On a day when Tom Brady’s biggest play was a run and the future Hall of Famer was outplayed by Geno Smith -- no Jets fans, you weren’t dreaming, this all really happened -- you would’ve thought Gang Green would get the W yesterday at MetLife Stadium.
Still, there’s a reason the Jets are the Jets and the Patriots are the Patriots, and it’s this: the latter make plays when they need to, and the former makes mistakes. In a game where Brady looked as bad as he ever has against constant pressure from the Jets defensive front, the aging QB came up with an 11-yard scramble from that put the Pats within a few feet of a go-ahead score they’d get two plays later, and, then, to close out the game, a 17-yard run from Brandon Bolden, who makes Jonas Gray look like a Pro Bowler and Shane Vereen look like Barry Sanders. Conversely, the home team got a bone-headed interception from Smith that but a huge blemish on the best day he’s had as a pro QB, and, a bit later, a blocked field goal courtesy of New England’s Vince Wilfork, a man who can’t leave the ground without the aid of a crane.
Despite losing 17-16, the Jets played their best game of a 2014 season we’d all love to forget. The much-maligned Smith looked like a different guy than he had for most of the year amid excellent protection from his much-maligned offensive line, while the great Darelle Revis had a tough time keeping up with Percy Harvin—one of the few Jets that hasn’t been much maligned, unless you count what his ex-teammates in Seattle had to say about him.
Meanwhile, the Jets putrid past defense was far better than it had been over the course of the season, largely as a result of Gang Green’s defensive line and linebackers basically setting up house in the Pats backfield. Brady rarely had much time to throw, and deep pass plays were rendered obsolete. New England’s longest completion of the day went for a mere 14 yards. The Jets did have a difficult time, though, with New England’s Danny Amendola, who on Sunday finally became what Bill Belichick envisioned when he signed the receiver to a free agent deal two years ago: a younger Wes Welker. Amendola was all over the field, racking up key catches and doing damage as punt returner.
While Belichick and Brady have been the constants of the Pats’ remarkable decade-plus ride, players like Amendola and Bolden seemingly arise from slumber any time their team needs them. With the notable exception of DB Jaiquawn Jarrett turning superhuman against the Steelers last month, though, when the Jets need someone from their supporting cast to step up, they always appear to just hit the snooze button.
