happens."

Facing a punter emergency, the team signed former Giant (and Jet) Steve Weatherford on Saturday in time for Sunday's game in New England, a 30-23 Patriots win.

"Coming in and not having any work with these guys, I wish I could have given more to the Jets today," said Weatherford, who received the call from the Jets on Saturday morning while co-hosting a radio show on ESPN New York.

On Sunday, he averaged 40.3 yards on four punts. His longest was 50 yards, but he had zero inside the 20 and his 31-yard punt gave the Patriots excellent field position on an eventual scoring drive in the second quarter.

"It was fun being back out there today," said Weatherford, who told reporters he had punted only three times in the past seven weeks, including once last week with his 7-year-old snapping the ball. "But obviously, I'm not very happy at all with the way I punted. This team fought hard. This is a good football team."

Weatherford spent two seasons with the Jets (2009-10) before winning a Super Bowl with the Giants. The Giants released him Sept. 4 because of his large contract.

Asked how Weatherford did in his first game back, coach Todd Bowles said: "He's a vet. I thought he did a good job."

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No moral victories, but Jets acquitted themselves well (Greg Logan) Newsday October 25, 2015

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http://www.newsday.com/sports/columnists/greg-logan/no-moral-victories-but-jets-acquitted-themselves-well-1.11009392

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - The Jets replaced Rex Ryan with Todd Bowles, and they exchanged Ryan's hyperbolic pregame bluster for Bowles' blunt, businesslike approach. But they were up against the same old Bill Belichick and Tom Brady, whose grip on the AFC East is timeless.

For three quarters, the Jets did almost everything right on their way to taking a four-point lead. The Patriots' No. 1 offense didn't even attempt to run against the Jets' No. 1 defense, and quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick played as if he went to Harvard for a PhD in game management, controlling the clock, scrambling for first downs and converting big third-down passes.

But when the clock rolled over to the fourth quarter, Brady again made the plays that beat the Jets, 30-23.

As Belichick's old boss Bill Parcells once wrote, there are "no medals for trying," and Bowles certainly embraced that message when asked what he would take away from his first head-to-head meeting with Belichick as Jets coach.

"Nothing," Bowles said. "We lost. It was our fault. We fought to the end. It wasn't good enough. They played better situational football than we did. We'll watch the film, correct the mistakes and move on."

If you closed your eyes, that answer was an exercise in "Belispeak" in the way it mimicked the Patriots' coach. It's on to Oakland for the Jets. But where Ryan once emoted in over-the-top fashion on these occasions, Bowles kept a tight lid on emotions that were every bit as intense beneath his placid surface.

"Nobody wants to lose, especially us," Bowles said. "But we've got to get over it. It's one game. We're 4-2 . . . We should be upset we lost. Show me a good loser, I'll show you a loser."

The Jets arrived at Gillette Stadium with a defensive game plan that limited Brady and a Patriots offense averaging 36.6 points to one first down in the opening quarter. After going three-and-out three straight times at the end of the first half, the Jets' offense adjusted at halftime and scored 10 third-quarter points to take a 20-16 lead.

But Brady hit a key third-and-17 pass to Julian Edelman to sustain a drive for the go-ahead touchdown pass to Danny Amendola and tacked on another TD pass to Rob Gronkowski for a 30-20 lead before the Jets made it interesting at the end with a field goal and recovered onside kick.

"So many games in this league come down to the last few plays or the last possession or last two possessions," Belichick said. "Being able to make those plays at the right time determines the outcome of a lot of games."

Belichick and Brady have been at it for a while now, but they were tested by a Jets team that has shown professionalism and tenacity in the brief time Bowles has been in charge. It was evident in how they fought at the end.

"We know who we are," Fitzpatrick said. "We know the effort we put in every single day, not just on Sunday. We can't really take any moral victories from it. A loss is a loss, but I still love coming to play with these guys on Sunday."

That attitude is pervasive in the Jets' locker room. Wide receiver Brandon Marshall recently spoke to this team's "spirit," and he doubled down on that sentiment after the loss.

"Games like this create championship teams," Marshall said, "or it creates teams that fold. We'll take a day and get this nasty taste out of our mouth, and come tomorrow, we will move on."

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The Jets were beaten by Brady and Belichick again. But they didn't fold, and the sense is that under Bowles, their talk about fighting back isn't cheap.

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THE RECORD

Brady, unbeaten Patriots turn it on in 4th, beat Jets 30-23 (J.P. Pelzman) The Record October 25, 2015

http://www.northjersey.com/news/brady-unbeaten-patriots-turn-it-on-in-4th-beat-jets-30-23-1.1441069

FOXBORO, Mass. — For three quarters, the Jets held Tom Brady in check, albeit with help from his often-butterfingered receivers.

But in the fourth quarter, Brady broke their hearts, much like he has done many times.

Brady led two touchdown drives in the fourth period to erase a four-point lead and New England held on for a 30-23 victory. Including post-season, Brady is 22-6 against the Jets as a starting quarterback.

Nick Folk kicked a 55-yard field goal with 18 seconds left to cut the Jets’ deficit to seven. Brandon Marshall recovered the onsides kick to give the Jets one final chance, but two plays later, he was called for a false start with one second left, resulting in a 10-second runoff. That ended the game.

After Folk’s 30-yard field goal had given the Jets a 20-16 lead, New England marched 80 yards in 10 plays, scoring on Brady’s 8-yard third-down pass to Danny Amendola. He took a hard hit at the goal line but held on for the catch.

The Jets managed one first down on their next possession, then punted. This time, Brady and the Pats took 10 plays to go 68 yards. Brady caught the Jets in a full blitz and threw 15 yards to tight end Rob Gronkowski for the touchdown, giving the Pats a 30-20 lead with 1:13 to go.

The Jets’ offense started terribly. After running back Chris Ivory was nailed for a 4-yard loss, Ryan Fitzpatrick was sacked by Chandler Jones and fumbled. Dont’a Hightower recovered and the Patriots had the ball at the Jets’ 19-yard-line. But the defense held, with Muhammad Wilkerson sacking Tom Brady on third down. Steve Gostkowski then connected on a 38-yard field goal to give New England a 3-0 lead.

The Jets answered with a 20-yard field goal by Folk, capping a 15-play, 78-yard drive. However, safety Patrick Chung dislodged a potential scoring pass from the hands of tight end Jeff Cumberland in the end zone on third-and-goal from the 2, forcing Folk’s kick. Cumberland had a 16-yard catch on the first play of the drive.

On their third possession, the Jets had a play, 83-yard scoring drive, and this one resulted in a touchdown. Fitzpatrick hit seldom-used wide receiver Jeremy Kerley, who beat rookie cornerback Justin Coleman on the play, for a 5-yard score and a 10-3 lead with 12:30 left in the first half. The Jets converted three third downs on the drive.

New England tied the score at 10 on Brady’s 1-year sneak on fourth and goal with 6:24 left in the second quarter. A 31-yard punt by Steve Weatherford gave the Patriots great field position at the Jets’ 47 and it took New England 11 plays to cash in. Weatherford, who punted for the Jets from 2009-10, was re-signed by the team Saturday because regular punter Ryan Quigley was unable to play because of a leg injury.

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New England went ahead 13-10 on Gostkowski’s 46-yard field goal with two minutes left in the half. On the previous play, the Patriots faced a third-and-1 at the 20, but an unblocked Calvin Pace sacked Brady for an 8-yard loss, making the Pats settle for three points.

New England also was held to a field goal after driving 65 yards with the second-half kickoff. The Patriots had first-and-goal at the 6 but three straight Brady passes went incomplete, including a drop of a sure touchdown pass by Julian Edelman on third down.

The Jets took advantage with an 80-yard drive on 13 plays. Fitzpatrick capped it with a 9-yard pass to Ivory in the left flat, putting the Jets ahead 17-16. The Jets later went ahead 20-16 on Folk’s 30-yard field goal 2:10 into the fourth quarter, one play after Marshall dropped a potential touchdown pass. It would have been a difficult catch, but it was the kind the superstar wideout often makes.

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Jets notes: Shaky return for Steve Weatherford (J.P. Pelzman) The Record October 26, 2015

http://www.northjersey.com/sports/football/jets/jets-notes-shaky-return-for-steve-weatherford-1.1441319

Steve Weatherford was co-hosting a radio sports talk show Saturday morning. A little more than 24 hours later, he was punting in the most pressurized game of the Jets' season thus far.

Unfortunately for Weatherford, two of his punts Sunday might draw some irate calls.

Weatherford, who punted for the Jets in 2009-10, was re-signed Saturday and filled in for injured Ryan Quigley against the Patriots. He averaged 30.8 yards net on four punts. His 31-yarder in the second quarter led to a 47-yard touchdown drive by the Pats, and he hit a 33-yarder in the fourth that was returned by Danny Amendola for 11 yards to the Patriots' 32.

New England's subsequent 68-yard TD march gave it a commanding 10-point lead.

Weatherford, who was released by the Giants on Sept. 4 and has been working on a burgeoning broadcasting career, admitted being somewhat rusty.

"I haven't punted with a snap [and] haven't put on a helmet in [almost] two months," Weatherford said. "It was very difficult, not so much mentally [but physically]. … Punting and kicking is very similar to golfing. If you don't do it for awhile, it's not like riding a bike."

Jets coach Todd Bowles indicated that Quigley showed up at the team's Florham Park complex with a swollen right shin, possibly from the effects of some sort of medication. Bowles said Quigley "was completely healthy all week."

Ivory hamstrung

Jets RB Chris Ivory tweaked his hamstring when he was tackled hard Sunday on the first play from scrimmage. He finished the game, but shared time with backup Zac Stacy. Other than a 9-yard scoring reception in the third quarter, he couldn't get untracked, finishing with a season-low 41 yards on 17 carries as the Patriots often stacked the box.

"It's tough for something like that to happen on the first play," said Ivory, who rode a stationary bike and also ran in place on the sideline to get loose.

