Against All Odds Patriots Deliver Statement

Just when it looked like the AFC East might be wide open, the Patriots made an emphatic statement that they still have a stranglehold on the division.  The Pats, Jets, and Bills entered the day with identical 5-3 records but Buffalo's blowout loss in Dallas combined with the Patriots' 37-16 road win over the Jets has New England sitting pretty.  They hold what is basically a two game lead over the Jets (1 game in the standings plus the head to head tie breaker), while Buffalo looks to be fading.

The Patriots find themselves in this position after a return to the "Patriot Way" at Met Life Stadium.

With injuries and doubters piling up the Patriots got a total team effort and ran away from New York in the second half.

Defensively they were forced to play, among others, Sterling Moore (first career start), Jeff Tarpinian (first career start), Antwaun Molden, Phillip Adams, Ross Ventrone, and Julian Edelman.

Carter had a lot of reason to jump for joy

With the pressure on they had some players step up and make big contributions.  Rob Ninkovich had two interceptions, including a fourth quarter pick-6 that iced the game for them.  Andre Carter set a franchise record with 4.5 sacks and wreaked havoc in the Jets' backfield.

Carter and company up front helped to take some pressure off of the banged up secondary by pressuring Sanchez without blitzing.  Carter and Mark Anderson did an excellent job of winning one on one battles in the passing game and forced Sanchez to move off the spot even when they didn't get sacks.

The offense also helped with their most efficient performance in recent weeks.  They picked on Eric Smith and Donald Strickland in coverage, mostly with Rob Gronkowski, who lit up the Jets to the tune of 113 yards receiving and 2 touchdowns.  Tom Brady ran the offense beautifully, especially in the no huddle.

The drive of the game came after the Jets made it a one possession game early in the fourth quarter.  A Mark Sanchez to Plaxico Burress touchdown cut New England's lead to 23-16 and a three and out would have energized the Jets and their fans.  Instead Brady led a 13 play, 84 yard drive that lasted almost 7 minutes and ended with a Deion Branch 8 yard touchdown  reception.  Brady worked mostly out of the no huddle and played the Jets like a fiddle.  He called running plays when New York had more defensive backs in the game, passing plays when they brought in their "heavy" personnel, and caught the Jets out of position several times with the quick tempo.  That drive effectively ended the game, making it a two possession game with just over 8 minutes to play.

Now the Patriots look to be sitting pretty.  They have the advantage over the Jets and have the easiest remaining schedule in the AFC.  A 13-3 record and home field is definitely not out of the question.  Both Baltimore and Pittsburgh have looked schizophrenic this season,  while Houston is an unproven team.

The top of the conference is still very much wide open.  The top of the AFC East?  Not so much.  The Patriots made a statement on national TV that they are still very much a factor in the AFC and that the East is still theirs to lose, no matter who they put out on the field.

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