Teams are 6-7 when choosing OT kickoff

Here’s how the games went, with team kicking off listed first.

The hated Belichick down, the big-mouthed Ryan to go.

The Steelers (9-6) are still in contention for a wild-card berth.

Not this time. Jets belief won.

An error after winning a coin flip did in the Patriots Sunday in a 26-20 overtime loss to the New York Jets.

“My first reaction was, ‘Stop ’em!'” said Marshall, thinking Tom Brady and the offense would have the ball first since the Patriots won the toss. But knowing how competitive he is, there’s no doubt he wanted the ball to start overtime.

In a confusing midfield exchange that some will dissect and debate as if it’s the Zapruder film, Patriots special-teams captain Matthew Slater told referee Clete Blakeman that New England wanted to kick off, then appeared to reverse his course on that decision.

After the Patriots lost 26-20 in overtime to the Jets, social media wanted to know whether Bill Belichick was purposely tanking to get the Jets, a team some consider inferior to Pittsburgh, into the playoffs. Then he got 20 to Brandon Marshall before throwing a attractive 6-yard scoring toss to Eric Decker. “We were excited to get the opportunity to get the ball and have a chance to put them away”.

Belichick’s belated Christmas gift helped pave the way for the Jets’ playoff run to continue.

The Patriots battled back to tie the game at 20 late in the fourth quarter.

Hasselbeck shook his throwing arm in pain, stayed in the game for one more play and threw another incompletion, and was replaced by third-stringer Charlie Whitehurst. Belichick made sure that didn’t happen. They’ll need Carolina to lose at Tampa Bay and win at home against Seattle but the fact that it’s even in play given the Panthers’ undefeated start is a testament to Arizona’s dominance over the final half of the season. “A lot of guys have been in and out of the lineup, a lot of guys coming in off the street trying to play and help us win”. The Jets’ defense was everything it has been billed to be all season: talented on the back end, tough and terrorizing in the front.

“It’s something you know on your own and keep to yourself”, Harmon said. “I’m so proud of my teammates…. It’s just playing football”. It’s a huge game for a Broncos team that still faces the possibility of tumbling out of the playoffs altogether if they don’t right the ship in short order. The Jets are 10-5 and they will EARN a trip to the postseason if they win at Buffalo next week.

Looking ahead: All of the NFC playoff spots are now spoken for with the six teams just left to jockey for position next week.

“I thought that was best thing to do”, Belichick said.

REX IS NEXT: The Jets are on the verge of their first postseason appearance since the 2010 season.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) – Eric Decker’s 6-yard touchdown catch on the first drive of overtime – after New England chose to kick off – lifted the Jets into position to make the playoffs.

“Those are the moments you cherish and remember”, Decker said.

With his first catch of the game, Marshall broke the Jets’ single-season record for most receptions, set in 1988 by Al Toon (93). We just had some bad luck, truthfully. Or not calling a timeout in the final minute of the Super Bowl, bailed out only because of Pete Carroll. Give a lot of credit to the Jets’ defense on Sunday, holding the Patriots to 1-of-10 on third down. After a two-yard gain by running back Chris Ivory, Fitzpatrick hit wide-open wide receiver Quincy Enunwa – who dropped a potential game-winning touchdown pass with 37 seconds left in regulation – for a 48-yard gain down the left sideline.

Belichick coached a odd game. They came close by letting the Patriots tie the game up and send it to overtime but it took the Jets only five plays to go 80 yards to score the game-winning touchdown. But it one point in the fourth quarter featured one for ten on third down and three for three on fourth down. Belichick loves doubling up in those situations with back-to-back scores.

Carolina and New England, the presumptive top seeds in the NFC and AFC, went down with a thud Sunday just steps from the National Football League regular-season finish line. “We’ve got to control our own destiny”.

December 27, 2015: New England loses vs. New York Jets, 26-20. Forget about that. Win and they’re in.

The Jets look ready for anything.

Patriots fans don’t want to hear it – I learned that the hard way after their Week 13 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles – but match New England up against the Jets with Julian Edelman, Danny Amendola, Devin McCourty, Patrick Chung and a healthy Dont’a Hightower, and the results would have been much different Sunday.