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Briefs

SS Calvin Pryor left the game with an ankle injury. Bowles had no update on his condition. Bowles also said C Nick Mangold will have to get X-rays on his neck. He left the game with 54 seconds to play, and literally adding insult to injury, the Jets were charged with a timeout per NFL rules.

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NEW YORK TIMES

Tom Brady Throws, and Throws Again, as the Patriots Top the Jets (Ben Shpigel) New York Times October 25, 2015

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/26/sports/new-england-patriots-tom-brady-beat-jets.html?ref=topics

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — The game was only as big as the Jets wanted it to be, and they did not want it to be big. They arrived at Gillette Stadium seeking not validation but affirmation.

That the league’s best defense could flummox the league’s best offense. That they ranked among the best teams in the conference. That the Jets were as good as they thought they were.

The verdict, delivered on a crisp Sunday afternoon, was cruel. Their 30-23 loss to the unbeaten New England Patriots confirmed the hierarchy in the A.F.C. East: that it is the Patriots followed by everyone else, same as ever.

It came after the Jets led with under 8 minutes left. After place-kicker Nick Folk drew the Jets within 7 points on a 55-yard field goal with 18 seconds remaining. And after the Jets had the possession with a chance to tie the score, after Brandon Marshall recovered an onside kick at the Patriots’ 49-yard line. The Jets ran off one play but not a second, left to rue a dreadful final five minutes.

Needing a stop to regain possession, the Jets yielded 68 yards on 10 plays. The pivotal play was not Tom Brady’s 15-yard victory-securing touchdown pass to Rob Gronkowski, but his 11-yard slant on third down and 10 to Danny Amendola, who dragged Buster Skrine a few yards to extend the drive.

As the fourth quarter began, the Jets led by 17-16, launched in front by a 9-yard touchdown catch by Chris Ivory. They were 15 minutes from first place in the division, from silencing a capacity crowd, from beating the rival Patriots for only the second time in their last nine meetings.

The Jets had been this close before. They were swept last season by New England by a combined 3 points. They had contained Brady only to watch him dissect their defense, with a smart throw or audible, in the fourth quarter. Even as a rookie coach, Todd Bowles understood.

As the interim coach in Miami in 2011, Bowles watched as the Dolphins went up 17-0 at halftime at Gillette. New England wound up winning by 3 points.

“There are four quarters in a game,” Bowles said last week.

And the fourth began with a missed opportunity for the Jets, who settled for Folk’s 30-yard field goal because Marshall dropped a back-shoulder pass that would have been a touchdown. Trailing by 20-16, the Patriots did what they do, what Brady does, even when his receivers have been dropping passes all day.

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On third and 17 from the New England 27, Brady fired a 19-yard pass over the middle to Julian Edelman. Onward the Patriots moved, a 10-play drive ending with an 8-yard touchdown to Amendola that put the Patriots ahead, by 23-20. Brady finished 34 for 54 for 355 yards and two touchdowns. New England won without even pretending to run, gaining a net 16 yards of the ground.

The early kickoff Sunday — the first 1 p.m. start for a Jets game at New England since 2007 — belied the quality of the matchup: the teams’ combined .900 winning percentage entering the game was the second highest this late in the season for them since 2004, when both were undefeated heading into Week 7.

For a rivalry so steeped in acrimony, the week leading up to this latest installment lacked the rancor of past years. The only trash talk emanated from, of all places, a since-deleted tweet from the Patriots’ official account: it posted on Thursday a photo of the former jets quarterback Mark Sanchez slamming into Brandon Moore’s backside on Thanksgiving night 2012 with the message, “This seems relevant.”

Except it really was not, since these are the new Jets, conditioned by Bowles to be confident without expressing it. They knew the game plan could outwit New England. They just had to execute it.

The only guaranteed way to stop Brady is to keep him on the sideline. And to keep him on the sideline, the Jets needed to convert third downs and control the clock. They understood the strategy. They also executed it — in the first quarter, at least.

New England possessed the ball for 3 minutes 46 seconds and scored 3 points. The Jets ran 29 plays across two scoring drives, going 5 for 6 on third downs, in turning a 3-0 deficit into a 10-3 lead. When Ryan Fitzpatrick, who completed 22 of 39 passes for 295 yards and also committed a first-quarter fumble, connected with Jeremy Kerley for a go-ahead 5-yard touchdown, Gillette fell silent.

In a sense, the Jets’ success presaged the struggles that followed, the three straight three-and-outs. Too many times they depended on Fitzpatrick to extend those long drives, with excellent throws on third down, because the Jets’ running game sputtered.

With Ivory’s effectiveness and availability restricted by what appeared to be a left leg injury, the Jets averaged 2.9 yards per carry in the first half. At halftime, Fitzpatrick led his team in rushing, with 26 yards.

Oddly enough, so did Brady, whose 12 yards, gained in a span of five plays, produced the Patriots’ game-tying touchdown.

On his first run, an 11-yard scramble on third and 10, the pocket collapsed, and the Jets could not corral him. On his second, from fourth and goal from the 1, the Jets very likely knew what was coming — a Brady sneak is the most automatic call in New England’s offensive playbook — but Brady leapt over the pile anyway.

Correction: October 25, 2015

An earlier version of this article misstated the size of the Jets’ lead after they rallied from a 3-0 deficit. They took a 7-point lead, not a 10-point lead.

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Stakes Rise for Jets, but Coach Todd Bowles Plays the Same Hand (William C. Rhoden) New York Times October 25, 2015

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/26/sports/new-england-patriots-tom-brady-beat-jets.html?ref=topics

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FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — In his first season as coach of the Jets, Todd Bowles continually suggests an intriguing philosophical question about survival in the N.F.L.: When does just another game became more than just another game?

Answer: in Foxborough, against the defending champions.

The Jets failed an important midterm exam Sunday, becoming the undefeated Patriots’ sixth victim with a 30-23 loss.

Sticking to the “another day, another game” line he frequently invokes, Bowles said he was frustrated by Sunday’s loss, but not because his team lost to New England.

“It’s frustrating because we lost,” Bowles said. “Nobody wants to lose, especially us.”

At one level, all games are indeed created equal, even those between these two organizations, which have faced off against each other since they were members of the American Football League in the 1960s.

Winning or losing your first game against the Patriots in the Bill Belichick era really does not carry deeper long-term implications for whoever coaches the Jets.

In 2000, Belichick’s first season in New England, Al Groh, in his only season as coach of the Jets, won his first game against Belichick. The Jets finished 9-7. Herm Edwards, who replaced Groh, won his first game against Belichick. The Jets finished 10-6. Eric Mangini, who replaced Edwards, lost his first meeting against Belichick. The Jets finished 10-6. Rex Ryan, who replaced Mangini, defeated Belichick in his first meeting. The team finished 9-7.

Each Jets coach wound up being fired. None ever reached the Super Bowl.

Now Bowles has lost his first game against Belichick and the Patriots.

“It’s one game, we’re 4-2, we’ve got to get ready for Oakland next week,” Bowles said. “We can’t hang our hat on it too much.”

In some ways, it was as if two games were being played Sunday.

While the Jets are simply trying to instill a winning attitude, the Patriots, and Tom Brady in particular, seem to be playing on another level.

In the protective bubble known as Patriots Nation, Brady can do no wrong and has done no wrong. The chants of “Brady, Brady” during the game (and the “Free Brady” T-shirts during the summer, after the N.F.L. announced its plan to suspend him for his supposed role in the football tampering scandal popularly known as Deflategate) suggest that the Patriots and their fans are motivated by more than just the prospect of victory. Revenge and retribution are equally powerful factors that are probably in play.

Still, as usual in the N.F.L., the outcome of a game turns on a handful of plays. On Sunday, each team ran about 70 of them. But two stand out.

After quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick hit Chris Ivory for a touchdown that gave the Jets a 17-16 lead late in the third quarter and the defense did its part by forcing the Patriots to punt, the Jets drove to the Patriots’ 12-yard line. But on a third-and-7 with just under 13 minutes to play, Brandon Marshall failed to come up with a well-placed pass that would have padded the Jets’ slim lead with a touchdown. Tough catch, for sure, but no tougher than at least two of the catches the high-flying Danny Amendola made for the Patriots. The Jets settled for a field goal and a 20-16 lead.

Eleven plays after Marshall’s drop came the other decisive play: Brady hit Amendola for an 8-yard touchdown pass that put the Patriots up for good, 23-20.

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“If I make that play, it puts our team in better position; we go up by 8 points,” Marshall said later. “You have to make those plays in games like this. It’s all on me.”

Marshall said that he would be thinking about the play all week, but that the missed opportunity was going to be “my fuel to get better.”

Marshall made what seemed at the time like a potentially game-saving play when he recovered an onside kick with 14 seconds left. But with one second left, he was called for a false start at the New England 37, ending the Jets’ hopes for a final play.

After the game, Marshall said he should have done a better job of determining whether he was supposed to be on or off the line of scrimmage.

“That’s on me,” he said.

Two plays.

For those of us who have trekked to Foxborough to record the Jets’ many attempts at freeing themselves from the Patriots’ headlock, Sunday’s postgame locker room was filled with a familiar lament.

“They beat us fair and square,” Willie Colon said. “That’s the bottom line.”

Fitzpatrick, who regained his equilibrium after losing a fumble on the game’s second play, said there was no solace in playing a close game.

“We can’t really take any moral victories from this,” he said. “A loss is a loss.”

And Bowles, for his part, stuck to the mantra of the season. This was a tough loss, but only because losing is tough, not because his team lost to Belichick, Brady and the Patriots.

“We should be upset we lost,” Bowles said. “You show me a good loser, I’ll show you a loser. We’re going to stew over it. We’re going to stew over it for a night. Next day, we’re going to get ready for Oakland.”

The next game on the schedule is the most important game, I get that. But I’m not so sure that all games are created equal.

Is Game 1 of the World Series just another game? Is the Super Bowl just another game? Is a game against a rival that has dominated you for years just a game?

