And they are professionals and when the coaches see that happening, it is their job to change, and adjust. They didn't, plain and simple.
You say they got physically manhandled in the second half, right?
But they didn't in the first half, right?
What happened to turn things around 180 degrees?
Simple, Jets adjusted, Patriots did not. You answered your own question.
???
What happened? The players stopped playing with the same intensity of the first half. It's more crazy to think that the coaching just continues to make terrible second half adjustments, as the Patriots blow game after game on the road. So easy just to say "the Jets adjusted, Patriots did not." That's the easy way out, and most people believe it because they think if you just tinker with the Xs and Os, we'll win in next time around.
On offense, the Patriots could have been more effective with better decisions, but they would still would have lost due to the defense's inability to stop anything. On defense, the Patriots just got run over. The Jets have a great offensive line, and the Patriots have their worst front three in a long time. This is exactly what the Patriots used to do to other teams: by the second half, they'd have a huge advantage. They were tough and physical.
Coaching comes out with "brilliant" game plans for the first half of all of these road games, team plays great, and in the second half, Belichick, who is regarded as one of the best strategists and adjustment makers of his era, suddenly can't figure out how to pick up a first down or prevent 95-yard TD drives from garbage QBs?
Pats have a couple of major problems that need to be worked out. On defense, they have both a talent and toughness problem. They get worn down up front, and their secondary is not deep enough for 30 minutes of decent football... they also lack the ability to make big plays against good offenses.
On offense, they are impatient, and they press too hard. They don't trust the defense and feel like they have to score every time, especially against good teams. They get out of their game rhythm by constantly going for the big strike rather than winning the field position battle.
It's cyclical. Coaching does have something to do with it, but not that much. BB does not get pantsed 8 out of 9 road games with the same scenarios.
