Patriots quietly await Jaguars' challenge in AFC title game

TSX / STATS

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – The New England Patriots are spending the week leading up to Sunday's AFC title game doing what they always do in the days leading up to any game.

Not saying anything negative about the opposition.

That's the Patriots way -- don't give the other guys anything to put up on their bulletin boards.

So, when someone like Jacksonville's Jalen Ramsey predicts his Jaguars will unseat the defending Super Bowl champs in Sunday's game, the Patriots take the high road and talk about how tough the other guys are to deal with.

Reacting to Ramsey's boast, quarterback Tom Brady, on his weekly WEEI appearance, said, "I think what I have learned for a long time is -- it's how you play, it's not what you say. Everyone has different ways of handling things -- players do, coaches do. We do what works for us, other players do what works for them. The game is going to be decided by who plays the best, not who hypes the best or speaks the best.

"He's a really good player. I have watched a ton of film on him," Brady said of Ramsey. "He has a lot of strengths. He's obviously very confident. That is reflected in how he plays. I am more concerned about how he plays (as) opposed to what he says."

Brady, headed for his seventh straight AFC title game and 12th overall, also called the upstart Jaguars "the toughest" team the top-seeded Patriots have faced all season -- something that didn't sit too well with Jacksonville.

Jacksonville's Telvin Smith called Brady out on Twitter, saying, "Bruh this the oldest trick...pump us up in the media but in the buildin I kno what's really bein said. Respect."

Brady, who has had his shares of bumps and bruises in this, his 40-year-old season, skipped his Wednesday media session as he met with team medical personnel over a right hand injury. He then was held out of practice on Thursday because of the injury, calling into question how effective he would be if he plays Sunday.

He is still expected to play Sunday.

He captured his 26th postseason victory, recorded his 13th 300-yard postseason passing game -- extending his NFL record for both -- and also broke a tie with Joe Montana to become the all-time leader with 10 three-TD playoff games.

The Patriots, seeking the sixth Super Bowl crown of the Brady/Bill Belichick Era, hammered the Tennessee Titans 35-14 in the divisional round, while the third-seeded Jaguars stunned the Steelers 45-42 in Pittsburgh and come into this game filled with confidence -- and toughness.

Asked Wednesday what it will be like facing the NFL's No. 1 defense, New England tight end Rob Gronkowski, active this time around after missing last year's title run, said, "That is a big challenge. They have very talented players on both sides of the ball. Especially on defense, they have many, many great players. It is going to be a big challenge.

"It is the best team we are facing all year coming up in the AFC Championship Game this weekend. We have to be ready. We have to be prepared. It is going to be a big, tough challenge, for sure."

The Jags are trying to become only the third team -- and first since the 1985 Chicago Bears -- to lead the league in rushing and win the championship.

"It's going to be tough. It's going to be a great challenge for us," Jacksonville coach Doug Marrone told the New England media via conference call Wednesday. "We understand how great of a team New England is and how much of a challenge all three phases are going to be faced with. It's going to be difficult and we understand that."

These teams practiced together prior to the first preseason game back in August, and Patriots players said they saw back then things would be different with a team that won three games last season.

Now, they meet for the AFC title.

The Patriots have gone 3-3 in the six straight title game appearances, losing twice to the Denver Broncos and once to the Baltimore Ravens. Most people expected a battle with the Pittsburgh Steelers this week but the Jags flipped the script and come into this game as decided underdogs.

A big change beside the coach was the return of Tom Coughlin to the organization he helped build -- as the first coach of the expansion team in 1995.

Jacksonville's vice president of football operations, Coughlin coached the New York Giants to a pair of Super Bowl wins over the Patriots, and one would have to think he can be of some help this week -- as he has the entire season.

Asked if Coughlin might be getting too much credit when he, Marrone, is the coach, Marrone said, "He should get a lot of credit. (Jaguars general manager) Dave Caldwell should get a lot of credit. Our coaches should get a hell of a lot of credit and our players deserve the most credit.

"So I think everyone is trying to pull in the same direction. I just think that those people getting the credit, they deserve it. As long as we win I don't really care who gets the credit. So I have no problem with that at all."

All eyes on Brady as he misses practice with hand injury

By KYLE HIGHTOWER
Associated Press

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) -- Tom Brady hasn't missed many starts during his 18-year NFL career, and no one sounds too worried that he'll be sidelined for Sunday's AFC championship game.

Nonetheless, after Brady sat out the Patriots' practice on Thursday - and did not speak to reporters as scheduled - there was plenty of speculation about the 40-year-old quarterback's health.

Brady sat out with a right-hand injury after being limited by the same issue a day earlier as New England prepares for its matchup with Jacksonville.

Brady wore a glove on the injured hand during the stretching portion of practice that was open to reporters. He usually wears a glove only on his non-throwing hand. He was listed as a non-participant on the injury report, and his news conference was postponed until Friday.

With scant official information about the nature of Brady's injury, it fell to backup quarterback Brian Hoyer to address the situation. More than 50 reporters swarmed his locker as he walked through the locker room, and after stepping into the training room, Hoyer returned to find the assembled group.

"You guys waiting for Phil?" Hoyer asked wryly, referring to receiver Phillip Dorsett's adjacent locker.

For the next six minutes he was asked a half-dozen questions about Brady, a quarterback he has now backed up twice. Hoyer said he didn't see Brady get hurt and wouldn't elaborate on how much he's been able to do in practice the last two days.

"I'm always preparing to play, because the truth of reality is you never know when your name's gonna be called," he said.

Jaguars coach Doug Marrone expects his defense to line up against Brady, not Hoyer, on Sunday.

"I'm sure he can throw left-handed if he has a problem with his right hand, you know, and throw it just as well," Marrone said Thursday.