When does a game become more than a game?

For the Jets, I’d say, right about now.

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ESPN NEW YORK

New era for Jets, but same ol' result -- too much Tom Brady (Rich Cimini) ESPN New York October 25, 2015

http://espn.go.com/blog/newyork-jets/post/_/id/55348/new-era-for-jets-but-same-ol-result-too-much-tom-brady

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- The New York Jets change coaches, players and philosophy, but there remains one insurmountable constant in their rivalry against the New England Patriots: Tom Brady.

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Whether they're trash-talking or keeping their lips zipped, the Jets haven't found an answer for Brady, arguably the greatest quarterback in history. Yes, the Jets swiped Darrelle Revis from the Patriots this past offseason, but they need two more versions of Revis to slow down Brady.

Sunday was another cruel reminder. The Jets played a solid game and led for long stretches, but they fell 30-23 after an blizzard of Brady passes. The Patriots ignored their running game, letting Brady throw and throw. He completed 34 for 54 passes for 354 yards and two touchdowns -- and he was victimized by 10 dropped passes, unofficially.

The Jets (4-2) blew a chance to move into a first-place tie with the Patriots (6-0), but this was hardly a season-altering loss. Still, it was an absolute killer when they were unable to pad an early fourth-quarter lead: Brandon Marshall dropped a third-down pass in the end zone, forcing the Jets to settle for a field goal.

This wasn't an easy day for the Jets' offense. Chris Ivory tweaked a hamstring on his first carry, robbing him of his usual explosiveness. They had very little success on the ground, forcing Ryan Fitzpatrick to the air. That, too, was difficult because the Patriots did a nice job of neutralizing Marshall (four catches for 67 yards).

What were they thinking? The pass coverage, especially in the middle of the field, left a lot to be desired. They gave up a few plays in the deep middle as Brady worked on the safeties and linebackers. The Jets can cover on the perimeter with Revis and Antonio Cromartie, but it's a different story between the numbers. Rob Gronkowski (11 catches for 108 yards, one TD) had the most catches he's ever had in a game.

One reason to get excited: Offensive coordinator Chan Gailey deserves some credit for his play calling. Instead of becoming one-dimensional with Ivory struggling with a bad wheel, Gailey remained patient and stayed with the running game, allowing the Jets to stay balanced. He incorporated Jeremy Kerley into the offense (long overdue) and introduced a play-action rollout into the game plan, which worked a few times. His play call in the final seconds, after a recovered onside kick, was curious -- a pass over the middle with no timeouts left.

One reason to panic: The Jets' backfield is banged up, and it could affect them as they move into Week 8. Ivory has a history of lingering leg issues, so his latest injury shouldn't be minimized. His backup, Bilal Powell, missed the game with a sprained ankle. Zac Stacy was pressed into a larger role, but he's hardly a threat. Waiting in the wings is Stevan Ridley, who's ready to come off the physically-unable-to-perform list. Luckily for the Jets, it will be like trading for a running back at midseason.

Ouch: Center Nick Mangold suffered an apparent head/neck injury in the final minute. He walked off slowly and didn't return. Obviously the Jets can't afford to lose one of their most valuable players. Safety Calvin Pryor suffered an ankle injury while defending a pass to tight end Scott Chandler, and Pryor didn't return to the game. With only three safeties on the active roster (remember, the injured Jaiquawn Jarrett was waived on Saturday), it forced recently signed Dion Bailey into full-time duty. He struggled in coverage.

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Brandon Marshall takes blame for Jets' loss to Patriots (Rich Cimini) ESPN New York October 25, 2015

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http://espn.go.com/newyork/nfl/story/_/id/13972710/brandon-marshall-newyork-jets-contrite-loss-new-england-patriots-all-me

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- For the second time in six games, New York Jets receiver Brandon Marshall issued a postgame mea culpa on social media, scolding himself Sunday for critical mistakes in his team's second defeat.

Marshall dropped a would-be touchdown in the fourth quarter and committed a game-ending penalty in the Jets' 30-23 loss to the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium.

The Jets could've taken an eight-point lead with 12:50 remaining in the game, but Marshall dropped a 12-yard pass on third down in the end zone.

They settled for a field goal and a 20-16 lead, squandering four points.

"Absolutely, that's all on me," Marshall told reporters. "If I make that play, it puts us in a better position. I didn't make the play and it put our team in a bad situation. You have to make those plays in games like this, so it's all on me. It will definitely be my fuel this week to get better."

Coach Todd Bowles went easy on Marshall.

"It would've been a tough catch if he made it," Bowles said. "He's capable of making those catches, but he just didn't come down with it."

In the Jets' previous loss, Week 3 to the Philadelphia Eagles, Marshall hurt the team with what he called "probably the worst play in NFL history." He took to Twitter, vowing to fans it never would happen again.

Marshall, who entered Sunday with four straight 100-yard receiving days, ended the game with a false-start penalty. Down by seven after recovering an onside kick, Ryan Fitzpatrick completed a pass over the middle to Eric Decker -- a curious play choice, considering the Jets had no timeouts left.

With the clock ticking, Fitzpatrick spiked the ball with one second left at the Patriots' 37, thinking they'd try a Hail Mary. But a flag was thrown because Marshall failed to get set at the line. With a 10-second runoff, the game was over.

Marshall said there was a miscommunication with the inside receiver on who would be on the line of scrimmage and who would be off.

"I should have done a better job of trying to figure that out faster," he said. "That's on me."

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Ryan Fitzpatrick up, Brandon Marshall down in Jets' loss (Rich Cimini) ESPN New York October 25, 2015

http://espn.go.com/blog/newyork-jets/post/_/id/55368/ryan-fitzpatrick-up-brandon-marshall-down-in-jets-loss

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- A look at the New York Jets players who were “up” and those who were “down” in the team's 30-23 loss to the New England Patriots on Sunday:

UP

Ryan Fitzpatrick, quarterback: It was a disastrous start -- he lost a fumble on the second play -- but Fitzpatrick regrouped and played a solid game under stressful circumstances. With very little support from the running game, Fitzpatrick (22-of-39, 295 yards, two touchdowns) was forced the throw more than the Jets would have preferred. To his credit, he didn't throw an interception for the first time this season. He

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spread the ball around more than usual, a good thing. On the downside, he had at least four passes batted at the line. That needs to be fixed.

Eric Decker, wide receiver: With the Patriots doubling Brandon Marshall on every play, according to Marshall, Decker became Fitzpatrick's No. 1 option. Rebounding from last week's poor performance, Decker finished with six catches for 94 yards, including three third-down conversions. Truth be told, the Jets should have done more damage against the Patriots' thin secondary. They connected on a few deep crossing routes, but there should've been more available to the Jets.

Nick Folk, kicker: His 55-yard field goal with 18 seconds left -- one yard shy of his career long -- extended the game for the Jets. His ensuing onsides kick was recovered by Marshall at the Patriots' 49-yard line. Down by seven points, the Jets had a chance for a miracle win, but they never got off a Hail Mary. Their hopes fizzled with a poorly designed completion (why throw over the middle with no timeouts left?) and a penalty, resulting in a 10-second run off to end the game. Don't blame Folk, though; he was 3-for-3 on field goals.

DOWN

Brandon Marshall, wide receiver: Marshall's storybook season took a turn sideways. He cost the Jets at least four points and a chance at a last-second Hail Mary. Early in the fourth quarter, he dropped what should have been an easy touchdown on a third down from the New England 12. Instead of the Jets taking a 24-16 lead, they had to settle for a field goal, making it 20-16. "Absolutely, that's on me," Marshall said. With one second left in the game, from the Patriots' 37, Marshall didn't get set in time, resulting in a game-ending false-start penalty. After speaking to reporters, Marshall -- in uniform -- sat on the stool in front of his locker for about 15 minutes, perhaps replaying those mistakes in his mind.

Todd Bowles, coach: His clock management late in the fourth quarter was questionable. In the final 2:50, Bowles eschewed two opportunities in which he needed to call a timeout. At that point, the Jets still had three timeouts. Tom Brady took his sweet time, eventually throwing a touchdown pass to a wide-open Rob Gronkowski with 1:13 to go. It wasn't the reason the Jets lost, but it was a glaring oversight. Afterward, Bowles' explanation didn't make much sense, saying the Jets were trying for a stop in those situations.

David Harris, linebacker: The biggest play in the game was the Patriots' third-and-17 conversion in the fourth quarter. The Jets played a Cover-2 zone, with Harris responsible for the deep middle, between the two safeties. Brady rifled a completion to Julian Edelman, setting up a touchdown. "I should have got deeper in my zone," Harris said. "Put it on me; it was my fault." The Jets rushed only four on the play, taking the conservative route on third-and-long. Obviously, it backfired.

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NEW YORK POST

Jets’ dramatic finish falls flat in gut-wrenching loss to Patriots (Bart Hubbuch) New York Post October 25, 2015

http://nypost.com/2015/10/25/jets-dramatic-finish-falls-flat-in-gut-wrenching-loss-to-patriots/

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — The Jets certainly made it interesting, but they still can’t knock off New England.

Despite a game effort from Gang Green and a blizzard of drops by his own receivers, Tom Brady showed why the Patriots are the reigning world champions by rallying them to a 30-23 victory Sunday at Gillette Stadium.

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The Jets recovered an onside kick with 13 seconds left but wasted it when Brandon Marshall — who had come up with the kick — was called for an offside penalty with one second left.

New England (6-0) remained unbeaten and opened up a two-game lead on the 4-2 Jets in the AFC East thanks to an 8-yard Brady scoring toss to Danny Amendola with 7:22 left that the Patriots defense made stand up.

That stretch allowed New England to avoid its first October home loss since 2005 and maintain its dominance over the Jets (the Patriots have won nine of the past 10 meetings), although Todd Bowles’ team refused to go away all afternoon.

