Patriots’ Win Over Jets Is Act of Larceny, 14-13

On a day when the weather dictated the game plan, the New England defense went on the offensive.

Johnny Rembert recovered two fumbles and Lawrence McGrew had a pass interception in the third quarter that the Patriots used to score a 14-13 victory in the rain over the New York Jets for their first road victory this season.

“Every halftime, we talk about turnovers and scoring on defense,” McGrew said after he stole Ken O’Brien’s pass on the first play of the second half. “We came up with the turnovers. In a game with these weather conditions, we felt it would be up to the defense to make it happen.

“We came out in a zone and O’Brien tends to look at who he wants to throw to. I drifted out and stayed in the zone. He threw it right to me. I don’t think he saw me--it was too easy a catch.”

On the next play, Doug Flutie hit Stanley Morgan for a 19-yard touchdown to give the Patriots (6-5) a 7-3 lead.

Neither did much in the first half and the Jets (5-5-1) had a 3-0 lead on Pat Leahy’s 47-yard field goal.

“We needed a score right there after the defense gave us the chance,” Flutie said. “Stanley made a great move to the corner and then went to the post. I just laid it in to him.”

Roger Vick fumbled at the Patriots’ 21 came after New York drove 55 yards in 7 running plays. Al Toon also lost the ball at the Patriots’ 27. Rembert recovered both.

“On the first fumble, Vick cut back inside and I saw Brent (Williams) jar the ball out and I dived onto it,” said Rembert, who picked up a fumble and scored on a botched kickoff return to help New England beat the Jets in a 1985 playoff game. “The second, Fred Marion made a great tackle and knocked the ball out.”

In the last 5 weeks, the Patriots have committed 5 turnovers and have 18 takeaways.

John Stephens’ 3-yard scoring run at the end of a 58-yard, 10-play drive made it 14-6. The rookie rushed for more than 100 yards in 3 straight games before getting 87 against the Jets.

Leahy added a 48-yard field goal for the Jets in the third quarter and Freeman McNeil scored from the 6 with 2:06 left in the game.