Patriots lose to Jets after overtime coin toss gaffe

New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, second from left, talks to Tom Brady (12) and Jimmy Garoppolo (10) during the second half of an NFL football game against the New York Jets, Sunday, Dec. 27, 2015, in East Rutherford, N.J. The game was seemingly dominated by the Jets for the first Half of Play, a game that saw Wide Reciever Brandon Marshall with two Touchdown Receptions.

By DENNIS WASZAK Jr. “We have a lot of character on this team”, said special-teams captain Matthew Slater, who faced a barrage of questions after the unusual turn of events at the start of overtime, when the Patriots elected to kick off after winning the coin toss. The Cardinals throttled the visiting Packers by a 38-8 final, using a pair of touchdown passes from Carson Palmer and two defensive scores to get to 13 wins and lock up a first-round bye. He stood up from his locker that noticeably was located beneath a game clock placed high on the wall to remind teams of when they need to be on the field at the end of halftime. “We’re on to next week”.

After the overtime kickoff, Jets quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick hit receiver Quincy Enunwa on a 48-yard pass that was aided by a pick in which two New England defenders were unable to reach him.

And because of that, the Patriots (12-3) will not get to rest starters next Sunday at Miami.

“I thought it was the best thing to do”, Belichick said of his decision to kick off. That decision worked, this one flopped.

And while the knee-jerk reaction is to wonder if Belichick should be drug-tested, this isn’t the first time he’s chosen to kick off in overtime. Even former Patriot wide receiver Kenbrell Thompkins caught four passes for 27 yards against New England before leaving the game with an injury.

They were certain – as millions more watching on television – that Slater had made a mistake, that he heard his coach wrong those three or four times when he asked: Are you sure you want to kick?

According to audio from the CBS broadcast, referee Clete Blakeman said: “Heads is the call….” He was hoping to stop the Jets quickly then just have to worry about kicking a field goal. “We knew we has to win a ballgame, regardless of who we were playing or which over team we were playing, we just had to win a ballgame, it just happened to be the Patriots”.

“If we just get our guys, everyone out there and practice together and see what we’re made of, I think that’ll be a great thing”.

Slater responded: “We want to kick, that way”.

The Patriots won the coin toss in overtime.

Belichick’s decision was baffling, though the Jets gladly accepted their belated Christmas gift. On their second series, the Jets moved 79 yards in 13 plays to a 30-yard field goal by Bullock with 3:19 left in the first quarter.

“Basically, it’s the opposite of last week, which was the worst week of the season”, Simbal said.

“It’s bittersweet”, Richardson said. When I’m told to do something, that’s what I’m going to do. “The way we’ve been playing the game the past five weeks is what it’s all about”. NY can now clinch a playoff spot with a win over Rex Ryan and the Buffalo Bills next Sunday. But a loss and two wins by Cincinnati would put the Bengals at No. 1 and the Patriots No. 2. The offensive line struggled to keep the pass rush at bay, particularly after New England lost tackle Sebastian Vollmer and his replacement LaAdrian Waddle to injury. After a patented, last-minute Tom Brady touchdown the Jets and Pats met at midfield for the coin flip.

But, the Patriots couldn’t do much against the Jets’ defense. New England yielded 5.3 yards per play on 27 rushes.

“That’s all you can ask for”, Jets rookie head coach Todd Bowles said. Obviously, none of us played to our best today.

TAMPA, Fla. – Ka’Deem Carey caught a touchdown pass from Jay Cutler and the third-string running back also scored on a 1-yard run to help Chicago Bears end a three-game losing streak.

Marshall set the mark with an 18-yard catch late in the third quarter against the New England Patriots. Still have control of their own destiny there’s still looking to win next week against Miami against the dolphins you win a game estimate in a buoyancy. With his three catches for 47 yards, Decker increased his season totals to 75 receptions, 977 yards and 11 touchdowns, bettering his 2014 totals with the Jets in all categories.