Patriots vs. Jets: By the Numbers

Taking a closer look at some numbers that stood out from the New England Patriots’ 17-16 victory over the New York Jets.

17

The longest play from scrimmage by the Patriots on Sunday, and that was a Brandon Bolden run with less than two minutes remaining to ice the victory. Their longest pass? Just 14 yards in the third quarter to Brandon LaFell. With the Jets applying so much pressure, it became difficult for the Patriots to try them deep.

4

Plays allowed of 20+ yards through the air by the Patriots defense, which highlights some coverage breakdowns and deficiencies the team had on Sunday, as well as a lack of a pass rush. Three of Geno Smith’s longest completions traveled more than 15 yards through the air.

17

Combined quarterback hits (11) and tackles for loss (2), and sacks (4) for the Jets’ defense on Sunday. The Patriots were thoroughly out-physicaled on Sunday. The Jets’ trio of defensive lineman – Sheldon Richardson, Muhammad Wilkerson, and Damon Harrison were able to win one vs. one and even one vs. two match-ups at will. This number provides just a small glimpse of the Patriots’ protection issues. Please note that quarterback sacks are counted in hits, so Brady was hit a total of 11 times, not 15.

33%

The Patriots success rate on first half drives (drives that resulted in at least a first down). The Patriots began the game with three straight three and outs. In total, they punted on four of their five real drives in the half. It was an ugly start, and the Patriots will need to open games stronger in the playoffs, when they will be playing much better offenses.

3.7

Yards per passing play by the Patriots, when incorporating the sacks. We’ve already touched on this, so I won’t harp on it any more, but that is not a great number considering Geno Smith and the Jets averaged 6.6.

45.6

The net punting average for Ryan Allen on the day. He averaged 52.6 on his kicks in total. He helped the Patriots win the field position game on Sunday, even while the offense was struggling. He’s had a nice season, and even earned some praise from Patriots coach Bill Belichick. The team’s overall success on special teams was a major reason they were able to come out on top yesterday.

3.6

The Jets rushing average on Sunday. In total, they ran the ball for 116 yards on 32 tries. This is definitely a win for the Patriots’ defense. The Jets continually tried to run it down the throat of the Patriots defense, but the Patriots’ held strong. Aside from the very beginning of the third quarter, the Patriots held strong throughout. To win in the playoffs, you have to be able to shut down the run. The Patriots proved they were capable of doing that yesterday, even if they did sacrifice a bit of their ability to rush the passer and cover on the back-end.

9

The amount of rushing yards the Patriots had in the first half. Good for a 1.5 YPC average.

76

The amount of rushing yards the Patriots had in the second half on 18 carries, good for an average of 4.2 (and that includes three Brady kneel-downs). The Patriots weren’t overly effective on offense at any point in the game, but they did close the game beautifully with a long drive that spanned 11 plays and killed the final 5:16 of the game.