Jets stun top-seeded Patriots 28-21..
Written by The Go-To-Man Mattie T. on January 16, 2011
Rex Ryan insisted all week that Sunday’s game against New England was personal.
The New York Jets backed up his coach’s bold words with a 28-21 stunner over the top-seeded Patriots at Gillette Stadium, which ends their season after many people considered them as the favorites to win Super Bowl XLIV.
The Jets’ defense harassed Tom Brady for the entire game, as Brady was sacked a season-high 5 times & threw a crucial first quarter interception with the Patriots driving on the Jets’ 31-yard line.
New England took their only lead of the game on Shayne Graham’s 34-yard field goal with 1:12 remaining in the first quarter.
New York responded with a good second quarter, as Mark Sanchez threw the go-ahead touchdown to LaDainian Tomlinson from seven yards out to make it 7-3 Jets with 10:24 to go.
The Jets added a second touchdown in the quarter, as Sanchez connected with Braylon Edwards for a 15-yard score to make it 14-3 New York at the half.
New England tried to rally late, as Tom Brady hit Alge Crumpler for a 2-yard touchdown to pull the Patriots within nine.
Sammy Morris then took a direct snap into the end zone to convert the two-point conversion, as it was now just a 3-point Jet lead.
The Jets responded, as Sanchez threw his 3rd different touchdown pass of the game to Santonio Holmes in the back left corner of the end zone for a 7-yard touchdown, which put New York up 21-11 with exactly 13 minutes remaining.
The Patriots got within a touchdown, as Graham’s 35-yard field goal made it 21-14 with 1:57 left.
Just 16 seconds later after a failed onsides kick attempt, Shonn Greene put the icing on the cake with a 16-yard touchdown run that all but sealed the Jets’ second consecutive trip to the AFC Championship Game.
Brady threw a late 13-yard touchdown pass to Deion Branch to make it 28-21, but a failed onsides kick marked the second #1 seed to lose this weekend & end the Patriots’ hopes of winning their first Super Bowl in 6 years.
Not only did Rex Ryan believe that his team was going to pull off a big upset today, but he also offered an early prediction on next week’s AFC Championship Game:
“Maybe everybody else never believed, but we believed. We’re moving on. Same old Jets, back to the AFC championship. The only difference is this time we plan on winning.”
The Jets will move on to play the Steelers in the AFC Championship Game at 5:30 PM cst on Sunday evening from Heinz Field.