Ryan Fitzpatrick completed 21 of 38 passes for 283 yards and two touchdowns while leading the Jets on marathon scoring drives of 13, 14 and 15 plays, but it wasn’t enough against Brady or an injury-battered Patriots defense that made stops when it mattered.

Brady practically carried the Patriots’ offense on his shoulders with running back Dion Lewis inactive due to an injury. New England ran the ball just nine times (for 16 yards) while Brady completed 34 of 54 passes for 355 yards and two touchdowns without an interception.

Brady and the Patriots also survived despite at least 11 dropped passes, a staggering figure that included six drops by newly healthy wideout Brandon LaFell in his first appearance of the season.

Rob Gronkowski made it much easier for Brady to overcome his butter-fingered receivers, hauling in 11 catches for 108 yards and a touchdown.

The Jets definitely made the Patriots sweat this one out, though, especially after Fitzpatrick directed a 13-play TD drive late in the third quarter and a field-goal march early in the fourth that gave them a 20-16 lead.

The latter drive would have ended in more for the Jets if Marshall had not dropped a Fitzpatrick pass in the end zone.

That drop quickly proved decisive as Brady and the Patriots responded with a 10-play, 80-yard drive that took up 5:34 and put New England in front for good when Brady found a wide-open Amendola just short of the goal line and Amendola fell over for the score.

The Jets also were hampered by a less-than-full-strength Chris Ivory, who had 17 carries for 41 yards and also caught a touchdown but was limited all day by hamstring issues.

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Patriots’ SOB may never stop torturing the Jets (Steve Serby) New York Post October 26, 2015

http://nypost.com/2015/10/25/patriots-sob-may-never-stop-torturing-the-jets/

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — You can steal Darrelle Revis away from Bill Belichick, you can bring in a bright defensive mind for a head coach and admire how he has instilled discipline, you can add the best player in the draft to your would-be New York Sack Exchange II … and Tom Brady simply does not give a damn.

So, if you are going to turn into the Same Old Jets in the final 15 seconds after recovering an onside kick and have the game end on a Brandon Marshall false start without getting to clock the ball to attempt a Hail Mary, if Marshall is going to drop a touchdown pass early in the fourth quarter and cost you four points, you may insist on believing you’ve closed the endless gap between you and the Evil Empire, but there is still a gap, and there will forever be one until Tom Brady grows old. If he ever does.

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For the tortured 4-2 Jets, he is their S.O.B.

Same Old Brady.

The cold-blooded executioner who leaves them scratching their heads and pulling their hair out in yet another somber visiting locker room.

And, no, he didn’t cheat.

Same Old Balls Ryan Fitzpatrick used.

“Tom is great,” Darrelle Revis said after Patriots 30, Jets 23, “at dissecting any defense, and that’s what he did down the stretch. He ended up making more plays than us. He ended up finding the matchups that he wanted to find, and making throws he needed to throw.”

Brady (355 yards, two touchdowns) threw 54 times Sunday on a day when the 6-0 Patriots didn’t even bother trying to run the ball. He was their leading rusher (15 yards, one touchdown). James White and LeGarrette Blount rushed a combined five times for 1 yard.

It is the aerial version of the Green Bay power sweep. You know it’s coming, but you can’t stop it. Todd Bowles’ best defense was receiver Brandon LaFell, who dropped six passes.

“That’s why one day that guy will be in Canton,” Calvin Pace said.

The momentum-changer was Brady’s third-and-17 strike from his 27 to Julian Edelman at a time when the Jets led 20-16 early in the fourth quarter.

Brady was 7-for-8 on the drive for 85 yards, including an 8-yard touchdown toss over the middle to Danny Amendola.

He was 7-for-9 when he got the ball back, including a 15-yard lollipop touchdown under blitz duress to a ridiculously open Rob Gronkowski with 1:13 left.

“It’s not frustrating, it’s exciting — I got to play against a legend today,” safety Dion Bailey said.

Bailey, an ex-Seahawk claimed on waivers at the end of last month, was asked what makes Brady a legend.

“Anticipation, knowing where guys are going to be, moving guys … he throws guys open. Guys aren’t always open,” Bailey said.

Bailey became an eyewitness expert on Brady on the third-and-17 zone mishap.

“It wasn’t like he [Edelman] clearly just beat me, it was just a great throw and catch,” Bailey said.

When asked what he could have done differently, Bailey said: “I would have just chased him to the corner, and not try to beat him to the corner. I tried to beat him to the corner and then he was able to cross my face.”

Brady: “Jules broke across his body and let it go. Jules made a real smart play. It’s not exactly how we drew it up. I think there were a lot of plays like that today that weren’t exactly how we drew it up.”

When a Hall of Fame quarterback is throwing to a monster like Gronk (11 receptions, 108 yards, one touchdown), they don’t always need to be exactly how they draw them up.

With Revis mostly shadowing Edelman (5 catches, 54 yards), Brady threw Gronkowski and Danny Amendola (8 catches, 86 yards, a touchdown) open. Fitzpatrick (97.7) actually had a higher QB rating than Brady (94.3), but an ill-advised decision to go deep on third-and-7 for rookie Devin Smith with Marshall double-teamed all day resulted in a costly fourth-quarter three-and-out sandwiched between Brady’s fourth-quarter touchdown passes.

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“Maybe that was the right decision, maybe it wasn’t,” Fitzpatrick said.

Maybe throwing a 12-yarder to Eric Decker in the middle of the field with no timeouts left following the onside kick recovery by Marshall wasn’t the right decision either.

“He wouldn’t have thrown it that far if we stayed where we were,” Bowles said.

Fitzpatrick, who overcame a first-quarter fumble, didn’t have a running game either, as Chris Ivory (17 carries for 41 yards, nine receiving yards, one touchdown) was hamstrung right out of the gate and was funneled inside by the Pats’ defense. And he doesn’t have a Gronk. With Marshall smothered, his only recourse was Eric Decker (six catches, 94 yards).

Asked to describe the gap between the teams, Marshall said: “Very small.”

The gap is one S.O.B.

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Ryan Fitzpatrick salvages game after nightmare 2nd play (Brian Costello) New York Post October 26, 2015

http://nypost.com/2015/10/26/ryan-fitzpatrick-salvages-game-after-nightmare-2nd-play/

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — The day could not have started worse for Jets quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick. On the second play from scrimmage, Fitzpatrick fumbled on a sack by Chandler Jones that Patriots linebacker Dont’a Hightower recovered at the Jets’ 19.

The defense held the Patriots to a field goal, but it felt like it was going to be a long day for Fitzpatrick.

“Just poor ball security, you know,” Fitzpatrick said. “That was a play where they doubled Brandon [Hightower] and I was kind of looking his way, just something that can’t happen.

Fitzpatrick bounced back, though, and played fairly well the rest of the day. He completed 22 of 39 passes for 295 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran for 29 yards on five carries.

“He did a good job,” coach Todd Bowles said. “We fought. We win as a team, [and] we lose as a team and it counted for everybody, coaches included. We’ve just got to regroup and go on.”

Fitzpatrick was sacked twice, equaling his total for the season before the game.

The Jets had no takeaways for the first time this season. They nearly had one in the third quarter when Sheldon Richardson sacked Tom Brady, forcing the ball loose. But the ball bounced off a lineman’s foot and right back into Brady’s hands.

“It was just the luck of the bounce,” defensive lineman Leger Douzable said. “It went right back into [Brady’s] hands.”

CB Darrelle Revis was not too sentimental about his return to Gillette Stadium.

“It’s just a Week 7 game,” Revis said.

Revis spent the 2014 season with the Patriots before signing with the Jets as a free agent in March.

Punter Ryan Quigley developed an infection in his right shin Friday that got worse Saturday, forcing the team to sign Steve Weatherford to play Sunday.

Quigley said he had some scratches on the shin after getting a punt blocked last week against the Redskins. It was fine all week until Friday.

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“It was kind of a freak thing on Friday after practice my shin started swelling up,” Quigley said. “The next day it was kind of out of control. I got an infection underneath the skin somehow. We’re just playing it safe today. We didn’t want to risk it. If that gets into the blood, then you have serious problems.”

Quigley said he hopes to practice Wednesday.

Weatherford punted four times for an average of 40.3 yards per punt. His worst punt was a 31-yarder that set the Patriots up for their first touchdown.

C Nick Mangold left the game late with a neck injury. Bowles said he needs X-rays. Mangold left the locker room wearing a neck brace. … S Calvin Pryor left the game in the second half with an ankle injury. … CB Buster Skrine was in and out of the game with a shoulder injury. He also had his hand bandaged after the game. … The Jets still have not won three games in a row since 2011. … The 4-2 record is their best through six games since 2010 when they started 5-1.

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Jets’ sky-high Chris Ivory hopes were dashed on very 1st play Bart Hubbuch) New York Post October 26, 2015

http://nypost.com/2015/10/26/jets-sky-high-chris-ivory-hopes-were-dashed-on-very-1st-play/

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — The Jets were left to ponder plenty of “what ifs” after their 30-23 loss to the Patriots on Sunday, with Chris Ivory’s hamstring injury at or near the top of the list.

Ivory had been the Jets’ workhorse and most reliable offensive weapon in three of their four victories, so they had to feel as bad as Ivory did when they saw him pull up lame at the end of the game’s very first play.

Ivory tweaked his hamstring on that initial run, and though he eventually recovered well enough to run for 41 yards and catch a 9-yard TD pass, he wasn’t the 222-pound battering ram the Jets have come to rely upon.

“It’s tough for something like that to happen on the first play,” a dejected Ivory said afterward. “It’s real tough, but I was able to work through and finish the game. But we didn’t get the outcome we wanted.”

Ivory took the result hard, sitting in silence at his locker after the game with everything but his pads on for several minutes.

Ivory and the Jets could only imagine how much better their chances would have been had he been as healthy as he was against the Dolphins and Redskins in their previous two games.

Ivory romped for 166 yards and a score in the victory against Miami, then followed that with 146 rushing yards and a TD in the win over Washington. He also was a big factor in the season-opening romp over the Browns, rushing for 91 yards and two scores.

