Projo Pats Blog

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) -- New York Jets coach Rex Ryan felt "disrespected" by the New England Patriots for throwing a deep pass with the game well in hand Sunday.

The Patriots were ahead 31-14 with 30 seconds left in the fourth quarter when Tom Brady threw long for Randy Moss on third-and-6 from their 45-yard line. The pass fell incomplete, but riled up Ryan.

"We need to stop them anyway, so it's no biggie, but I was surprised, and I did feel a little bit disrespected," Ryan said.

Ryan added that he didn't know if Bill Belichick was behind the call, saying it might have been something Brady and Moss did on their own. The Jets coach was also asked if he thought perhaps maybe it was intended to be one final message to cornerback Darrelle Revis, who has developed a rivalry with Moss.

"I looked at that as an opportunity for us," Ryan said. "Throw it up deep, our guy is going to come down with it more than your guy is. If they want to throw it up to Revis, that's great. If they would have thrown it up to (Wes) Welker again, I would have had a problem with it."

Moss had five catches for 34 yards, while Welker had 15 receptions for 192 yards.

Ryan, who created controversy in the offseason when he said he didn't come to New York to "kiss Bill Belichick's rings," said he called a timeout with 5 seconds left as a response to the Patriots' play call.

Herewith, the first paragraph of a press release issued this afternoon by the Patriots:

(PROVIDENCE, R.I.)-In the field house of LaSalle Academy this afternoon New England Patriots Charitable Foundation President Joshua Kraft, Governor Donald Carcieri, Senate President Teresa Paiva Weed, Speaker William Murphy, Patriots and Pro Football Hall of Famer Andre Tippett and The Most Rev. Thomas J. Tobin, Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence, participated in a bill signing ceremony authorizing a Rhode Island license plate for the New England Patriots Charitable Foundation, with proceeds to benefit local non-profit organizations, and to kickoff the 2009-10 'Keep the Heat On' campaign, an effort that provides heating assistance to Rhode Islanders with no place left to turn for help.

The release does not say whether Bishop Tobin has given Congressman Patrick Kennedy dispensation to put such a plate on his car.

That's what the Patriots were last year, when they failed to make the playoffs.

It's what they very well could finish this season, too, although it seems unlikely that record wouldn't be good enough to win the AFC East this time around.

The Pats are 7-3 following Sunday's 31-14 romp past the Jets. But, while they're now 6-0 at home, they're only 1-3 on the road, and just two of their remaining six games are in Foxboro.

Next up for New England is a Monday Night game in New Orleans against the undefeated Saints.

The high-scoring Saints are favored by only three points, which seems a tad low, considering the way Peyton Manning carved up the Patriots in the fourth quarter in Indianapolis, which has to have N.O. QB Drew Brees eager to take his shots at the New England secondary.

While the Patriots figure to win their two remaining home games against Carolina and Jacksonville, as well as a road game at Buffalo, games at Miami and Houston hardly qualify as automatic "W's."

,What do you see as Patriots' final, regular-season record?

The 2009 season, which started so promisingly for the New York Jets, is effectively over.

The Jets' lopsided loss Sunday at New England, 31-14, in which rookie QB Mark Sanchez had five turnovers -- four interceptions (three by Leigh Bodden, one of which was returned for a touchdown) and a fumble -- all but officially put an end to N.Y.'s playoff hopes.

After starting out 3-0, including a 16-9 win over the Patriots at the Meadowlands in Week Two, the Jets have lost 6 of their last 7 games.

Sanchez, who had 4 TD passes and only 2 interceptions in N.Y.'s first three games, had thrown 14 INTs and just 6 TDs in the Jets' seven-game tailspin.

But coach Rex Ryan said Sunday he's going to stick with Sanchez as his starter.

"I don't think he's going to get any better sitting on the sideline," Ryan said. "Without question, he made a lot of mistakes. But he's got to learn from them. And the only way to do it -- you know you can visualize it, watch tape, and carry a clipboard, but unless you get on the field, you aren't going to get any better. That's my opinion."

After a horrible start Sunday -- N.Y. fell behind 24-0 -- the Jets had a chance to make a game of it when, trailing 24-14, they gained possession at their own 48 in the first minute of the fourth quarter.

But Sanchez threw an interception on the first play.

"That was a crucial play that totally changed the tide back to New England's favor," Ryan said.

While the Jets' next three games are against Carolina, Buffalo, and Tampa Bay, their last three are against the Falcons, Colts, and Bengals. And they do have to go on the road to play the Bills and Bucs.

New York now is 4-6, leaving them three games behind the Patriots in the AFC East, and is only 1-4 against division opponents.

You have to hand it to Rex Ryan -- despite the fact that his team has now dropped six of its last seven games after winning its first three and talking, tweeting and generally boasting to any and all about how great they were -- the rookie head coach refuses to admit that his team may be having a crisis of confidence.

