EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. _ The Jets played far better than they did the last time they were in MetLife Stadium. They showed up for a half this time.
After playing the Patriots to a standstill into the third quarter, the Jets fell apart. Especially on defense. They gave up too many big plays and dropped their fifth straight game, 27-13 Sunday. It's the Jets' first five-game losing streak under embattled coach Todd Bowles.
This was the Jets' first game since they were blown out at home by Buffalo two weeks, and it looked like they were up for the challenge of playing their chief rival. It proved to be a short-lived tease. The Patriots (8-3) took a two touchdown lead after back-to-back TD drives in the second half as Sam Darnold watched from the sideline with a strained right foot.
Darnold missed his second straight game. The Jets, who fell to 3-8, hope Darnold will return for next Sunday's game at Tennessee. His development is all that's left in another hopeless Jets' season that will extend their postseason drought to eight years.
Josh McCown, starting for the second straight game, was 26-for-45 for 276 yards, one touchdown and one interception. He led the Jets on a touchdown drive on their second series of the game. But they didn't get in the end zone again. Their last offensive possession ended on the Patriots 2-yard line. A pass to Jermaine Kearse was broken up.
Tom Brady carved up the Jets' defense, which couldn't get any pressure on the future Hall of Famer. He completed 20-of-31 passes for 283 yards and two touchdowns. He wasn't sacked. Running back Sony Michel carried the ball 21 times for 133 yards and a touchdown.
The score was tied at 13 after a Jason Myers' 38-yard field goal in the third quarter, but from there it was all New England.
Brady wasted little time, leading the Patriots down the field for the go-ahead score. New England ran four plays, three of them went for more than 20 yards. The last one was a 21-yard touchdown pass from Brady to Julian Edelman.
That bad trend continued on the Jets' next defensive series.
Michel, who opened the second half with a 31-yard run, broke free for a 33-yard carry on the first play on this possession. The Jets also allowed a 17-yard completion to Josh Gordon on third-and-10. Michel ended the drive with a 1-yard touchdown run with 8:54 remaining, putting the Jets in a 27-13 hole.
The Jets scored on their second series of the game on a 16-yard touchdown pass from McCown to Kearse. It was both men's first touchdowns of the season and gave the Jets their first lead in five games.
But it lasted less than three minutes. The Patriots answered on their next series with Brady and Ron Gronkowski hooking up for a 34-yard touchdown on third down. Gronkowski showed his strength, hauling in the pass and holding onto it after a hard hit by Morris Claboirne.
But on the previous play, the Patriots were called for offensive pass interference. Todd Bowles opted not to decline the penalty. Instead of making it fourth down, the Patriots got another third down and converted with the game-tying score with 1:11 left in the first quarter.
After the Patriots took a 10-7 lead on a Stephen Gostkowski 34-yard-field goal late in the half, the Jets got off to a good start in their two-minute drill.
McCown hit Quincy Enunwa for a 41-yard gain on first down. But on the next play, McCown was hit as he threw a deep pass intended for Robby Anderson. Stephon Gilmore picked it off on the 2-yard line.
The Jets held New England to its first three-and-out of the half, and got the ball back with 51 seconds left. They turned their final drive of the half into points as Myers kicked a 55-yard field goal with three seconds remaining to tie the game.
The second half didn't start well for the Jets' defense. They allowed a 31-yard run to Michel on the Patriots' first play from the scrimmage. They also gave up a 2-yard run to Cordarelle Patterson on fourth-and-1 from the 11.
But the defense held after that, as Brady threw three straight incomplete passes. New England settled for a Gostkowski field goal to make it 13-10.
The Jets answered with a scoring drive on their next series, capped by a Myers' 38-yard field goal. McCown extended the drive, scrambling for a 10-yard run on third-and-10, and took a pretty good shot before diving forward for the first down.
