The NFL has come full circle.
NFL SCOREBOARD
- Eagles 34, Texans 24
- Browns 13, Dolphins 10
- Saints 34, Bengals 30
- Giants 31, Redskins 7
- Jaguars 17, Tennessee 6
- Bears 24, Lions 20
- Vikings 38, Bills 14
- Chiefs 10, Broncos 6
- Packers 34, 49ers 16
- Raiders 28, Chargers 13
- Cowboys 38, Colts 35
- Rams 19, Cardinals 6
- Seahawks 31, Panthers 14
- Falcons 28, Buccaneers 24
- Steelers 13, Ravens 10
- Patriots 45, Jets 3
The New England Patriots are back on top.
Almost three years removed from a near-perfect season, New England is clearly the league’s top team once again. And after Monday night’s 45-3 pasting of the New York Jets, this group has proven capable of doing what the 2007 Patriots couldn’t – winning a Super Bowl title.
The NFL has another 10-win franchise, but the Atlanta Falcons couldn’t dismantle a quality opponent like New York in the same lopsided fashion. The Patriots (10-2) scored on their first four possessions and first three of the second half. The Jets (9-3) didn’t come close to keeping pace. Quarterback Mark Sanchez self-destructed even during those rare occasions when a Jets receiver sprung open. Sanchez’s awful start – he had only two completions beyond seven yards at halftime – got even worse when he was intercepted on New York’s first three second-half drives. The Jets’ special teams were dreadful, too, with a missed 53-yard field goal and 12-yard punt among the miscues.
After this debacle, New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan would be wise to shelve the Super Bowl talk for a while.
“We got our butts whooped tonight,” Sanchez said. “Outplayed, outcoached … Rex said it. You’d never imagine this.”
With four games left in the regular season, New England now has control in the AFC East and race for home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. Tom Brady also cemented himself as the league’s MVP frontrunner while setting an NFL quarterback record with his 26th consecutive regular-season home victory. On a blustery night that even had Donald Trump’s famed hair flapping in a Patriots luxury suite, Brady shredded New York’s secondary for 326 yards and four touchdowns on 21 of 29 passing.Brady claimed his team “wasn’t perfect out there.” It only seemed that way.
“It wasn’t their day,” Brady said. “It was our day.”
New England Patriots, the standard, with win over New York Jets - NFL News | FOX Sports on MSN