The New England Patriots and New York Jets will meet on Sunday afternoon to add another chapter to a story going back more than six decades. Their game in Week 6 of the regular season will be the 134th overall in the series.
Let’s take a look back at some of the most important moments of the rivalry.
Patriots vs. Jets series history
Overall history: Especially in the late 60s and early 70s, the Jets got the better of the rivalry, at one point giong 14-of-15. However, the tide started to turn decisively in the 2000s and with Tom Brady
and Bill Belichick leading the Patriots. As a result of their dominance — which included a 15-game win streak and a 13-year span in which the Jets never beat New England in 60 minutes — the Patriots now hold a 77-56-1 lead overall in the series. This includes a 2-1 edge in the playoffs, with them winning in 1985 (26-14) and 2006 (37-16), and the Jets celebrating a victory in 2011 (28-21).
First game: Week 2 of the AFL’s inaugural 1960 season saw the Patriots visit the then-Titans at the Polo Grounds in New York. The game would end up as the first victory in Patriots franchise history, and it was a controversial one. The Titans took a 24-21 lead into the final seconds of the game, when they were unable to exercise a standard punt play resulting in a fumble. After players from both teams appeared to kick the ball forward, Boston defensive back Chuck Shonta recovered it and returned it 25 yards for the touchdown and a 28-24 Patriots victory. After the game, the Titans filed a complaint with the league, but the score was upheld and they later also lost the rematch in Boston.
Most memorable game: There are two ways of looking at this. One could go with what is arguably the most entertaining game of the series, that even has its own Wikipedia entry and has become the butt — no pun intended — of jokes for more than a decade now. However, instead of picking the 2012 “Buttfumble” game, we are choosing the second path: NFL history being altered forever. If Drew Bledsoe had not been knocked out of the Week 2 game between the Patriots and Jets in 2001, after all, who knows how quickly Tom Brady would have gotten his shot and helped kick-start a two-decade dynasty. The game itself was not particularly thrilling — New England lost a defensive-dominated contest with a final score of 10-3 — but its impact on the league can be felt to this day. | Highlights
Most recent game: While the Patriots were already gearing up for their return to the playoffs, the Jets continued to flounder through their season. The two teams’ Week 17 meeting last December looked the part: New England dominated from the get-go, jumping to a 35-3 halftime lead behind four Drake Maye passing touchdowns — to Austin Hooper, Rhamondre Stevenson, Stefon Diggs and Hunter Henry — as well as another score by Stevenson. Maye later added a fifth TD to Efton Chism, while the defense put undrafted rookie QB Brady Cook in a blender all day. The result was a 42-10 victory. | Highlights
The Patriots and Jets will add to the series history on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET at Gillette Stadium.
