FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – The Patriots found another way to stay unbeaten – with a running game. And their stone-faced coach showed a new way to greet his nemesis – with a smile.
Facing rain, wind and chilly gusts above 20 mph, New England relied on Laurence Maroney’s rushing instead of Tom Brady’s passing and beat the New York Jets 20-10 on Sunday in the Spygate rematch to clinch home field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs.
After the Patriots became the second team in NFL history to go 14-0, Bill Belichick broke into a broad grin at his sideline and kept it until he met Eric Mangini, his former protégé and defensive coordinator. Mangini had angered Belichick when he left to become coach of the Jets last season.
“Great game, awesome,” Belichick appeared to say as they shook hands. Then Belichick walked away, pumping his first twice over his head.
“He said, ‘good game or good luck,’ ” Mangini said. “I can’t remember.”
The New York Jets came here looking for a miracle. In a way, they got one, but not the type that answered their prayers.
The snow fell up.
With every big play by the undefeated New England Patriots on Sunday, their bundled fans scooped up handfuls of the ankle-deep white stuff and tossed them to the heavens. From high above, with the rain blowing sideways, Gillette Stadium must have looked like a fizzing cauldron of carbonated drink.
The game, despite predictions to the contrary, was neither a blowout nor a whiteout. The Spygate scandal? There was no talk of it after the game.
Mangini had turned Belichick in for having a video assistant use a sideline videocamera in violation of NFL rules after the season opener in which the Patriots beat the Jets (3-11). The NFL fined Belichick $500,000 and the team $250,000 and took away their first-round draft choice next year for the illegal taping.
Belichick said there was no extra meaning to Sunday’s win because of that.
“Just like the other games,” Belichick said. “It’s good to win. It’s good to win in the division. It’s good to sweep the Jets.”
The Patriots are moving on, two victories removed from the league’s first 16-0 regular season. The only team to go undefeated in the modern era was the 1972 Miami Dolphins, who went 14-0 in the regular season before winning two playoff games and the Super Bowl.
“As that zero stays in that column, I’m cool with it,” New England receiver Randy Moss said.
New York Jets quarterback Kellen Clemens sustained a rib on the team’s second offensive play of the day and did not return. Stuck in his own end zone with All-Pro defender Richard Seymour closing in, Clemens had to unload the ball in a hurry. He got the pass off – only to have Eugene Wilson intercept it and run it back for a touchdown.
“Instead of taking a sack, I threw it and landed on my right arm,” Clemens said.
Maroney scored the Patriots other touchdown, a 1-yard run in the second quarter. He ran for 104 yards, just the fourth time this season a New England rusher surpassed 100.
