Pats find running game as they ground Jets

FOXBOROUGH, MA - “Ground and Pound” was the motto of the Jets offense this week as they prepared for a matchup with division rival New England. “We’ve got to get back to basics,” admitted Jet Quarterback Mark Sanchez. Maybe Sanchez was really talking about what the Patriots would do on Sunday afternoon in Foxborough.

New England Running Back BenJarvus Green-Ellis scored the first touchdown of the afternoon on a three yard run in the first quarter, and the Patriots never looked back. Green-Ellis carried the ball 27 times totaling 136 yards and two touchdowns. Tom Brady added 321 yards through the air with one touchdown.

Up 10-0 in the second quarter, Tom Brady threw a pass intercepted by Antonio Cromartie. Although his first red-zone interception ever at home, that was the only hiccup from Brady and the offense. After a Jet touchdown by Shonn Green from three yards out, the score at halftime showed the Patriots leading 10-7.

The third quarter started with an impressive drive from the Patriots resulting in a two yard pass from Brady to a wide open Deion Branch in the back of the end zone. Sanchez, however, battled back quickly with a touchdown pass of his own to Jeremy Kerley.

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The Patriots running game combined with clock management just seemed too much for the Jets to overcome. Green-Ellis added his second touchdown of the day with 1:20 left in the third quarter from three yards out making the score 24-14.

After a Patriot field goal off the foot of Stephen Gostkowski, Jet wide receiver Santonio Holmes caught a 21-yard touchdown pass from Sanchez. With 7:14 left the Jets found themselves only six points down, 27-21. But, the Jets defense couldn’t stop Brady and Green-Ellis running the clock. The Patriots put together their most impressive drive, keeping the ball for six minutes and ending it with another field goal from Gostkowski. With 1:04 left on the clock, the Jets remained down nine and in a hole too big to climb out of.

Mark Sanchez threw for 166 yards and two touchdowns but couldn’t stop the Jets losing skid on the road. The Jets have now lost three in a row and this one was extra special to New England as they lost on the same field to New York in the divisional round of the playoffs last year. Wes Welker continued his impressive season with 124 yards receiving.

New England (4-1) stays home to host Dallas next week while New York tries to get back to winning ways at home against division rival Miami.

By: Matt Romano
ProFootball-fans.com New England Patriots Correspondent