Patriots Make a U-Turn in Second Half

The New England Patriots turned around Sunday’s game the same way they turned around their season.

After falling behind, 13-0, with a sloppy, lackluster first half, the Patriots surged back to win, 17-16, snapping the New York Jets’ four-game winning streak. New England (7-5) also joined the NFC East race with its seventh win in 10 games since an early-season loss to the Jets (7-4).

Miami (8-3) took the division lead by beating Denver, 21-10.

“With each win each week, we get confidence,” quarterback Tom Brady said. “Last year, the team was 5-11, now we’re 7-5. This can jump-start our season.”

Actually, since Brady replaced Drew Bledsoe after Jet linebacker Mo Lewis’ tackle in Game 2 sheared a blood vessel in Bledsoe’s chest, the Pats have been winning.

They’ve become efficient, if not spectacular, just as they were in ending a four-game slide vs. New York with a methodical comeback.

“It was a tale of two halves,” said Bryan Cox, a former Jet linebacker. “They controlled the first half and we controlled the second. We clawed and clawed and stayed in the game to find a way to win.”

Brady picked apart the Jets’ soft zone as New York was hampered by losing cornerback Aaron Glenn in the second quarter to a sprained right knee. And the Patriots came alive defensively--after yielding 225 yards in the first half, New England gave up 63 in the second.

“They threw the kitchen sink at us and we were able to hang in there and make some plays,” Cox said.

Adam Vinatieri’s 28-yard field goal with 6:29 left provided the winning points. Brady found David Patten on three passes for 44 yards on that drive.

New England got its offense going after Mike Vrabel’s 12-yard interception return of a pass tipped by Brandon Mitchell early in the third quarter. Fred Coleman went 46 yards on a slant--his first reception of the season--to set up Antowain Smith’s four-yard run.

“The play to Coleman was important,” Patten said. “He’s the third or fourth receiver, and for him to make a play like that really got us going.”

After New York’s John Hall kicked his third field goal, a 50-yarder, the Patriots marched 82 yards in nine plays to Marc Edwards’ four-yard plunge, making it 16-14. The Jets’ Curtis Martin finished with 87 yards, going over 1,000 yards rushing for the seventh straight season.

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Another Grand

With 87 yards Sunday, New York Jet Curtis Martin became the third player in NFL history to rush for 1,000 yards in each of his first seven seasons, joining Eric Dickerson and Barry Sanders:

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Player Consecutive 1,000 yard seasons Barry Sanders 10 Curtis Martin 7 Eric Dickerson 7 Tony Dorsett 6 Eddie George 5

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