After the Jets' 31-14 loss to New England, Ryan was asked just that: whether the Jets' confidence is shaken.

"No, but we go outplayed today," he said. "There is no question. Our confidence is still there, but you go to understand, when you come out of that tunnel to play the game, you better be ticked off. That's what happened the last two games, you know, we've let teams dictate the tempo on us instead of us dictate it. And that's the thing I was most disappointed about.

"Clearly at halftime, our guys came back and competed. I think we believe we are a decent football team, but you know, clearly we weren't the best team today. Clearly it was New England."

The Jets believe they're "decent"? Well, if two games below .500 is decent, that's just what they are. Ryan's assessment of them as decent would seem to be a far cry from the world-beaters they saw themselves as six weeks ago.

Feasting on five turnovers committed by Jets rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez, the New England Patriots won, 31-14, this afternoon at Gillette Stadium. Click here for the box score.

Leigh Bodden had three of the Patriots' four interceptions, one of which he returned 53 yards for a touchdown, and Wes Welker had a career-high 192 yards receiving, helping Tom Brady extend his streak of consecutive 300-yard passing performances to five games, a career high.

The victory moved the Pats to 7-3, putting them in a three-way tie with the Bengals (who were upset by the Raiders) and the Chargers (who blew out the Broncos) for the second-best record in the AFC. Much more to come.

FOXBORO -- Talk about rookie mistakes.

Jets QB Mark Sanchez, having already thrown three interceptions, added another while throwing under pressure near his own goal line.

This one was picked off by Brandon Meriweather, who returned it 4 yards to the N.Y. 25.

New England cornerback Leigh Bodden had the first three interceptions, tying a club record.

Bodden returned his first "pick" 53 yards for the game's first touchdown. His third killed a possible Jets rally after N.Y., which had trimmed a 24-0 deficit to 24-14, had started a drive at its own 48 early in the fourth quarter.

Meriweather's INT set up the clinching TD, Laurence Maroney going over from the 1 with 5:06 to go, giving New England a 31-14 lead.

FOXBORO -- Patriots cornerback Leigh Bodden tied a club record when he came up with his third interception of the game early in the fourth quarter.

Bodden, who got the Pats off to a fast start by picking off the Jets' rookie QB, Mark Sanchez, midway through the first quarter and returning the ball 53 yards for the game's first touchdown, made his second interception in the second quarter.

His third may have been the most important, however, coming with the Jets at their own 48 and trailing by 10, 24-14, after having fallen behind, 24-0, in the second quarter.

Asante Samuel, now playing for Philadelphia, had three interceptions for New England against the Chicago Bears on Nov. 26, 2006, helping the Pats win, 17-13, in Foxboro.

The 3-yard catch by Wes Welker was the 10th of the game for Welker, and he now has 151 yards for the game, which is a career high.

It is also the fourth game this season in which he has at least 10 catches.

FOXBORO -- After blocking a punt and recovering it for a touchdown in the final minute of the first half, the Jets have driven 80 yards to another touchdown following the second half kickoff.

Rookie QB Mark Sanchez, who threw for just 15 yards in the first half, completing only 2 of 9 passes while throwing two interceptions -- one of which was returned for a touchdown -- threw a 29-yard TD pass to Jerricho Cotchery, who beat cornerback Jonathan Wihite to the right rear corner of the end zone.

The Pats, their once-commanding, 24-0 lead suddenly cut to 24-14, picked up a personal foul on the subsequent kickoff return and will start their first possession of the second half at their own 11.

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) -- Former Patriots defensive lineman Richard Seymour left Oakland's game against Cincinnati with a lower back injury and will not return.

Seymour left in the opening quarter Sunday and the team announced at the start of the third quarter that Seymour would not return.

FOXBORO -- Slow all season in getting his punts away, Chris Hanson finally paid for his deliberateness by having one blocked by the Jets deep in his own territory in the final minute of the first half.

Eric Smith smothered the ball as soon as it left Hanson's foot and it was recovered by Brad Smith, who took it the remaining 4 yards to the end zone, cutting the Pats' commanding lead to 24-7.

FOXBORO -- Perhaps overly concerned about keeping Randy Moss in check, the Jets have been burned by Wes Welker, who had 8 catches for 139 yards in the first half, which ended with New England leading, 24-7.

Welker was injured in Week Two and did not play the first time the Patriots faced the Jets this season.

FOXBORO -- Mark LeVoir, taking over at left tackle after rookie Sebastian Vollmer -- who was in the lineup because Matt Light is injured -- was sidelined by a "head injury," announced himself to the Jets by levelling cornerback Donald Strickland on a screen pass to Wes Welker.

Strickland, who is 5-10, 185, was announced as "questionable" for the remainder of the game with a "head injury."

The 6-7, 310-pound LeVoir is in his second season with New England after having been cut previously by the Bears and Rams. He played college football at Notre Dame, going undrafted in 2006.

