Postgame, Week 16: Patriots 31, Jets 21

Updated Dec. 29, 12:01 a.m.

The New England Patriots (10-5) won their fourth straight game, dominating opponent after opponent, this time surgically dismantling the New York Jets (3-12) before their home crowd, 31-21, in ABC's Monday Night Football farewell.

Linebacker Mike Vrabel made two touchdown receptions, giving him six career touchdowns on six career receptions, and the Patriots garnered a time of possession edge of a disgusting 43:21 to 16:39. New England rushed the ball a mind boggling 50 times in what can only be called "forcing the issue" as head coach Bill Belichick said the Patriots would "establish the run" prior to the game.

The final score in no way represented the flow of the game, as New York got 7 points on a Ty Law interception return in the first quarter to tie the game. Otherwise, New England utterly and completely shut down the New York offense, allowing just 38 yards in the first half.

Coupled with Cincinnati's 37-27 loss to Buffalo on Saturday, New England pulled within a game of the third seed in the AFC playoffs, a far cry from their 4-4 record of late October that prompted some talking heads to announce a premature termination of the Patriots dynasty. A Patriot win over Miami this Sunday and a Bengal loss in Kansas City will raise New England to the third seed and drop Cincy to the fourth.

The New England defense forced a three-and-out on the game's opening possession, and handed the ball over to the offense that ran perhaps the most methodical and calculated drive in the NFL this year, perhaps of all time. Starting from their own 33, the Patriots marched downfield in 13 plays, marking off five first downs. With the exception of a Patrick Pass run up the middle for no gain, every play made positive yardage, everything between 2 and 8 yards, except a 20-yard pass from Tom Brady to Deion Branch, and Vrabel's first touchdown catch, a 1-yarder from Brady.

The Pats looked to put it away early, forcing a turnover on the Jets next play from scrimmage as Asante Samuel picked off a Brooks Bollinger pass at the Jets 49 and returned it to the 34. Samuel was injured on the play and did not return, but the Patriots were sitting pretty. But Law intercepted Brady two plays later to give the Jets their single first-half highlight.

While the Patriot defense dominated, the offense was sluggish for the rest of the quarter, going three-and-out twice, the latter time a costly one as linebacker Tedy Bruschi injured his left leg on punt coverage. Bruschi did not return either, and speculation on the extent of his injury has been rampant. However, he left the locker room limping, but under his own power with no cast or crutches.

The offense caught fire in the second quarter, launching two more surgical campaigns of 11 and 13 plays covering a total of 114 yards and leaching 11:19 off the game clock. In the first 41-yard drive, the biggest play (minus a 15-yard face mask penalty on the Jets) was a 9-yard Brady to David Givens pass to start the drive. Except a 1-yard Dillon loss, every other play gained 1 to 8 yards, including the culminating 2-yard pass from Brady to Vrabel.

The second drive, a 73-yard masterpiece that included 6 first downs, included Brady passes of 12 yards to Givens, 13 to Troy Brown and 14 to tight end Ben Watson. Once again, there were no negative yardage plays, and only two incomplete passes. Brady converted a 4th-and-1 with a quarterback sneak, and Dillon capped the drive with a 1-yard dive off the right end. Dillon finished with 77 yards on 26 carries.

The Pats virtually sealed the game with yet another drive executed with military precision, taking the second-half opening kickoff 74 yards in 15 plays, torching 9:24 off the game clock. Like the previous drives, most plays went for less than 10 yards, and all but two gained real estate. On the third play of the drive, a 3rd-and-10, Brady hit Branch for 22 yards with Law in coverage. Dillon also reeled off the longest run for any player, a 10-yard scamper around the left end. The third key play was a 4th-and-3 conversion, Brady connecting with Christian Fauria for 5 yards. Dillon capped the drive with a 1-yard plunge.

The starters remained in the game for a final 12-play, 48-yard drive that chewed up another 6:37 and resulted in an Adam Vinatieri field goal. Brady ended up with 185 yards on 18 of 29 passing with two TDs and a pick. He connected with eight different receivers, Branch and Kevin Faulk with 4 catches each, Branch leading with 69 yards.

With the score 28-7, the starting defense looked a little vulnerable, allowing the Jets to mount a 14-play, 70-yard drive, but since it also tore 6-plus minutes from the clock, it left New York with too little time to do significant damage down the stretch. Vinnie Testaverde replaced Bollinger late in the game to lead a short touchdown drive against mostly second stringers.

Vrabel ended up leading the Pats with 6 tackles (4 solo, 2 assists) and the sack. It's the sixth time Vrabel has lead the team in tackling. Ty Warren has led twice, as has Ellis Hobbs, and Bruschi. Richard Seymour, Rodney Harrison and Monty Beisel each led a week. Vrabel now has more than 100 tackles on the season (103 total, 70 solo), including 4.5 sacks. His solo tackles outnumbers the next best total tackles, Eugene Wilson with 66. Warren (64), Bruschi (63 in just 9 games!) and Rosevelt Colvin (60) round out the top five. Colvin leads the team in sacks with 7. We'll recap at these stats and more next week after the end of the regular season.

It wasn't all good news, even discounting Bruschi's injury. The Patriots allowed an average of 20.8 yards per kickoff return, including a long of 39. One return went for 0 yards, so the other three really averaged 27.7 yards.

New England has now won 18 of their last 19 games starting in December or later. Brady leads the league in passing yardage and has eclipsed the 4,000-yard mark for the first time in his six-year career. He's 291 yards ahead of Carson Palmer heading into the season finale. Brady is likely to play in limited action this week, while Palmer's Bengals are facing Kansas City, who is battling for the last playoff spot in the AFC, which brings us full circle back to the whole seeding discussion.

The Jets host Buffalo (5-10) at 1 p.m. Sunday in a game that only means something if the Jets lose, and that means they could tie for the worst record in the league if 2-13 Houston loses at San Francisco (also 3-12) at 4:05 p.m. New Orleans and Green Bay are also 3-12. The Saints are at Tampa Bay, while Green Bay hosts Seattle. It should be a tremendous anticlimactic battle for the No. 1 draft pick.

New England hosts Miami (8-7) on New Year's Day at 1 p.m. The Patriots beat the Dolphins 23-16 on Nov. 13 in Miami earlier this season. The current forecast calls for snow showers and temps in the high 30s / low 40s with light breezes.