Jets Surprise Patriots With Overtime Field Goal
Nick Folk got a second chance and kicked a 42-yard field goal in overtime as the surprising New York Jets ended a six-game losing streak to the New England Patriots with a 30-27 victory on Sunday.
The game-winner, with 5:07 left in the extra period, came moments after Folk had missed a 56-yarder.
He received a chance to make amends when an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty was called on New England's Chris Jones.
Jones was penalized for apparently pushing a team-mate forward to try to block the kick, breaking a new NFL rule that was introduced in an effort to make the game safer.
Patriots quarterback Tom Brady had been unable to pull off another late miracle win in regulation as New England settled for a game-tying 44-yard Stephen Gostkowski field goal with 16 seconds left in the fourth quarter.
Brady last week threw a brilliant last-second touchdown pass to beat the New Orleans Saints, and Jets fans must have feared a repeat performance when the Patriots won the toss to start overtime.
But after a 16-yard pass to Rob Gronkowski, Brady threw three incomplete passes and the Patriots punted.
The New England quarterback completed 22 of 46 passes for 228 yards, but was only one-for-12 on third-down passes. He was sacked four times and did not throw for a touchdown, while his New York rookie counterpart Geno Smith passed for one touchdown and ran for another.
Injuries and trades have left Brady without several of his leading receivers this season.
But on Sunday, tight end Gronkowski returned for the first time this season, and had eight catches for 114 yards, but he could not hold a pass late in regulation that might have won the game for New England.
The Patriots (5-2) still lead the AFC East, while the Jets (4-3) are in second place.
The other AFC East showdown was also a thriller, with the Buffalo Bills pulling off a 23-21 road win over the Miami Dolphins as Dan Carpenter kicked the winning field goal from 31 yards with 33 seconds left.
The Dolphins fall to 3-3 for the season, while the Bills improve to 3-4 in what has suddenly become a tightly-bunched division. Reporting by Andrew Both in Cary, North Carolina
(Reporting by Andrew Both in Cary, North Carolina, Editing by Gene Cherry)
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