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FOXBOROUGH, Mass.— Aaron Glenn and the Jets came to Gillette Stadium looking for a signature victory.
Instead, it was the same old Jets in a 26-19 defeat, as they lost for the 15th time in their last 16 games in Foxborough.
After stealing a win over the hapless Browns a week ago, the Jets returned to form Sunday in their first game against a divisional opponent, done in by a lack of offense following their first drive of the game and some costly mistakes on defense.
The loss, their fourth in five games, dropped the Jets to 2-4, with New England improving to 4-2.
Unlike in most previous meetings, the Jets managed to hang around in this one, trailing 17-13 late in the third quarter, but the defense then allowed a long touchdown drive and Geno Smith followed with a disastrous interception — his first of the season — early in the fourth.
Still, the Jets responded by forcing a turnover and kicking a field goal to get back within a touchdown, but the defense faltered on a key 15-yard pass to Hunter Henry that gave the Patriots a first down.
A 27-yard yard field goal by Andy Borregelas after a 13-play drive sealed it with 1:12 to go in the fourth.
The Jets opted for a 36-yard field goal on second down to cut it to 26-19 with 32 seconds left, but the Patriots recovered the onside kick to dash any hopes the Jets had at an unlikely comeback.
The Jets started fast, opening the game with a 13-play drive that ended in a 42-yard field goal by Jason Sanders.
An 11-yard touchdown pass from Smith to Omar Cooper Jr. was nullified by a questionable offensive pass interference call on Tim Patrick.
The offense stalled after that drive, though, as a three-and-out that featured back-to-back sacks on Smith helped give the Patriots the ball on the Jets 42.
New England took advantage, scoring just two plays later on a 42-yard pass from Drake Maye to Romeo Doubs, wide open in the end zone.
A pair of failed fourth-down attempts stopped consecutive drives by the Jets, while the Patriots converted a fourth-and-1 at midfield to extend one of their drives to set up a 32-yard field goal to make it 10-3.
And New England scored again before halftime, this time with a nine-yard touchdown pass from Maye to DeMario Douglas, as Maye was afforded far too much time to find the open Douglas.
It gave New England a 17-3 lead at the half.
Braelon Allen had 65 yards on the ground by halftime, but the running back came up short on fourth-and-2 at the New England 30 to end one drive, while Smith was stuffed on fourth-and-1 from the New England 39 to finish the following drive without a score.
The Jets got back in the game in the third quarter, after A.J. Brown couldn’t come up with a pass from Maye on a fourth-and-5 to open the half.
Smith responded with a 48-yard touchdown pass to Omar Cooper Jr., who got wide open on a deep route. Smith’s ball was late, but Cooper was able to bring it in for the TD to make it 17-10.
On New England’s next drive, rookie David Bailey forced a fumble by TreVeyon Henderson and it was recovered by Jamien Sherwood.
A promising drive ended with Smith being sacked, but Sanders kicked his second field goal of the afternoon to make it 17-13.
New England proved to be too much, though, as the converted a third-and-10 on a nice play by Eli Rairdon.
Bailey committed a silly offside penalty as the Patriots were running out the clock in the third quarter before Maye found a wide open Hunter Henry for his third passing touchdown of the day.
After Smith’s interception, the Jets got the ball back, as Sherwood forced a fumble on a long pass to Douglas, recovered by Minkah Fitzpatrick.
The Jets turned it into a 40-yard field goal after three consecutive incompletions.