2. Maye, Henderson Fuel Patriots Response
Maye and the Patriots offense responded with a long, sustained drive of their own, theirs lasting 13 plays, 69 yards. Maye was 5-for-5 on the drive, including a fourth-down conversion to Pop Douglas and a third-down conversion to Stefon Diggs. TreVeyon Henderson had seven carries for 27 yards and finished the drive off with a seven-yard touchdown run, aided by a fleet of his offensive lineman who helped propel him into the end zone for the score. That made it 7-7 early in the second quarter.
After a Jets three-and-out, Maye and the offense would resume their strong start to the game, executing a second long touchdown drive. Big plays played a role on the drive, with Hunter Henry picking up a 23-yard gain as well as a 12-yarder on a 3rd-and-7. Mack Hollins chipped in a 20-yard catch to get the Pats back inside the red zone and then Henderson finished it off with his second seven-yard touchdown run of the game. The drive took just eight plays to go 83 yards.
That made it 14-7 Patriots midway through the second quarter.
3. Pats Miss Three Before Half
The Patriots defense forced three-straight three-and-outs after the opening scoring drive, and while the New England offense would be forced to punt on their own third possession, they kicked back into gear as the second quarter wound down. An illegal contact penalty played a role in the drive, as it turned an incomplete pass on third down into a new set of downs near midfield.
New England would get down to the Jets 27-yard line, setting up a 45-yard field goal attempt by Andy Borregales, but the kick was wide right, keeping the score 14-7 Patriots at the half.
The missed field goal was a departure from the Patriots recent performances of strong finishes to the first half. It was also Borregales’ first missed field goal since Week 1 against the Raiders. The trend reversal carried into the second half when New England would go three-and-out on their first drive of the third quarter.
4. Pats Take a Two-Score Lead
After going three drives without any points, Maye and the offense started to roll after the Jets punted for a fourth-straight possession. Maye was the story of the drive, hitting Hollins for a 17-yard gain over the middle, then dumping off a pass just before going out of bounds to Diggs for a 21-yard gain.
Finally, Maye hit Henderson in the end zone for his first receiving touchdown of the game and third overall. It was another chunk-play drive, taking just six plays to go 69 yards, as the Patriots extended their lead to 21-7.