Patriots 23, Jets 7

I just got feeling back in my fingers, so I can write about this game. I'm really ticked off, so I don't know how much I'm going to rehash.

I can't find any play-by-play game recaps (I thought espn or yahoo had those, but I guess I was wrong), but I think the turning point of this game happened in the second quarter, on the Patriots touchdown drive.

The Jets had the Patriots at third and nine, in Patriots' territory. 3rd and 9! And the crowd is into the game, yelling, trying to rattle Brady, when what happens...the Jets have just 10 guys on the field! The Jets call time out. The Jets have to call time out! What a momentum swing. The Patriots have time to regroup, they come out with a pass play that gets them the first down. Not two plays later, the Jets have to call another timeout because they again have confusion on defense after having just 10 guys on the field. Way to take the crowd out of the game, boys. The Pats went up 10-0, then 16-0, then 23-0. The Jets got crushed.

Chad Pennington looked awful. He padded his stats in garbage time. Everyone's saying Paul Hackett should be fired (which is probably the case, but he can't really be blamed for this game) but it's not really fair for Hackett right now. Pennington can't throw the ball far down the field when his shoulder is at normal strength. Right now, he's got a serious problem with his shoulder, and he can't make a throw over five yards. It was like watching Bad Vinny (as opposed to good '98 Vinny) every time Pennington dropped back to pass vs. the Pats. I think the Jets might be better off going with Quincy Carter next week, just so the Jets can use Santana Moss' speed and have him streak down field. Pennington just can't get the ball to him.

Every time Pennington tried to throw the ball twenty or more yards he was picked off. The first drive, Bruschi got him, and then on another drive, down 16-0 at the start of the fourth quarter, Pennington was picked again. Curtis Martin couldn't get going, not really his fault, I think it was more a result of the play-calling. Martin would run for a yard, then everyone in the building knew he was getting the ball again on second down. I don't like to hear the Jets get booed at home, but they deserved every boo they got on Sunday.

Everyone sucked. Special teams - allowing Troy Brown to rip off a huge punt return right before the half, then turning the ball over on a squib kick (which resulted in a missed field goal) right after that drive ended with a field goal. The defense just didn't play smart, or well. The defense played poorly. Very bad game all around.

The Patriots played well, they played smart. The Jets kept shooting themselves in the foot. They had their opportunities to jump out to a lead, and stop the Patriots' streak of scoring first (it was 0-0 after one), but the Jets just kept beating themselves. Bad, bad game.

I feel like the Jets bounce back very well from these types of games (probably better than I do), so I think they will do well in Saint Louis next week, and probably get into the playoffs. But they need to improve...a lot...if they're going to do anything in the playoffs.