The New England Patriots’ pass defense embarrassed New York Jets quarterbacks and receivers Saturday on the way to a 41-3 victory.
Jets quarterbacks Ryan Fitzpatrick and Bryce Petty combined to complete just 33 percent of passes for 136 yards with three interceptions and a 13.9 passer rating. Patriots cornerbacks fared especially well against Jets receivers, none of whom caught more than two passes for over 30 yards. In fact, Jets receivers caught just five passes while Patriots cornerbacks hauled in three interceptions.
See how the Patriots fared individually in pass coverage, pass rush, pass protection and pass accuracy.
PASS COVERAGE
Shea McClellin: 2-2, 33 yards
Elandon Roberts: 1-2, 30 yards
Kyle Van Noy: 1-1, 17 yards
Eric Rowe: 1-5, 17 yards, INT, PBU
Devin McCourty: 1-2, 11 yards
Jabaal Sheard: 1-1, 8 yards
Patrick Chung: 0-3
Logan Ryan: 0-2, PBU
Jonathan Jones: 0-1
Jordan Richards: 0-1
Cyrus Jones: 0-1
Malcolm Butler: 0-1, two INTs
— The Patriots put on a clinic in pass coverage without a single defensive back allowing over one catch or 17 yards.
— Butler had his best game of the season with two interceptions, one of which he wasn’t even targeted on. He also recovered a fumble.
— The Patriots’ linebackers had some issues in coverage, but starter Dont’a Hightower was held out of the game with a knee injury. It’s unlikely we see Roberts in coverage during the playoffs.
— Ryan and Rowe were nearly as good as Butler, though they didn’t force as many turnovers. That Patriots cornerbacks allowed one 17-yard catch on 10 targets with three interceptions and two pass breakups is exceptional.
PASS RUSH
Chris Long: sack, QB hit, hurry (three pressures)
Alan Branch: half-sack, two hurries (three pressures)
Shea McClellin: two QB hits, hurry (three pressures)
Jabaal Sheard: half-sack, hurry (two pressures)
Rob Ninkovich: two hurries (two pressures)
Patrick Chung: hurry (one pressure)
Trey Flowers: hurry (one pressure)
— The Patriots’ pass rush production was down overall, but those 15 pressures came on just 27 dropbacks from Jets quarterbacks.
— The Patriots got out to a hot start with two sacks early in the game. The Jets’ passing attack was anemic with or without pressure.
— Flowers had three sacks in his last two games and seven in this last seven games prior to Week 16. He had just one pressure on 32 total snaps.
PASS PROTECTION
Shaq Mason: sack, two hurries (three pressures)
Joe Thuney: QB hit, hurry (two pressures)
James White: hurry
Nate Solder: hurry
Martellus Bennett: hurry
David Andrews: hurry
— Mason and Thuney faced tough tests from Leonard Williams, Sheldon Richardson and Muhammad Wilkerson. The Patriots’ offensive line, for the most part, did a nice job of keeping Tom Brady upright.
— Offensive tackles Nate Solder and Marcus Cannon both didn’t allow a single pressure.
PASS ACCURACY
Tom Brady:
1. Thrown to Malcolm Mitchell out of the end zone
2. Thrown to Michael Floyd out of bounds
3. Overthrown to Julian Edelman under pressure (White)
4. Dropped by Chris Hogan
5. Thrown wide to Hogan
6. Pass to Edelman broken up
7. Underthrown to Mitchell
8. Dropped by White
9. Thrown wide to Hogan
10. Thrown low to Edelman
— Seven of Brady’s 10 incompletions were inaccurate, while two were drops and one can be blamed on pressure let up by White.
Jimmy Garoppolo:
1. Dropped by Hogan
— Garoppolo’s lone incompletion on two pass attempts was dropped.
Thumbnail photo Bob DeChiara/USA TODAY Sports Images
