Rapid Reaction: Green-Ellis Carries Pats to Victory
The Patriots beat the New York Jets 31 - 20 on Sunday, in a tough divisional showdown. Even though the game was not pretty, the team got the job done. Here are some thoughts on the victory. -
- Ben Jarvis Green-Ellis was the player of the game in my opinion. Green-Ellis ran for a career-high 136 yards and two touchdowns. Could he be making his case to stay the showcase running back in New England's committee?
 Bill Belichick had two successful challenges that came up big for the Patriots on Sunday. (FILE:Icon/SMI) |
- One of the biggest plays of the game came with Wes Welker’s 73-yard catch to start of the third quarter. After the Jets had had an interception at the end of the first half, grabbing momentum was huge. Welker had five catches for 124-yards in the game.
- Tom Brady had another good game, completing 24 of 33 passes for 321 yards and one touchdown. The Patriots scored at least 30 points for the 13th straight regular-season game, only one game behind the St. Louis Rams.
- Devin McCourty had an excellent game, by far his best of the season. While he did not stand out, I would make the case that is actually a good thing after the start he has had this year.
- The Patriots defense stepped up when they needed to on Sunday, although I still have serious concerns about the unit. They came up big when it counted and New York's offense struggled to find a rhythm. I was, however, pleased with the tackling by the team; one of the many flaws to this point in the season.
I will be posting further analysis and game grades tomorrow. The Patriots will host the Dallas Cowboys at home next weekend in another 4:15 contest.
In a post-game interview, Patriots receiver Deion Branch said "We're leaving a lot of points on the field" and I agree. Hard to imagine when the team has scored over 30 points per game for so long, but the offense was sloppy at several times throughout the game. Hopefully, they can clean it up for next week.
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