New England Patriots @ New York Jets Recap

Cassel leads Patriots to 19-10 win over Favre & the Jets

Offense: Considering all of the worries heading into this game, Matt Cassel's first start has to be a pleasant surprise. The gameplan was for him to stick to short, easy passes and he dis just that, throwing for 165 yards on 16 completions. He did not throw a touchdown or interception, reflecting the conservative play calling and simplicity of the offense. Coach Bill Belichick was pleased with Cassel's performance, saying" I thought Matt did a good job. It wasn't perfect. We had some rough spots. He did a good job of making good decisions. He didn't put us in any bad situations and made some good positive plays. I thought he managed the game well." In the first half, the Patriots converted on two field goals after both drives stalled in the red zone. The third quarter was when the game was broken open, as 10 straight New England points gave them a 16-3 lead. In the fourth, the Patriots made another field goal to extend their lead to 19-10 and practically putting the game out of reach for the Jets. Lamont Jordan provided energy and toughness to the rushing attack in the second half, carrying the ball 11 times for 62 yards. Maroney and Faulk split the carries in the first half. Despite all of the emphasis placed on rushing, the Patriots did not perform particularly well in that area, averaging only 3.2 yards per attempt. However, the offensive line provided outstanding protection for Cassel and he was able to execute his plays. New England did not attempt many long passes and that does not appear likely to change in the next matchup against the Dolphins. A heavy dose of the running game and a ball control offense will be the strategy for at least the near future.

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Defense: The Jets were expected to feature an aggressive passing attack with Brett Favre at quarterback, but the Patriots contained both Favre and Jets runningbacks. Allowing 10 points and only 3 through the third quarter is an above average performance, especially on the road in a hostile environment. In the first half, the Jets had a few opportunities to put points on the board, but a missed field goal and stalled red zone drives prevented that. The defensive line put pressure on Favre on some plays but were not quite as effective in stopping the run, since the Jets averaged 5 yards per carry and were able to elude defenders near the line of scrimmage. Brett Favre was forced to throw short passes and check down on a lot of routes and it's a result of good coverage in the secondary and improved tackling down the field. The Jets often passed towards the sidelines and could not get many yards after the catch. Favre did scramble and keep plays alive, but it turned out to be a negative thing because most of the time it lead to incompletions or sacks. To hold Favre to just 6 yards per completion is a resounding success considering his tendency to throw deep. Tight coverage was put on Jets receivers throughout the game with little room for long completions. Rodney Harrison and Jerod Mayo combined for 15 tackles and Adalius Thomas and Richard Seymour each had a sack. The Dolphins have a similar offensive strategy so if the Patriots play like they did in this matchup, they should again have positive results.

By Chad Fukuoka
ProFootball-fans.com New England Patriots Correspondent