Jets snap 15-game skid vs. Pats in Belichick's possible finale as New England coach
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Breece Hall rushed for 174 yards and a late touchdown and the New York Jets snapped a 15-game losing streak against the Patriots with a 17-3 win Sunday in what could have been Bill Belichick’s final game as New England's coach.
With snow covering the field and flurries swirling throughout Gillette Stadium, Greg Zuerlein kicked three field goals to help the Jets (7-10) earn their first victory over the Patriots since an overtime win on Dec. 27, 2015. It marks the Jets’ first win in New England since the 2010 AFC divisional playoff round.
The Patriots’ 4-13 record is the worst finish in Belichick’s 29-year NFL coaching career. Sunday’s loss also marked the 178th of Belichick’s career, including the playoffs, tying him with Tom Landry for the most ever. It also ties the record of 165 regular-season losses held by Jeff Fisher and Dan Reeves.
New England now shifts to its most uncertain offseason of the past two-plus decades, with Belichick’s future with the team in the spotlight after 24-year tenure during which the Patriots won six Super Bowl titles.
Belichick and team owner Robert Kraft are expected to meet Monday to discuss the coach's future with the franchise.
Kraft will have to decide whether to part ways with Belichick, only the third coach who has worked for him since purchasing the team in 1994. With 333 victories, Belichick is currently 14 wins shy of equaling Hall of Fame coach Don Shula’s record of 347, including the playoffs.
The Jets led 9-3 when they went for it on fourth-and-1 at New England’s 37 with less than four minutes left, but Hall was stopped short and New York turned it over on downs.
But on New England’s ensuing play Bailey Zappe was sacked for a 16-yard loss and then intercepted on the next play by Ashtyn Davis. But Davis was stripped of the ball by Mike Gesicki and Vederian Lowe recovered for the Patriots.
New England’s momentum didn’t last, with Zappe intercepted two plays later by Tony Adams. Two plays later, Hall sealed it with a 50-yard TD run and 2-point conversion run.
The weather affected both offenses, particularly in the passing game.
In what has been a microcosm of the entire season, New England struggled to sustain drives and managed a season-low 120 yards. Zappe completed 12 of 30 passes for 88 yards and two interceptions.
With injured quarterback Aaron Rodgers looking on from the sideline, Trevor Siemian made his third consecutive start in his place of Zach Wilson, who remained out with a concussion.
Siemian finished 8 of 20 for 70 yards.
INJURIES
Jets: S Jordan Whitehead left in the second half with a calf injury. ... C Joe Tippmann limped off in the third quarter with an ankle injury. ... WR Garrett Wilson was evaluated for a concussion in the third quarter.
Patriots: Lowe left in the fourth quarter with a head injury after recovering Davis' fumble.
THE CAPTAIN
Patriots players wore pregame sweatshirts with the name and number of special teams captain Matt Slater, who will again contemplate retirement after 16 NFL seasons.
A three-time Super Bowl champion with New England and 10-time Pro Bowl selection, Slater was a fifth-round draft pick by New England in 2008 and is the son of Hall of Famer Jackie Slater.
The longest-tenured Patriots player, Slater has grown into a locker room leader and embodiment of Belichick’s team-first “Patriot Way” culture. Along the way, Slater has been voted the special team captain 13 times. He played his 263rd game Sunday, second in team history behind only Tom Brady’s 326.
He said earlier in the week that he would wait until after the season to make a final decision on his future.
SPECIAL ATTENDEES
The wintry conditions made for a sparely attended finale Sunday, though the crowd included former Raiders coach and Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and 2015 Super Bowl hero Malcolm Butler and three-game Super champion James White.
White rang the lighthouse bell above the stadium before kickoff.
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