It took a field goal in the last seconds of the game against the winless New York Jets but the New England Patriots managed to snap an ugly four-game losing streak and keep their playoff chances alive.
Patriots came to MetLife Stadium for Monday Night Football game as an overwhelming favorite despite their struggles in 2020. They were playing the winless Jets, manned by a backup quarterback Joe Flacco, so the win was theirs for the taking. Still, it took a lot more than expected for this to happen.
After getting a 7-3 lead in the first quarter, New England broke apart in the second. They only managed to score a field goal while surrendering 17 points.
Flacco’s beautiful 20-yard touchdown throw to Jamison Crowder in the dying seconds of the first half was especially painful for the Pats.
Both teams had an electric start to the second half. The Pats orchestrated a 78-yard touchdown drive from the bat, while the Jets responded with a 75-yard drive of their own to return the TD score.
The key moment of the game happened midway through the fourth period when the Pats, who trailed seven points up to that point, got an interception on Flacco’s deep ball.
New England’s offense marched down the field once again and found themselves one yard away from the Jets’ endzone. The Pats’ quarterback Cam Newton took it upon himself to deliver the score.
Jets didn’t produce on the next possession, being forced to punt the ball with 0:54 left on the clock. This gave an opportunity for Patriots to embark on another drive and potentially steal the game.
Newton and Pats offense pushed the ball down the field just enough for Nick Folk to attempt a 51-yard field goal with several seconds left in the contest. Folk stepped up and sent the ball through the middle, giving his team a badly needed win while leaving the Jets as the only team without a win in 2020.
New England Patriots are now 3-5 and sitting third in the AFC East. New York Jets, on the other hand, are 0-9 and in the command position of getting the No.1 overall pick in 2021 NFL Draft.