Combine that with the Patriots ranking just 22nd in the NFL in rushing defense coming in, and it was easy to see why the Jets could think Ivory would have made a big difference in what turned out to be a one-score game.

Zac Stacy filled in for Ivory off and on the rest of the way but wasn’t nearly as effective, managing just 19 yards on seven carries.

Jets coach Todd Bowles was a contrarian, saying a New England defense geared up to stop the run — not Ivory’s health — doomed the Gang Green rushing attack.

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“It didn’t hold us back,” Bowles said of Ivory’s injury. “They did a good job of stopping him. You’ve got to give those guys credit. They get paid, too. He was in the game, and he was healthy. We were coming off the ball some. They had schemed some fronts and schemed some things they had seen, so they did a good job preparing.”

Ivory wouldn’t go that far, admitting his hamstring was an issue.

“The hamstring changed the way they played their defense,” Ivory said. “We knew coming in what they were going to do, but they did it, a little bit. They did some different things that we were able to adjust to.”

If it’s any consolation to the Jets, the oft-injured Ivory said his hamstring was healed by the end of the game and that he would be healthy for this weekend’s trip to Oakland.

“I’ll be good,” he said.

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‘Pissed’ Jets send loud message to Patriots: This is a battle (Mark Cannizzaro) New York Post October 25, 2015

http://nypost.com/2015/10/25/pissed-jets-send-loud-message-to-patriots-this-is-a-battle/

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — In a far corner of a quiet, seething Jets locker room after the Patriots beat them yet again — this time a maddening 30-23 decision Sunday at Gillette Stadium — Jets linebacker Trevor Reilly sat on his locker stool combing over a stat book that confirmed what everyone already knew: An eighth New England win over the Jets in the past nine meetings.

“They had 16 yards rushing, 355 yards passing on 54 attempts … 6 yards per pass,’’ Reilly read to fellow linebacker Calvin Pace, who was dressing slowly in the next locker stall. “If you would have told Todd [Bowles, the Jets coach] before the game that we were going to hold them to 16 yards rushing, he probably would have guaranteed a victory.’’

There was a “what-could-have-been’’ lament to Reilly’s tone. This being his first season as a Jet it was Reilly’s first Jets-Patriots experience, so he does not have the scar tissue from the New England dominance of this AFC East rivalry that has been decidedly one-sided for more than a decade.

But there are enough players on the Jets who are familiar with the feeling of frustration that permeated the room late Sunday afternoon.

Yes, the result was the same. So maybe Patriots 30, Jets 23 does not have your attention.

But make no mistake: These Jets have the Patriots’ attention. They had it before the game and they had it for 60 minutes Sunday while they were dictating so much of the play, leading 20-16 halfway through the fourth quarter.

“I think they respect us, just like we respect them … but that don’t win you championships, respect,’’ Pace said.

“I think we showed them that we’re not just another team that they’re going to run over,’’ Jets rookie defensive end Leonard Williams said.

Though they did not talk publicly about it, because that is not the Bowles way, the Jets quietly believed they were ready for prime time, that they have closed the gap between themselves and the Patriots to the point they are ready to finally wrest the AFC East title away from them.

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A win Sunday would have had the Jets tied with the Patriots at 5-1 at the top of the division.

“I’m pissed off [because] I felt like we had them right where we wanted them,’’ Jets guard Willie Colon said, spitting his words out like darts as he angrily tore through tape on his right knee. “I felt like we were the better team, but obviously we weren’t. They beat us fair and square. We’ve got to execute better and we’ve got to make more plays. That’s what pisses me off the most.

“There is nothing you can take away from this. A loss is a loss. We move on.’’

Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick said, “There is stuff we can build on, but we didn’t come here to play them close. We came here to win.’’

Yes, the Jets dictated play for most of the game, but they could not stop the Patriots on third-and-17 when Tom Brady (21-5 against the Jets in his career) connected with Julian Edelman for 27 yards to keep a crucial fourth-quarter drive alive that led to the go-ahead touchdown.

“That,’’ cornerback Antonio Cromartie said, “was the back-breaker.’’

Right before that, the Jets were unable to push the lead to eight points when Brandon Marshall dropped a would-be touchdown pass he had in both hands.

“You have to make those plays on games like this, so it’s all on me,’’ Marshall said.

The Jets, too, were unable to recover a strip-sack of Brady by Sheldon Richardson, an unlucky moment when the ball got serendipitously kicked right back to Brady at the end of a mad scramble.

“If we had gotten one turnover on defense, it probably changes the game,’’ Reilly said.

Asked how he would describe the gap between the Jets and Patriots, Marshall was quick to say: “Very small.’’

“I don’t think there is a gap,’’ Pace said.

“I don’t believe in gaps,’’ defensive end Leger Douzable said. “I don’t believe in moral victories. Like we said before the game, this one game is not going to define our season. If we won it, we’re not going to the Super Bowl and if we lost it, our season is not over.’’

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Jets rip hearts out of gambling Patriots fans (Brian Costello) New York Post October 26, 2015

http://nypost.com/2015/10/26/jets-rip-hearts-out-of-gambling-patriots-fans/

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — A groan went up in Las Vegas when Jets kicker Nick Folk drilled a 55-yard field goal with 23 seconds left to cut the Patriots’ lead to 30-23. The field goal did not affect the winner and loser, but it affected gamblers.

The Jets covered with the field goal because the Patriots were favored by 7 ½ points in most places Sunday morning. The line opened at 9 ½ last week.

“There were certainly more groans than cheers,” said Jay Kornegay, the vice president of racing and sports book operations at Westgate Las Vegas Superbook.

Kornegay said it was a fairly balanced game for Vegas standards, but the sportsbook needed the Jets to cover. Todd Bowles helped them out by going for the field goal down 10 to cut it to a one-score game. The Jets recovered the onside kick, but could not score again.

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“As soon as he kicked it, it was a no-doubter,” Kornegay said.

Kornegay said the line in the game was so high because of how the Patriots have played.

“The perception is they are the best team in the NFL,” Kornegay said. “They are playing at a high level despite not covering the last two weeks.”

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Rob Gronkowski blew up every scheme helpless Jets had (Bart Hubbuch) New York Post October 25, 2015

http://nypost.com/2015/10/25/rob-gronkowski-blew-up-every-scheme-helpless-jets-had/

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Another meeting with Rob Gronkowski, another beatdown by the Patriots’ man-mountain tight end.

The Jets had no answer yet again for Gronkowski on Sunday, and their inability to even slow him down proved pivotal in a 30-23 loss to New England at Gillette Stadium.

Gang Green seemingly threw every wrinkle first-year coach Todd Bowles could come up with at Gronkowski, even having cornerback Darrelle Revis line up on him, but it was all for naught as Tom Brady’s favorite 265-pound target racked up a career-high 11 catches for 108 yards and a touchdown.

That touchdown — a 15-yard grab with 1:13 left — came when Gronkowski was left wide open by some Brady trickery at the line of scrimmage and proved to be the dagger in the Jets’ upset hopes.

“I don’t know if he did anything to counter any play of this game,” Bowles said. “He’s a big strong guy. We had him covered sometimes. He made some good plays. He’s a great football player. We tried to limit the yards after catch, and I thought we did that some in the first half and didn’t do it as well in the second half.”

Gronkowski was indeed held (at least for him) mostly in check by the Jets in the first half, catching five passes for 40 yards as the Patriots could muster only a 13-10 lead going into intermission.

Gronkowski’s first-half “struggles” resulted mostly from the Jets’ creativity while defending him. They alternated looks against Gronkowski frequently, bouncing from double coverage by safeties and linebackers to leaving him alone against much-smaller cornerbacks so that Brady wouldn’t know what look was coming next.

But with the Jets’ secondary losing safety Calvin Pryor and nickel corner Buster Skrine — two key pieces — through the course of the sunny afternoon, their options against Gronkowski thinned out.

Gronkowski took full advantage, too, catching six passes for 58 yards and the touchdown in the decisive second half. The lingering memory from that stretch for the Jets will be 198-pound safety Marcus Gilchrist trying futilely to bring Gronkowski down after 23-yard reception in the fourth quarter.

It was a scene all too familiar for the Jets, who have struggled to contain Gronkowski throughout his six-year NFL career. He now has 50 catches for 569 yards and six touchdowns against the Jets, his most in the first two categories against any team other than the Bills.

“It’s just like covering any other tight end,” cornerback Antonio Cromartie said. “You don’t go into it thinking, ‘Oh, this is going to be a mismatch.’ He’s a good tight end, and you know he’s going to make a play.

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“You don’t worry about it. You go out and compete at the best level you can and don’t [concern yourself] with letting one man beat you.”

Unfortunately for the Jets, Gronkowski went out and did exactly that once again Sunday.

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Jets report card: How low can their special teams go? (Brian Costello) New York Post October 25, 2015

http://nypost.com/2015/10/25/jets-report-card-how-low-can-their-special-teams-go/

Offense

The Jets rolled up 372 yards and had drives of 13, 14 and 15 plays in the game. The problem was they failed in a few key spots late. QB Ryan Fitzpatrick (22 of 39, 295 yards, 2 TDs, 1 fumble) overcame his fumble on the first series to have a pretty nice game. WR Eric Decker (6 catches, 94 yards) was huge on third down, converting three. RB Chris Ivory (17 rushes, 41 yards) had a quiet game as he dealt with a hamstring injury. WR Brandon Marshall’s drop in the end zone was huge.

Grade: B-

Defense

This unit played well in the first half, but collapsed late. Giving up a third-and-17 conversion in the fourth quarter was an absolute killer. QB Tom Brady (34-for-54, 355 yards, 2 TDs) carved the Jets up. New England abandoned the running game, but it did not matter. TE Rob Gronkowski (11 catches, 108 yards, 1 TD) looked unstoppable. The defensive line got pressure early, but barely touched Brady in the second half.

