The New England Patriots re-established bragging rights over the National Football League, the American Football Conference and -- most importantly -- the AFC East division in a 45-3 Monday night massacre of the New York Jets at Gillette Stadium.
Tom Brady imprinted his DNA even more permanently on the NFL record books with yet another obscure but impressive record. Brady now holds the most consecutive home wins record for an NFL quarterback, passing the Packers-era Brett Favre with 26 in a row at Foxborough.
You see Braylon Edwards up there at the top of this page, dropping yet another routine, short first-down completion? It was that kind of night for the New York Jets.
It was essentially a laughter from the second quarter onward. By the end of the first, the Patriots were already up 17-0 on a touchdown run from BenJarvus Green-Ellis and a 25-yard touchdown throw to Deion Branch.
Despite a consistently big lead, the Patriots kept clearly running up the score on the Jets. They even went for it on fourth down with a 35-point lead in the fourth quarter. The Jets couldn't stop them, and two plays later Green-Ellis dragged four Jets with him into the end zone.
The Patriots are now in lovely shape to finish with the NFL's best record for the 2010 regular season. They are 10-2, with remaining contests against the NFC West-leading Bears, at home against Green Bay, away at Buffalo, and at home against the Dolphins.
New England is 3-1 in the AFC East, and currently even or ahead on all tiebreakers should they finish with the same record as the Jets.
Sports
Joe Kukura is a freelance writer who only wishes Don Meredith had been there to sing "Turn Out the Lights, the Party's Over."
