over the Lions on Thanksgiving, the Patriots returned home for a highly anticipated Monday Night Football game with the 9-2 New York Jets with the outright lead in the AFC East on the line. In a sign of what was to come, the Patriots took the opening kickoff and marched right down the field, 52 yards in 9 plays, with Shayne Graham kicking a 41-yard field goal for the early 3–0 lead. The Jets drove to the Patriots 35 on their ensuing possession, but Folk missed a 53-yard field goal. Starting at their own 43, the Patriots raced 57 yards in 6 plays, aided by a pass interference penalty on Eric Smith, scoring on a 1-yard touchdown run by Green-Ellis, increasing the lead to 10–0. After another Jets three-and-out, Steve Weatherford punted just 12 yards, giving the Patriots fantastic field position at the Jets 32. The Patriots took a commanding 17–0 lead just four plays later, with Brady hooking up with Branch on a 25-yard touchdown pass. The Jets responded on their next drive, driving 46 yards to the Patriots 21 and scoring on a 39-yard field goal in what would be the Jets' only score of the game. Ben Tate returned the kick 21 yards to the Patriots 33, setting up a 7 play, 67 yard drive in just under 4 minutes, with Tate finishing the drive as well, catching a 4-yard touchdown pass from Brady, widening the lead to 24–3 with over 8 minutes left in the first half. Neither team reached opposing territory until the Jets drove all the way to the Patriots 37, but Sanchez was sacked for a 15-yard loss by Banta-Cain, and the Patriots led 24–3 at halftime. The Jets drove all the way to the Patriots 9 on their opening drive of the second half, but Spikes intercepted Sanchez at the 2 and returned it 5 yards to the Patriots 7. The Patriots put together an 8 play, 93-yard drive in only four-and-a-half minutes, scoring on Brady's 18-yard touchdown pass to Welker, increasing the lead to 31–3. A bad kick gave the Jets good field position at their own 47. After an 8-yard run by Greene to the Patriots 45, Sanchez was intercepted by McCourty at the Patriots 6 for no gain. The Patriots just couldn't be stopped, though, engineering a nearly-identical, 8 play, 94-yard drive, scoring on Brady's 1-yard touchdown pass to