It's close, but I'd give the edge to the 2010 game. The Jets won the earlier game that year and both teams were fighting for the division title. Everyone was expecting a dogfight and instead the Pats blew the doors off them.
The 2012 game was a whole bunch of crazy all packed into one quarter...
- Jets driving, get stuffed TWICE on 3rd- and 4th-and short runs, with Spikes swatting the ball out of Greene's hands as he tried in vain to stretch the ball for the 1st down (finally glad to see that happen and wonder why it doesn't happen more often). Then on the very next play the Pats turn what looks like an innocuous swing pass to Vereen into a long TD. Whoa! What happened there?
- Jets get the ball back and on their 2nd play from scrimmage, Sanchez both botches the handoff then gets clotheslined by his lineman's ass, fumbling for an easy Pats TD while Sanchez drops his head in shame while lying on the turf.
- Before the next snap from scrimmage is run the Jets are down *another* TD as McCourty pops the ball loose from the KR high into the air, straight to Edelman who doesn't break stride on the way to the endzone. Rex drops F bombs on national TV.
- After punting the ball back to NE and the Jets stuffing Ridley for a loss to set up 3rd and long, Edelman (Edelman?!?) gets behind Landry for a 56yd TD bomb.
Pats had 4 TDs in a ridiculously short amount of time, all of the "open field" variety in which only the endzone kept the Pats scorers from running even longer. It may be a very long time until we ever see that again.
All that zaniness seemed as much to do with the Jets incompetence as it did with the Pats dominance. While enjoyable, it wasn't as satisfying as what went down on Dec. 6th, 2010.
As others said, I have to try real hard to ignore the playoff loss when looking at that 2010 game and how it felt at the time.
Regards,
Chris