Grade: C

Special teams

Another week of poor special teams play from the Jets. Punter Steve Weatherford came in and punted after signing on Saturday. His 31-yard punt set up the Patriots’ first touchdown of the game. Jeremy Kerley had one punt return for 6 yards and two fair catches. Darrin Walls had a huge personal foul penalty that set the Patriots up on a kickoff. The Patriots average starting field position was their own 38.

Grade: D

Coaching

Coach Todd Bowles had the Jets in the right mindset for this game. They did not build it up like it was the Super Bowl. The biggest complaint with Bowles was his failure to use a timeout when the Patriots were milking the clock on their final drive. Offensive coordinator Chan Gailey had some questionable calls, throwing to rookie Devin Smith on third down late being the biggest.

Grade: C

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NJ ADVANCE MEDIA

Nick Mangold, Buster Skrine, Calvin Pryor | Jets injury update after loss to New England Patriots (Dom Cosentino) NJ Advance Media October 25, 2015

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http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2015/10/nick_mangold_buster_skrine_calvin_pryor_jets_injur.html#incart_river

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — The Jets had a handful of injuries in their 30-23 loss to the Patriots on Sunday at Gillette Stadium. A quick report on where they stand with those injuries:

• Center Nick Mangold. Mangold left the game with exactly one minute to play after he appeared to get hit in the head in a collision with Pats linebacker Jamie Collins. Bowles said Mangold had to get neck X-rays. Mangold was seen in the locker room getting dressed as if everything were fine—though that's no indication everything is fine with him—and ESPN's Rich Cimini later reported seeing him leaving the locker room while wearing a neck brace. Mangold, who was replaced by Dakota Dozier, a fourth-round pick last year, has missed just three starts in his NFL career.

• Safety Calvin Pryor. Pryor hurt his ankle on the third play of the third quarter after Pats tight end Scott Chandler caught a 26-yard pass on him. He did not return to the game, though he did jog out of the locker room to re-join his teammates on the sideline before walking back to the locker room just before the end of the game.

• Cornerback Buster Skrine. Skrine laid a big, clean hit on Patriots receiver Julian Edelman in the second quarter, and he left the game with a right shoulder injury after it happened. Skrine later returned to the game, but he was seen in the locker room with his shoulder taped and his left hand in a heavy wrap that covered his pinky and ring fingers.

• Defensive end Sheldon Richardson. Richardson left the game briefly in the fourth quarter with what appeared to be an injury to his left arm, though he later returned and showed no signs of being hurt in the locker room.

• Wide receiver Devin Smith. Smith's injury status is not known, but he was seen limping badly in the locker room after the game.

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Leonard Williams says Jets showed, in loss, that they won't be 'run over' by New England Patriots (Darryl Slater) NJ Advance Media October 25, 2015

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2015/10/jets_patriots_leonard_williams.html#incart_river

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — The Jets didn't play perfectly in Sunday's 30-23 loss at the Patriots. But while falling to 4-2 (and still very much in playoff contention), the Jets did enough positive things to leave them encouraged about their potential.

"I definitely think that we showed that we're not just another team that they're going to run over," said Leonard Williams, the Jets' rookie defensive end. "They're going to have to bring it. I think we played good.

"It does sting, because prepared well all week. We played great the whole game. We didn't finish at the end. I know what we have, and I know we're going to continue to go forward. It's just another bump in the road."

Nonetheless, the Jets are now 1-8 in their past nine games against the Patriots. The Jets are 3-12 in Foxborough since December of 2002.

Does Williams think these Jets have the Patriots' attention? Has the gap between the teams narrowed? Wide receiver Brandon Marshall said he believes the gap is now "very small."

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"I don't know how it was in the past years, but being around the team now, I think that we played a great game," Williams said. "We give them respect. But I definitely think that we showed them that we're not just another team that they're going to be able to go through."

One of Williams' defensive line mates, end Muhammad Wilkerson, wasn't as upbeat after Sunday's loss to the Patriots.

"There's no such thing as a moral victory," Wilkerson said.

Veteran outside linebacker Calvin Pace, who has been stung by the Patriots plenty, said he thinks New England respects the Jets.

"That doesn't win you championships, though, respect," Pace said.

Right guard Willie Colon said the Jets "were the better team" on Sunday. But not a perfect team.

"In the red zone, we've got to score more," said Colon, referring to the Jets getting just two touchdowns in four red-zone trips. "We just didn't sting them when we had the chance.

"I think it's frustrating for me because I knew we had them. I think Xs and Os-wise, we could've done a little bit better."

Colon said he was specifically referring to the Jets being "more heads-up on [the Patriots'] zone blitzing" earlier in the game.

What does Colon think about the Jets closing the gap with the Patriots?

"I don't know," Colon said. "I'm just tired of being on the other side of it."

Before Sunday's seven-point loss, the Jets' past four games against the Patriots had been decided by one, two, three, and three points. The Jets won one of those games, by three.

There's a lot of season left — plenty of time for the Jets to lock up a playoff spot. After facing Patriots quarterback Tom Brady for the first time Sunday, Williams observed things he thinks could help next time around, in December.

"I noticed that he gets the ball out really fast, so what would probably help is just getting my hands up on the line," Williams said. "If I don't have enough time to get to him, just probably get my hands up, to get some batted balls."

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Jets' Brandon Marshall: 'My A** should be walking back to New York' (Darryl Slater) NJ Advance Media October 25, 2015

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2015/10/brandon_marshall_takes_blame_for_2_huge_mistakes_i.html#incart_river

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Brandon Marshall's presence has transformed the Jets' offense this season, both with his ability to make plays and with the attention he draws from opposing defenses. Truth be told, the Jets haven't had a difference-making wideout like Marshall since Keyshawn Johnson.

But Marshall made a pair of giant mistakes in the fourth quarter of Sunday's 30-23 loss to the Patriots at Gillette Stadium, and both proved to be costly, even if they weren't the only reasons the Jets (4-2) are now two games back of New England (6-0) in the AFC East.

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The first play came early in the fourth quarter, with the Jets leading, 17-16. The Jets had third-and-7 at the Patriots' 12 when Marshall—who had drawn double teams all day—dropped a pass that hit him right in the hands. Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick fired it hard—he had to—and to the outside. But Marshall, who finished with four catches for 67 yards, should have had it. And he knows it.

"That's all on me," Marshall said. "If I make that play, it puts our team in a better position."

The Jets had to settle for a field goal.

"You have to make those plays in games like this," Marshall said.

Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, as he's done so many times before, took over from there with a nine-play, 71-yard touchdown drive to give the Patriots the lead to stay. In fact, the Jets' highly touted defense couldn't off the field on all three of the Pats' third-down chances in the fourth quarter.

Marshall's second big gaffe came on the game's final play, just after he nearly rescued the Jets by recovering an onside kick at the Patriots' 49 with 14 seconds remaining.

Even though they were out of timeouts, the Jets lined up on first down and had Fitzpatrick throw a 12-yard completion to wideout Eric Decker over the middle. The idea was to line up to spike it to stop the clock and to try a Hail Mary, head coach Todd Bowles said.

The Jets did that rather than try a Hail Mary for the 49 because Fitzpatrick "wouldn't have [thrown] it that far had we stayed where we were"—an acknowledgement of Fitzpatrick's limited ability to throw deep.

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New England Patriots 30, Jets 23: The good, the bad, the ugly from another bitter defeat in Foxborough (Darryl Slater) NJ Advance Media October 25, 2015

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2015/10/jets_patriots_good_bad_ugly.html#incart_river

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Someday, some year, maybe even this year, the Jets' and their new head coach, Todd Bowles, might finally topple the Patriots, who have owned the AFC East for a decade and a half.

But Sunday brought more of the same for the Jets — another bitter loss to the Patriots, another somber trip home from Foxborough.

The Patriots beat the Jets 30-23 and improved to 6-0, remaining atop the division they have owned for so long. The Jets, 4-2, are still very much in contention for a playoff spot, or perhaps even a division title. They remain a legit team.

Still, the Patriots unquestionably outplayed the Jets in Sunday's most critical situations — the moments that separate good teams from great ones.

In the end, it was an all-too-familiar result for the Jets, who played very well at times against their bitterest rival, yet couldn't make it count.

The Jets came to New England having gone 1-7 in their last eight games against the Patriots, since winning at Gillette Stadium in the 2010 divisional playoff round. The teams' past four games had been decided by one, two, three, and three points, with the Jets winning one of those.

In Foxborough, the Jets had lost four straight games since that playoff victory. But in their three most recent trips here, they had lost by just two, three, and three points. Since the Jets won in New England in December of 2002, they were 3-11 here entering Sunday.

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That wasn't the only history working against the Jets. The Patriots entered Sunday with a 106-18 record in home games started by quarterback Tom Brady.

The Patriots led Sunday's game 13-10 at halftime. The Patriots had won 76 consecutive home games after leading at the half, dating to 2000. At Gillette Stadium, they had never lost after leading at halftime — 68-0.

Sunday brought a matchup of the NFL's No. 1 DVOA-ranked offense (the Patriots) and No. 2 DVOA-ranked defense (the Jets).

This was a fascinating showdown, a wildly entertaining game. It was also yet another win for the Patriots over the Jets, a victory that improved Brady to 22-6 as a starter against the Jets.

Here's a look at the good, the bad, and the ugly from Sunday:

The good: The Jets in the first half did what you must do against Brady. They controlled the ball and kept him off the field. The Jets possessed the ball for 18:51 in the first half, compared to 11:09 for the Patriots, though the Patriots did still lead by three points at halftime. With 9:50 remaining in the second quarter, the Patriots began their fourth possession. At that point, they had run just 11 plays, compared to 33 for the Jets, who were up 10-3. It was a promising start for the Jets. They put themselves in position to contend in the second half.

