Week 12 Patriots vs Jets: Who gets the game ball for New England’s 27-13 win?

After entering their bye week with a loss, the New England Patriots are coming out of it with a victory: the team defeated the New York Jets 27-13 on the road and has now improved to 8-3 on the year. The contest saw plenty of memorable performances but we will focus on three of the most impressive at first glance in today’s game ball vote.

QB Tom Brady

New England’s quarterback had a comparatively quiet three weeks heading into the bye but he had a very good performance against the Jets today. Brady completed 20 of 31 pass attempts for 283 yards and two touchdowns, and generally looked like his usual self: he spread the football around well and displayed pin-point accuracy, made smart decisions and was in command from start to finish. It may not have been spectacular, but it was certainly a strong showing by the 41-year old.

RB Sony Michel

While he was limited in week 10 — his first game after returning from a minor knee injury —, Sony Michel looked like a different player today. The first-round rookie carried the football 21 times for 133 yards and a touchdown and offered a serious threat on the ground. Michel ran hard, kept his legs working through contact and displayed tremendous vision to get to the second level. If he continues playing like this, he should at least be in the conversation for offensive rookie of the year honors.

The offensive line

Okay, this is cheating a bit: normally, only single players get nominated for the Pats Pulpit game ball vote. When a team rushes for over 200 yards and does not give up a single sack, however, it is worth being pointed out. Trent Brown, Joe Thuney, David Andrews, Shaq Mason and Marcus Cannon were reunited again and played a lights-out game (despite some penalties). The group, which got Mason back after a two-game absence, was simply dominant.

With all that in mind, who is your choice for this week’s game ball?