FOXBORO -- Mark "San-chize" -- as in franchise -- Sanchez doesn't exactly look like the second coming of Joe Namath.

Or Chad Pennington, for that matter.

Or even Mike Taliaferro.

He looks like the rookie he is, having thrown two interceptions in the first 26 minutes, one of which was returned 53 yards for a TD by Leigh Bodden for the Pats' first points.

Bodden picked off another 9:19 before halftime, giving the Patriots possession at their own 48.

At this point, he's completed just 2 of 9 passes, for only 15 yards, with the two interceptions.

FOXBORO -- After a 43-yard pass from Tom Brady to Wes Welker moved the ball to the N.Y. 3, Laurence Maroney took the ball into the end zone two plays later from the 2, giving New England a 21-0 lead.

Hoo-rah! for Laurence...

I'd still rather see the ball in someone else's hands, especially near the goal line.

Patriots rookie Sebastian Vollmer was not part of the Pats' last touchdown drive; he was on the bench, and it has now been announced that he has a head injury.

In New England, that means he has a concussion.

His return is questionable.

FOXBORO -- Just when Jets CB Darrelle Revis likely -- and justifiably -- thought he was doing a pretty good of covering Randy Moss 1-on-1, Moss caught a quick, 4-yard pass in front of him for a touchdown on the final play of the first quarter, giving New England a 14-0 lead.

After Revis held Moss to 4 catches for just 24 yards in N.Y.'s 16-9 win over the Patriots in Week Two, Moss said: "Anyone could have help 'over the top' and look good."

But Revis insisted he had very little help covering Moss that day.

"Everyone saw the game," he said last week. "Everyone knows I was in man coverage. It wasn't his day, he got shut out, and was frustrated about it."

Prior to the TD, Revis had frustrated Moss three times in the opening minutes this afternoon, twice deflecting passes intended for him, and also running step-for-step with Moss when Brady tried to hit him deep on a flea-flicker.

Leigh Bodden has picked off Mark Sanchez and returned the ball 53 yards for a touchdown.

It is the first touchdown on an interception return in Bodden's seven-year NFL career. It is also the second pick in as many weeks as Bodden, who leads the team with three interceptions on the season. Only in 2007, when Bodden had six interceptions with Cleveland, has Bodden had more interceptions.

Bodden has returned a blocked punt for a touchdown on one occasion in his career.

FOXBORO -- After fumbling the ball away at the goal line last Sunday night in Indianapolis, underachieving former first-round pick (2006) Laurence Maroney has coughed up another, this time at the Jets' 36.

Enough, already.

It's tough to take him out, with veterans Fred Taylor and Sammy Morris both sidelined by injuries, but can BenJarvus Green-Ellis really be any worse?

Maroney is a dancer, not a runner. Instead of taking the ball and exploding into the hole, he jukes and jives. While trying to break a big play, he too often fails to pick up what yardage is available.

And, now, he's come down with a case of fumble-itis.

Hopefully, that won't be an omen that, like the Bruins, the Patriots will struggle to score.

FOXBORO -- Rookie Sebastian Vollmer once again will start at left tackle for the Patriots in place of injured veteran Matt Light.

But, as anyone knows who watched Vollmer take on the Colts' fearsome speed rusher, Dwight Freeney, last Sunday night in Indianapolis, it's not the "blind side" that figures to be Tom Brady's biggest concern this afternoon.

The Jets love to blitz. They did it often, and successfully, in beating the Pats, 16-9, in Week Two at the Meadowlands. Look for them to bring pressure today on New England's right side, given that guard Stephen Neal will be inactive because of a concussion suffered against the Colts and right tackle Nick Kaczur may be more vulnerable than Vollmer.

Expected to start in place of Neal is Dan Connolly, who took over at center for Dan Koppen two weeks ago, when Koppen hurt a knee against the Dolphins. With Koppen back in the lineup last Sunday in Indianapolis, Connolly wound up stepping in at right guard when Neal went down, even though rookie Rich Ohrnberger, a fourth-round pick out of Penn State, is listed as Neal's backup on the depth chart.

For the Patriots:

RB Fred Taylor
CB Shawn Springs
RB Sammy Morris
LB Rob Ninkovich
G Stephen Neal
T Matt Light
WR Sam Aiken
DL Jarvis Green

For the Jets:

QB Kevin O'Connell (3QB)
QB Erik Ainge
CB/KR Justin Miller
LB Vernon Gholston
LB Ryan Fowler
LB Kenwin Cummings
G Matt Slauson
DE Ropati Pitoitua

Hey all --

Team ProJo has settled in here at Gillette, and there are a few players going through early warmups on the field. The Jets are wearing black warmups, as a few players are stretching together and the three quarterbacks are working on drop-backs.

It isn't too cold, but it is very cloudy here in Foxboro.

Game inactives post in about 30 minutes; we'll have more at that time.

shalise