Grogan Has Another Big Game Against Jets as Patriots Win, 28-3

Steve Grogan usually does pretty well against the New York Jets, and Sunday was no exception, despite playing in the rain.

The New England quarterback passed for 256 yards and 2 touchdowns, both to Irving Fryar, and the Patriots won, 28-3, for their sixth straight season-opening victory.

Grogran, in his 14-year pro career, has thrown 167 touchdown passes, and 35 have been against the Jets. He threw for four touchdowns and ran for one in his last game against them.

On Sunday, he victimized five-year veteran cornerback Bobby Humphery on the first scoring throw and rookie John Booty on the second.

“He can pick you apart,” Humphery said. “I just knew we had to put pressure on him and he got to us.”

The Jets have a young secondary that includes rookie starters James Hasty and Erik McMillan.

“Grogan is an old pro,” Jet Coach Joe Walton said. “It’s tough for young guys to play against an old pro like that. He’s a good quarterback at reading defenses.”

The Patriots’ lead was 6-3 at halftime despite Grogan’s 165 passing yards while handling a slippery ball.

Grogan said, “I was a little concerned at halftime that we weren’t putting points on the board. We were doing the right things. I thought we settled down and got it together in the second half.”

Early in the third quarter, Joe Prokop’s 27-yard punt into the wind gave New England the ball at the Jets’ 32-yard line. Three plays later, Fryar beat Humphery over the middle and caught Grogan’s 26-yard pass in the end zone.

After an 8-yard scoring run by Craig James made it 22-3 with 9:27 left in the game, Grogan passed to Fryar again, this time for a 15-yard touchdown with 7:28 left.

Grogan completed 16 of 31 passes and, with the game in hand, was replaced by former UCLA quarterback Tom Ramsey after Fryar’s second touchdown.

Teddy Garcia, a fourth-round draft choice who beat out 1986 NFL scoring leader Tony Franklin for the placekicking job, kicked three goals, but missed two extra-point tries.

New England lost defensive end Kenneth Sims for the season late in the game. He suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon when a player fell on his left leg. Surgery is scheduled for today.

Fryar led all receivers with 6 catches for 92 yards. The Jets were without receiver Al Toon, who has a groin injury.