Few expected the Patriots to pull themselves up off the mat at halftime against the Jets. Yes, the score was only 13-6 Jets, but the Patriots hadn't scored since rookie Drake Maye left the game with a concussion early in the second quarter and the offense produced just 14 yards in two possessions before the break.
With the Jets slated to receive the second-half kickoff, the Patriots were hanging by a string, in desperate need of a spark with their win probability mired at just 12%.
But that's just when things started to turn around for the Pats, thanks to an opening three-and-out forced by the defense, their first since the first Jets possession of the game.
The critical start to the third quarter featured a little of everything on defense, including a second-down run stop for no gain and then a well-executed pass rush stunt by Anfernee Jennings and Keion White that forced an incompletion.
The forced punt right out of the locker room was the first step in a comeback win that would take every second of the second half.
"Yeah, shoutout to the defense," said Kendrick Bourne after the game. "They came out and got a three-and-out right after the half, so that was huge, playing complementary football, things like that... So, just coming out of the half, we're still in the game, we're here to fight, and we did."
"I think we all just dug in," said Jonathan Jones. "We had our backs against the wall, and we weren't playing our best football, so I think we came out as a team in the second half."
It didn't take long for the special teams to get in on the comeback effort, as Marcus Jones took the ensuing punt return back 62 yards, setting the Patriots offense up at the Jets 26-yard line. It was another spectacular return by Jones, reminiscent of his walk-off return against the Jets at Gillette back in 2022. He didn't make it all the way to the end zone this time, but it was enough to give New England a crucial dose of momentum, even if Jones was disappointed he didn't score.
"Yeah, it was one of those situations where [JaMychal] Hasty had a great block, first off," said Jones, describing the return post-game. "All my guys were working their tails off all year, so that was pretty good, but I owned one for sure. I definitely should have scored, but I put that on myself."
The offense might've been lifeless through two first-half possessions after Brissett was reinserted, but that's when two of the game's stars that would figure heavily into the victory began to heat up. It took just five plays for the Patriots to get back into the end zone for the first time since the first quarter and it was Rhamondre Stevenson, with a six-yard run, a 14-yard short pass reception and then the three-yard touchdown carry, and Kayshon Boutte, with an eight-yard reception, leading the way, as they would continue to do into the fourth quarter.
The Jets would re-take the lead on their next drive as the Patriots divisional rivals were undeterred by New England's sudden awakening. As the game entered the fourth quarter, the Patriots were down just two points at 16-14 and needed a counter.
The teams traded punts, with the Jets putting together a drive that ended the third quarter and started the fourth with the chance to make it a two-score lead late in the game. As the Jets entered the red zone, the Patriots needed another critical second-half play and this time a new face stepped up to make it.
Christian Elliss had been seen as a special teamer entering the season, but thanks to a rash of injuries that have thinned the linebacker depth, Elliss has seen his defensive role rising to a near-every-down level.
On 3rd-and-7 from the Patriots 17, defensive coordinator DeMarcus Covington rushed just four players, but ran an inside stunt that resulted in three blockers taking Keion White and no one blocking Elliss, who registered the sack. It backed the Jets up another nine yards helped contribute to struggling kicker Greg Zuerlein's missed 44-yard field goal wide.
"Me and Dell [Pettus] had a little miscommunication at first," said Elliss of the play. "We got it sorted out, so I ended up adding in late. I was able to chip Breece [Hall] on the way in, and then my mind kind of just went blank, and it's see ball, get ball."
Still down only two points but with time running out, Brissett and the Patriots offense took over... but it would take not just one, but two improbable drives.
First came a 14-play, 61-yard drive that featured two third-and-long conversions. Previously this season, those third-and-longs were death sentences for the 26th-ranked third-down offense in the league, but not on this Sunday.
Hunter Henry slipped free from a Jets blitz as the hot route receiver and picked up a first down on the first third down, while Tyquan Thornton caught a crosser on the next third down and got upfield to earn a new set of downs.
The drive would stall inside the red zone at the Jets five-yard line, but Joey Slye's short field goal was enough for the Patriots to retake the lead.
That lead was short-lived, as Rodgers and the Jets offense quickly put together a 10-play, 70-yard touchdown drive that needed less than five minutes to execute. Luckily for the Patriots, the Jets would take a Delay of Game penalty on the two-point conversion and ultimately fail to convert due in part to the penalty as well as an aggressive six-man blitz called by Covington that forced a quick throw, with Marcus Jones making a sure tackle short of the goal line.
Down five with 2:57 left the Patriots needed another comeback drive from Brissett and he'd again deliver, both with his legs and his arm. He delivered a 14-yard scramble on 3rd-and-9 to keep the drive alive, then came the throw of the day, a 34-yarder to Boutte with a defender rushing in his face.
"The start of the drive, everybody is like, 'no matter what, one play at a time, one play at a time.' That was the message before the two-minute started," said Brissett. "Guys went out there and made plays. You kind of just black out and play football after that."
Boutte nearly got into the end zone on the next play, before Stevenson finished it off on a climactic fourth-down attempt from the one-yard line. The running back broke the plane of the goal line and the Patriots had themselves their second win of the season.
"The win was kind of on my back at that point of the game," said Stevenson. "I knew I had to get in regardless of what happened to get the win, and I'm glad I did that."
After reverting to a backup role for two games, few would've expected Brissett to lead two clutch fourth-quarter drives to get the Patriots the win. It was certainly a team effort in the second half, with contributions from across the roster.
But ultimately, Brissett was the star of the win and showed that he could continue to play a winning part for the team.
"To go out there and get a win with our guys, it was sweet," said Brissett. "You can't put it into words. I'm not trying to, like, be arrogant or nothing, but I'm very proud of myself today."
"I think [the win encompassed] of a lot of things throughout the season. Just hoping this is a snowball effect, start of something special."
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