The New England Patriots remain the big brother on the AFC East block, wiping away a fourth-quarter deficit in a 30-23 win over the New York Jets. Here's what we learned.
- The Jets' defense entered the game ranked No. 1 in the NFL, but Tom Brady humbled the Todd Bowles unit in his latest MVP-worthy performance. Brady finished 34-of-54 for 355 yards and three touchdowns (one rushing), numbers that would look even better if New England didn't finish with an astounding 10 drops. The Patriots won the game because the Jets could not stop Brady on back-to-back touchdown drives in the fourth quarter. No. 12 remains the difference in this rivalry.
- Chris Ivory has been a terror all season, but staying healthy remains an issue for the running back. Ivory appeared to pull his hamstring on the first carry of the game, an issue that clearly affected him the rest of the way. Ivory deserves credit for gutting it out; he ran the ball better in the second half and had a touchdown reception, but this was not the game the Jets could afford to have their star running back in a compromised state.
- The Jets have to be frustrated by Brandon Marshall's recurring mental/physical hiccups. Marshall had a end-zone drop in the fourth quarter that effectively cost New York four points. Then, on the final play of the fourth quarter, Marshall didn't hustle back to the line of scrimmage and got called for an illegal procedure, prompting a 10-second run-off that ended the game.
- Brandon LaFell was activated from the PUP list this week, but he didn't exactly provide the lift the Patriots were hoping for. The wide receiver was targeted eight times, finishing with two catches for 25 yards ... and five drops. That will earn you a first-class ticket to the dog house.
