This edition of Flashback Friday may not be as much of a look into the past as a look into only a couple of months ago.
On Monday Night Football, the New England Patriots were able to come away with a crucial victory against the New York Jets to keep them in the playoff hunt at the time. In what was a grind-it-out game, New York made it clear that they weren’t going to simply let the Patriots win.
In the first quarter, New York hit the scoreboard to begin things, as Sergio Castillo kicked a 35-yard field goal to give the Jets in early lead. That lead did not last for long as Cam Newton ran the ball in from five yards out for a touchdown run. Following a field goal, the Patriots now had a 7-3 advantage.
In what was a grind-it-out type of game in the first half, the Patriots’ secondary managed to show some cracks. The Jets’ offense seemed to have no trouble marching down the field.
New England had to come out strong in the third quarter. They certainly did that, as Rex Burkhead would get to the house from a yard out for a touchdown. That narrowed the gap for New York, as their lead was trimmed to 20-17. A Breshad Perriman touchdown to end the third quarter set the stage for a wild fourth frame. Fortunately for New England, they did all the scoring.
Nick folk hit a field goal to begin the quarter and that was a foreshadowing of things to come. A Newton run with 1:57 left on the clock tied the game at 27. After several key defensive stops, it was up to the leg of Folk again.
The New England offense put together a masterful drive that saw them get in Folk’s range and he was able to hit a 51-yard field goal to win the game.
For his part, Newton went 27-of-35 on the evening, throwing for 274 yards. One other big contribution for New England on this night was the play of wide receiver Jakobi Meyers. He caught 12 passes for 169 yards, averaging 14.1 yards per reception.
The big playmakers for New York were quarterback Joe Flacco and Perriman. Flacco finished the evening 18-of-25, throwing for 262 yards, three touchdowns and an interception. Perriman caught five passes for 101 yards and finished with two touchdowns on the evening.
You can check out the highlights below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a966sfszNa8
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