The bad: The Jets dealt with some injuries Sunday. Running back Chris Ivory appeared to be playing through a left hamstring injury. He did a bunch of stuff to get loose on the sideline, including running in place and riding a stationary bike. A trainer even massaged and stretched Ivory's hamstring. Yet Ivory fought through the injury. His 9-yard touchdown catch put the Jets up 17-16 with 4:07 remaining in the third quarter. Zac Stacy was the Jets' only other healthy back Sunday. Safety Calvin Pryor exited in third quarter with an ankle injury. Dion Bailey, the Jets' only backup safety, replaced him. Slot cornerback Buster Skrine hurt his shoulder in the second quarter, but came back to start the second half.

The ugly: The Jets led 17-16 with 12:58 remaining in the game. They had third-and-7 at the Patriots' 12-yard line. Wide receiver Brandon Marshall got open at the goal line, with cornerback Logan Ryan and safety Devin McCourty in coverage against him. Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick threw a perfectly placed ball to Marshall, who had to turn back, to his left, to get it. Marshall was in good position to make the play, but the ball bounced off his hands. A huge drop for Marshall, who entered Sunday with two drops all season, according to Pro Football Focus. Instead of going up 24-16, the Jets settled for a field goal, and a 20-16 lead. The Patriots immediately responded with an 80-yard touchdown drive, to go up 23-20. You can't give those opportunities to Brady, who entered Sunday with 35 career fourth quarter comeback drives.

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Jets' Chris Ivory says hamstring tightness limited him in loss to New England Patriots (Darryl Slater) NJ Advance Media October 25, 2015

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2015/10/jets_chris_ivory_says_hamstring_tightness_limited.html#incart_river

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Jets running back Chris Ivory, who had been so dominant in the past two games, made much less of an impact in Sunday's 30-23 loss at the Patriots.

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Part of the reason for that: Ivory battled left hamstring tightness throughout Sunday's first half. For a stretch of drives, the Jets rotated Ivory and Zac Stacy, their only other active running back, every other series.

Ivory finished with 17 carries for 41 yards (2.4 per carry), with a long of 7 yards. He did have a 9-yard touchdown catch in the third quarter that put the Jets up 17-16. But Sunday was nothing like the previous two games, when Ivory ran for 146 and 166 yards, the third-most and most of his six-year career.

Ivory said he felt fine before Sunday's game. He had no issues in pregame warmups. But then, Ivory was stopped for a loss of 4 yards on the game's first play. And his hamstring began to bother him. (He had a couple instances of hamstring issues in his first two seasons with the Jets.)

"I felt it getting a little tight on the first play," Ivory said. "The hammy wasn't warm enough. Towards the second half, I got a little loose. I tried to get going a little too early without being as warm as I usually am."

Ivory said the hamstring tightness limited what he could do Sunday. Specifically, he couldn't run as hard outside of the tackles.

"I didn't want to pull it," Ivory said. "As far as getting around the edge, I didn't feel like I had the ability to get around the corner. I didn't feel like I had it, going around the corner. I know at times, I probably could've taken the corner, but I didn't have it in me."

Ivory tried and tried to loosen up his hamstring during Sunday's first half. He rode a stationary bike on the sideline. He furiously ran in place. He had a trainer massage and stretch the hamstring. All the while, Ivory continued to play through the tightness.

Ivory, who entered Sunday with an NFL-high 115 rushing yards per game, emphasized that he'll be "ready to go" for next Sunday's trip to Oakland, after playing through the nagging hamstring tightness in New England.

"I'm all right," he said. "I didn't pull it. I didn't strain it. Just a little tightness."

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NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Jets RB Chris Ivory hurts hamstring in loss to Patriots (Seth Walder) New York Daily News October 25, 2015

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/jets-rb-chris-ivory-hurts-hamstring-loss-patriots-article-1.2410919

The Jets' ground game went off the rails in their very first running play in the team's 30-23 loss to the Patriots.

Chris Ivory, who had demolished opponents recently, bounced out to his right and was tackled for a loss. The couple of yards weren't the issue -- Ivory's hamstring was.

"I felt a little tightness in my hamstring the first play," the running back said. He added that he thought he wasn't as warm coming out of the locker room after pre-game as he maybe would have liked to be.

They took out Ivory for a series, here or there, while the running back tried to stretch out the sore muscle. He ultimately played most of the game but even he admitted that his hamstring was affecting him.

"Yeah," Ivory said. "I didn't have the confidence in getting around the edge."

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30 | P a g e

It showed. Ivory has been almost unstoppable lately, rushing for 312 yards his last two games combined. He never got going against the Patriots, who held him to 41 yards on 17 attempts, though he did catch a nine-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter.

"It's tough, man, for something like that to happen on the first drive, it's real tough," he said. "But I was able to work through it and finish the game. I mean, we didn't get the outcome we wanted."

Asked if he thought it was more the hamstring or more the Patriots that kept him in check, Ivory said, "Combination of both. I think they set the edge pretty good. I think they wanted all the runs to go inside."

Head coach Todd Bowles downplayed the importance of Ivory's injury affecting the offense.

"It didn't hold us back," Bowles said. "They did a good job of stopping him. You've got to give those guys credit. They get paid, too. He was in the game, and he was healthy. We were coming off the ball some. They had schemed some fronts and schemed some things they had seen, so they did a good job preparing."

As they game wore on, Ivory seemed to get little bit better, thought it didn't make much of an impact.

"It started feeling a little looser," the running back said. "I started feeling more confident in myself the more the game went."

And he wasn't concerned about the team's game next week against the Raiders.

"I'm fine," he said. "I'm ready to go for next week."

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Patriots too much for Jets, win AFC East showdown 30-23 (Seth Walder) New York Daily News October 25, 2015

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/patriots-jets-win-afc-east-showdown-30-23-article-1.2410751

Close doesn’t count.

The Jets fought and scrapped with the Patriots at Gillette Stadium on Sunday, but ultimately ran into Tom Brady and couldn’t overcome the future Hall of Famer’s greatness in a 30-23 loss to their rival. Gang Green played well for the majority of the game but squandered a fourth-quarter lead and threw away a comeback opportunity with poor clock management.

“We lost. It was our fault,” Todd Bowles said. “We fought until the end and then it wasn’t good enough.”

“I’m pissed off,” Willie Colon said after the game. “I felt like we had ‘em. I felt like we were the better team. But obviously, we weren’t.”

Despite having the highest-ranked defense in the league, including former Patriot Darrelle Revis, the Jets just weren’t able to slow down Brady, who threw for 355 yards and two touchdowns and ran in for another.

Nonetheless, the Jets continued to prove they are a capable team, by hanging tough with the Super Bowl champions, even in defeat.

Asked how large the gap between these two teams is after the game, Brandon Marshall said, “Very small.”

It was no consolation though.

“There’s no such thing as a moral victory,” Muhammad Wilkerson said.

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Despite the loss, the Jets’ (4-2) playoff landscape does not change all that much much. They still are in strong position for a wild card spot and still appear to be the second-best team in the division. Few, if any, imagined the Jets would be serious contenders for the AFC East crown even before the loss.

“It’s super frustrating. Guys work so hard to be in situations like this and to come up short it’s frustrating, but at the same time, there’s a lot of football left,” Marshall said. “Games like this, situations like this, creates championship teams. Or it creates teams that fold.”

The Jets had a chance to at least take a shot at a miraculous comeback late in the game, but blew it before they even got their last pass off. Down three points with the Patriots driving and all of his timeouts remaining, Bowles failed to call them to save some clock.

When asked for an explanation, Bowles gave a non-sensical one.

“We were trying to call it if we made a stop, (but) we didn’t stop them, obviously,” the coach said. “It was like a second, two or three at the time we could have called a time out, but it didn’t make any sense since they were moving the ball right there, so we tried to get a stop to call one and we never got the stop.”

Ultimately, Brady hit Rob Gronkowski for a touchdown with 1:13 left in the game to put New England up 10.

The Jets were able to get downfield and kick a field goal with 18 seconds left, and then Marshall was able to grab an onside kick at the Patriots’ 49-yard line. But with 14 seconds left and no timeouts, Fitzpatrick threw short to Eric Decker instead of heaving a Hail Mary. When the Jets tried to spike the ball, Marshall wasn’t set, and the 10-second runoff ended the game.

Bowles was asked if he regretted not having Fitzpatrick throw deep right away.

“No,” Bowles said. “He wouldn’t have thrown it that far had we stayed where we were -- we would have never made it.”

The bumbled clock management wasn’t the Jets’ only issue in the fourth quarter.

Gang Green was ahead by one point when the quarter began, and had a prime opportunity to take control of the contest when Fitzpatrick hit Marshall in the hands in the end zone on third down, but the receiver dropped the ball. A touchdown would have put the Jets ahead by eight; they ended up settling for a field goal and only going ahead by four with just under 13 minutes remaining.

“I make that play it puts us in a better position,” Marshall said. “We’re still the pitchers in that situation. We go up by eight points. Didn’t make the play and I put our team in a bad situation. You have to make those plays in games like this.”

“My A** should be walking back to New York,” Marshall later tweeted.

Even after Marshall’s miscue, the Jets appeared set to stop New England on their ensuing drive with Tom Brady facing a 3rd-and-17 in Patriots territory. For most of the game Revis covered Julian Edelman, but with the long yard to gain Todd Bowles had his defense sit back in zone coverage and Edelman was able to convert on a 27-yard reception.

“We just had a missed play in the coverage,” Bowles said.

All day, the Jets’ offense was hampered by a hurting Chris Ivory, who tweaked his hamstring on his first run of the day. Though he played most of the game and was able to catch a touchdown, Ivory was not the same back that powered their offense in the team’s last two games.

As a result of Ivory’s ailment and the Patriots’ taking away the run, the Jets had to rely on Fitzpatrick and the passing game, which largely went well. With the Patriots paying close attention to Marshall, Decker

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became the key component in the Jets’ offense and he caught six passes for 94 yards, including three third-down conversions.

Fitzpatrick, other than a fumble in the first quarter, had a good game, racking up 295 passing yards with two touchdowns. But that wasn’t much consolation for the quarterback in the losing effort.

