For 59 minutes and 34 seconds of game play, Sunday's meeting between the Patriots and the Jets was a total snoozefest. So much so that fans of both teams were clammoring for the Week 11 game to end.
But the final 26 seconds of the divisional matchup brought the high-level drama that the New England-New York season series finale deserved.
With the AFC East foes deadlocked at 3-3 very late in the fourth quarter, most fans on hand in Foxboro likely were preparing for overtime when the Jets once again were punting to the Patriots. The extra frame wasn't needed, however, as Marcus Jones called game with the first punt-return touchdown of the 2022 NFL season. Jones' heroics lifted New England to its third consecutive win and bumped the Patriots up to the sixth seed in the AFC playoff picture.
Gillette Stadium turned into a madhouse when the rookie cornerback found a crease and raced down the path to paydirt. You can see it for yourself in this NFL-provided video, which captures the clutch touchdown from an incredible angle.
Jones' late-game score was one of the best and most important plays of New England's season to date, but the Patriots need to put the memorable return behind them. Bill Belichick's team has no time to waste as it prepares for its Thanksgiving night tilt against the 8-2 Vikings in Minnesota.
