5 Keys from Patriots road win over Jets

With the offense finding a second-half stride, the defense and special teams did their part to step up and help New England pull away.

Marcus Jones was an electric punt returner in college and it seemed like a matter of time until he broke a big gain in the pros. That happened Sunday as Jones’ 32-yarder set up the Patriots for a second-straight field goal possession, one that moved the Pats into the two-score lead territory.

Nick Folk was once again a special teams superstar, nailing 49- and 45-yarders in the third quarter, as New England’s offense continued to sputter just outside of the red zone. Folk’s consistency under 50 yards is remarkable and he was a key piece in knocking off his former team. Folk went 5-for-5 on the game, accounting for 16 of the Patriots’ 22 points in the game.

Those clutch special team contributions were backed up by a Patriots defense that went into full shutdown mode in the second half, with second and third bad interceptions from Zach Wilson only aiding the process. Deatrich Wise continued his disruptive season while Matthew Judon was also a force throughout.

The Jets did make it interesting down the stretch though with Denzel Mims breaking a tackle and going 63 yards with time winding down. New York tacked on a touchdown just after the two-minute warning, setting up a final onsides kick. But the strong special teams play from the Patriots would carry the day as they recovered the attempt and sealed the win.