“We didn’t come here to play them close,” Fitzpatrick said. “We came here to win. So, we we weren’t able to accomplish that.”

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Jets make too many costly mistakes late to beat defending champion Patriots (Manish Mehta) New York Daily News October 25, 2015

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/mehta-jets-mistakes-beat-perfect-patriots-article-1.2410952

FOXBOROUGH – The final indignity came on the final play of a game that the Jets should have won.

A penalty and subsequent 10-second runoff capped a series of fourth-quarter mistakes and questionable clock-management decisions in the Jets’ 30-23 loss to the Patriots Sunday.

The divide between the undefeated reigning Super Bowl champions and Todd Bowles’ team isn’t cavernous, but the Jets made Bill Belichick’s and Tom Brady’s jobs a lot easier with a few late assists on a day when it appeared that the Jets would topple their division rivals.

“We should be upset with a loss,” said Bowles, whose team fell to 4-2. “You show me a good loser and I’ll show you a loser.”

The Jets took a one-point lead into the fourth quarter before everything unraveled.

Brandon Marshall dropped what would have been a 12-yard touchdown on a back-shoulder pass from Ryan Fitzpatrick three minutes into the fourth quarter.

The Jets settled for Nick Folk’s 30-yard field goal to increase their lead to 20-16, but Bowles’ team squandered a golden opportunity on a play that Marshall typically makes.

The final mistake comes when QB Ryan Fitzpatrick throws to the middle of the field in the final seconds.

“You have to make those plays in games like this,” said Marshall (4 catches, 67 yards), who was doubled on seemingly every play.

Bowles’ defense, which entered the game at or near the top of nearly every meaningful statistical category, held Brady in check for the better part of three quarters before the future Hall of Famer erupted for two touchdowns and 150 yards on 14 of 17 passing in the final 15 minutes.

Brady’s 27-yard completion to Julian Edelman on third-and-17 early in the quarter was a killer. The Patriots took the lead for good five plays later on an 8-yard touchdown strike to Danny Amendola, but the long third-down conversion was the seminal moment. Bowles played coverage with a split-safety look rather than blitz Brady.

“He just made a good play,” Bowles said of Brady. “You got to play cat and mouse with him. You can’t give them what they want all the time. So we tried to do that all game. It didn’t work that time.”

The Jets trailed 23-20 before Bowles curiously kept his three timeouts in his back pocket on the next Patriots drive that started with 5:32 left in regulation. There were two clear opportunities to stop the

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clock, but the Jets allowed Brady & Co. to bleed 4 minutes, 19 seconds before getting the ball back down by 10 points.

“We were trying to call it if we made a stop,” Bowles said of why he didn’t call any timeouts during that Patriots drive that resulted in Brady’s 15-yard touchdown pass to Rob Gronkowski with 1:13 left in the game. “We didn’t stop them, obviously.”

Bowles also admitted that he failed to properly communicate a sideline adjustment before Brady’s third-and-10 conversion to Amendola right before the two-minute warning. The Jets curiously played Cover Zero. The communication snafu led to a blown assignment and helped set up the score that put the Jets in a 10-point hole.

The Jets, however, should have had more time to mount a comeback if they handled the clock better.

Bowles would have saved about 30 seconds by calling a timeout after James White’s three-yard run on first down. He would have saved an additional 35 seconds or so by calling a timeout after Brady’s completion to Amendola on the first play after the two-minute warning.

The additional 60-65 seconds would have come in handy during the Jets’ frenetic comeback attempt. Instead, the Jets’ ensuing drive that was capped by Folk’s 55-yard field goal drew them within one score with only 18 seconds remaining.

Even with Darrelle Revis (l.) back in the mix, Bill Belichick and the Patriots get the best of the Jets.

Marshall recovered the onside kick with 14 seconds left to give the Jets one last chance, but Bowles didn’t dial up a Hail Mary from the Patriots 49, because Fitzpatrick couldn’t reach the end zone.

“We would have never made it,” said Bowles, who chose not to try the option of inserting the strong-armed Geno Smith for a desperation heave (or two) in the remaining time.

Fitzpatrick’s 12-yard completion to Eric Decker in the middle of the field with no timeouts remaining put everyone in scramble mode to spike the ball.

Fitzpatrick clocked it with one second left, but Marshall, unsure about whether to line up on or off the line of scrimmage, was flagged for not being set. The 10-second run-off ended it.

“My a** should be walking back to New York,” tweeted Marshall, who took ownership of his fourth-quarter dropped pass and penalty. “How you bounce back after moments like this produce CHAMPIONS or CHUMPS.”

“We felt like we had them right where we wanted them,” right guard Willie Colon said.

They did. They were painfully close before a series of mistakes down the stretch buried them. Back_to_Top

Jets hold breath over Nick Mangold's injury (Seth Walder) New York Daily News October 25, 2015

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/jets-insider-jets-hold-breath-nick-mangold-injury-article-1.2411064

The Jets have to be hoping they left New England with just a lost game, and not a lost center.

Nick Mangold was injured late in the fourth quarter after apparently taking a hit to the head as the Jets tried in vain to come back against the Patriots in their 30-23 loss at Gillette Stadium on Sunday.

Mangold walked off the field and then was carted into the locker room.

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Todd Bowles said that the star center will have neck X-rays. The center was spotted wearing a neck brace after the game.

The 10-year center and six-time Pro Bowler is a critical piece of the Jets’ offensive line. He has missed only three games due to injury in his career.

Sheldon Richardson also suffered what appeared to be an arm injury but indicated after the game that he was fine.

Calvin Pryor came out with an ankle injury, and Bowles did not know the severity of it.

QUIGLEY HAS INFECTION

Punter Ryan Quigley’s mystery shin injury turned out to be an infection. It all started with his punt that was blocked a week ago against Washington.

“It started from that...the blocked punt. Got hit in the shin so it caused a little scratch or whatever. It’s just one of those crazy things that can happen.”

Everything seemed fine, until Friday night.

“He showed up (Saturday) with his shin real swollen, he couldn’t move it and it was black and blue and we had to get a punter,” Bowles said.

“We did everything the right way, as far as taking care of it, cleaning it and all that stuff,” Quigley said. “(Maybe) it was me during practice getting some dirt in it or sweat in it.”

The Jets signed Steve Weatherford at the last minute on Saturday.

“It was one of those freak things,” Quigley said. “You never want to bring in a guy the day before a game.”

Quigley said the goal is to be back by Wednesday.

The Jets have to be hoping that’s the case, as Weatherford did not look good in his fill-in role.

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METRO NEW YORK

Jets show they're no pushovers in AFC showdown loss to Patriots (Kristian Dyer) Metro New York October 25, 2015

http://www.metro.us/new-york/jets-show-they-re-no-pushovers-in-afc-showdown-loss-to-patriots/zsJojy---PUczDvU2BDgM/

They may have lost 30-23 on Sunday afternoon to the New England Patriots but in many ways, the New York Jets emerged from Week 7 showing that they are no pushovers. The loss drops the Jets to 4-2 on the season but showed a team that hung around with the defending Super Bowl champions, who are no 6-0 after beating their divisional rivals.

Despite a horrible day from his wide receivers who found a myriad of ways to drop passes, the Patriots offense still managed to put up points against the league’s top defense. A cold start gave way to quarterback Tom Brady getting hot in the second half, picking apart the Jets secondary for 355 passing yards and two touchdowns.

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The Jets were up 10-3 early in the second quarter after Ryan Fitzpatrick threw a five-yard touchdown pass on a slant to Jeremy Kerley. The pass from Fitzpatrick ended a 14-play, 83-yard drive where the jets quarterback completed four of his six passes for 56 yards.

Then down 16-10 in the third quarter, a Jets offense that had punted their last three possessions marched down the field in 13-plays, going 80 yards with a Chris Ivory nine-yard touchdown catch putting the Jets up. Then a 30-yard field goal from Nick Folk with 12:50 left in the game staked the Jets to a 20-16 lead on the road.

But the Patriots would answer back, with fourth quarter touchdown passes from Brady putting New England up 30-20.

No Quigley

With punter Ryan Quigley sidelined with a shin injury, the Jets signed veteran Steve Weatherford and cut Jaiquawn Jarrett to make room for him on the roster. Quigley has been solid for the Jets since last year, growing into the role and showing more leg than most directional punters. Weatherford struggled early, showing rust with a first punt that went just 31 yards. While he would settle down, neither the strength of his leg or the directional kicking was up to snuff and gave the Patriots some very good starting positions in the first half. The Jets missed Quigley in this one.

Little Ground & Little Pound

For the entirety of the first half, Ivory was far from his normal self, a left hamstring injury clearly slowing him down. In the first half, he had nine carries for just 12 yards. While he would bounce back a little in the second half, the Jets struggled to rush the ball. The Jets rushed for 89 yards on the day, well below their season average, with quarterback Fitzpatrick accounting for nearly 29 yards rushing.

Speaking of ‘Fitzmagic’

Yes there was the fumble on the first drive of the game but Fitzpatrick looked better than Brady for much of the game. He completed 21-of-38 passes for 283 yards with two touchdown passes and showed plenty of guts in how he got his 29 yards rushing. Not a perfect performance from Fitzpatrick but he had his team in position to win the game until the very end. That’s more than many Jets quarterbacks have been able to say in the past.

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SUNDAY’S SPORTS TRANSACTIONS

BASKETBALL

National Basketball Association

DETROIT PISTONS — Exercised their 2016-17 options on G Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and F Reggie Bullock. Waived G Ryan Boatright.

HOCKEY

National Hockey League

NASHVILLE PREDATORS — Assigned F Viktor Arvidsson to Milwaukee (AHL).

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COLLEGE

MIAMI — Fired football coach Al Golden. Named Larry Scott interim football coach.

UCF — Announced George O’Leary, football coach, is retiring, effective immediately. Named quarterbacks coach Danny Barrett interim football coach.

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