Patriots' Victory Provides Strangle-Hold on AFC East

The Patriots returned to their winning ways yesterday in Foxboro with a 16-3 triumph over division rival, the New York Jets, during a cold and snowy Sunday afternoon.

This one was a bit of a yawner in the early stages. After a bit of a field position battle over the 1st 17 minutes, when the Pats put together a 14 play drive lasting 8:09 seconds that began on their 20 and ended with a 20 yard Adam Vinatieri field goal. The Jets responded on their next (and only 2nd quarter) possession, by putting together a field goal drive of their own that began on their own 34-yard line and was capped off with a 38 yard field goal by Mike "Ted" Nugent with 1:07 left in the 1st half. But the Pats were not done.

Bethel Johnson returned the ensuing kickoff 17 yards to the New England 40 yard-line, which setup a Vinatieri 34-yard field goal to end the half, putting the Pats up 6-3. Quarterback Tom Brady drove the offense 44 yards in 56 seconds to setup the go-head score, which would be enough on a day where the Jets looked like they were simply going through the motions.

On the Pats opening drive of the second half, Tommy Boy orchestrated another 8+ minute drive, this time ending in a 1 yard Touchdown scamper by Corey Dillon (16 rushes, 65 yards, 4 receptions 19 yards) who in tandem with Kevin Faulk (10 rushes for 35, 4 receptions for 46 yards) returned to the Patriots lineup and provided a much needed boost to the anemic running game the Pats had been playing with as of late.

The touchdown put the Patriots on top 13-3, and basically put this one out of reach for the hapless New York Jets who are making their way towards the Reggie Bush sweepstakes.

The Pats added a fourth quarter field goal by Vinatieri to make the game 16-3. Vinatieri was 3-4 on field goals, missing only a 45-yarder in the 1st quarter. Tom Brady was again terrific. Brady completed 73 percent of his passes, going 27-37 for 271 yards and adding 19 yards rushing on 4 attempts. Brady was very efficient in quarterbacking the offense that looks to be close to back to firing on all cylinders.

The defense was superb on Sunday, allowing only 164 yards and three points. The defense was stifling, not allowing the Jets to get going at all, and this contest was in the books once the Pats put up the only touchdown of the game in the 3rd quarter.

Photo Courtesy of ESPN.com