Hoyer was Brady's backup for three seasons from 2009 through 2011. After leaving in 2012, he started for at least five-game stretches during stops in Cleveland, Houston, Chicago and San Francisco.

Hoyer was cut by the 49ers on Oct. 31 after they traded a second-round pick to New England for Jimmy Garoppolo. He signed as Brady's backup the following day.

"I prepare every week like I'm gonna play," Hoyer said. "Whether I do or I don't, that's not really up to me."

Having coached in Brady's division in Buffalo, Marrone is familiar with Brady's ability to play through pain.

Brady appeared on the Patriots' weekly injury report several times during the latter half of this season with injuries to both his Achilles tendon and his left shoulder.

He has never missed a playoff start during his 18-year career. He hasn't missed any start because of an injury since he sat out the final 15 games of the 2008 season after tearing ligaments in his left knee during New England's season opener.

Brady missed the first four games of 2016 while serving his "Deflategate" suspension. He also popped up on the injury report late that season, but he didn't miss a game and capped the season with his MVP performance in the Patriots' comeback win over Atlanta in the Super Bowl.

Devin McCourty chuckled when he was asked about the frenzy created this week by Brady's injury.

"When you're a good-looking guy, a good quarterback, people want to know about you. I understand," McCourty said. "My people want to know about him, too. I get text messages and phone calls. When I first got here it was, `Did you meet Tom? Are you and Tom friends?' I'm happy now. Eight years in, I consider us friends. So I'm kind of a big deal back home."

Patriots beat Titans 35-14 to head back to AFC title game

By KYLE HIGHTOWER
AP Sports Writer

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) – First, the Patriots tuned out a week full of off-field drama. Then, they silenced the Titans to earn yet another trip to the AFC championship game.

Tom Brady passed for three touchdowns and 337 yards, and New England cruised past Tennessee 35-14 on Saturday night to advance to their seventh consecutive conference title game.

New England (14-3) will host the winner of Sunday's divisional matchup between Jacksonville and Pittsburgh.

It was Brady's 10th career postseason game with at least three TD tosses, moving him past Joe Montana for the most in NFL history. James White caught a touchdown pass and ran for another, and Danny Amendola had 11 catches for 112 yards.

New England's victory came on the heels of a week filled with turmoil following reports of discord involving Brady, coach Bill Belichick and team owner Robert Kraft.

None of that showed on the field Saturday.

"I've been around long enough," Brady said. "So, 18 years, there's so many nice things said about me. It just goes with the territory."

The Titans (10-8) took an early 7-0 lead, but New England scored 35 straight points to take control.

Marcus Mariota completed 22 of 37 passes for 254 yards and two touchdowns, but was under duress for most of the second half. He was sacked eight times, a Patriots playoff record.

Coach Mike Mularkey said after the game his quarterback strained a quadriceps in the first quarter.

"It had an impact," Mularkey said. "We had to get out of some of our scheme with him."

New England also held Derrick Henry to just 28 yards rushing on 12 carries.

The Titans came back from an 18-point deficit in the second half to beat the Chiefs 22-21 in the wild-card round last week - the largest comeback on the road in the Super Bowl era. But the Patriots didn't give them a chance for an encore.

Leading 14-7, the Patriots stretched their lead to 14 just before halftime thanks to a trio of careless penalties on the Titans.

Tennessee initially forced a three-and-out, but gave up a first down via a fourth-and-5 neutral zone infraction on Brynden Trawick before New England's punt attempt.

Armed with a new set of downs, Brady went to work moving the Patriots down the field with a steady diet of short passes. The Titans helped along the way with illegal contact and unnecessary roughness penalties. It eventually culminated in a 4-yard TD pass from Brady to Chris Hogan in the back of the end zone that made it 21-7.

Brady threw a short shovel pass to White, who ran it in from the 5-yard line to make it 7-7 early in the second quarter.

The Patriots appeared to have a touchdown three plays earlier, when Dion Lewis caught a pass from Brady and was tackled by Wesley Woodyard at the 19. Lewis landed on top of the defender, then got up and continued to the end zone.

The officials initially ruled that he had never been down and called it a touchdown. But replays showed Lewis' butt hit the ground at the 19.

Corey Davis made a one-handed catch on a 15-yard pass from Mariota in the corner of the end zone to give the Titans a 7-0 lead. Mariota had a pair of 11-yard runs to help set up the score.

Davis added an 11-yard TD reception with 1:55 left in the game - and the Titans' season.

INJURIES

Titans: Right tackle Jack Conklin walked off on his own power after injuring a knee in the first quarter. He did not return. ... Tight end Jonnu Smith was carted off in the third quarter with a right leg injury.

Patriots: Right tackle LaAdrian Waddle left with a knee injury early in the third quarter. ... Cornerback Jonathan Jones was helped off the field late in the fourth quarter.

UNFORCED ERRORS

The Titans had 85 penalties in the regular season - the second-fewest in the NFL.

They were flagged 10 times for 62 yards on Saturday, just the second time they had 10 or more this season.

MOVING ON UP

Gronkowski finished with six catches for 81 yards and touchdown. It was his 10th career postseason TD. He's tied with five others for third all-time. But it's the most for a tight end.

Gronk also moved into second all-time for a tight end with 835 postseason receiving yards. He passed Keith Jackson, and only Dallas Clark is ahead of him.

UP NEXT

The Patriots will play the winner of Sunday's matchup between the Jaguars and Steelers in the AFC championship game.

With eye on playoffs, Brady, Lewis lead Pats by Bills 37-16

By KYLE HIGHTOWER
Associated Press

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) – Rob Gronkowski has always been proud of his roots growing up outside of Buffalo.

He also has never forgotten how his hometown team didn't want him.

Tom Brady passed for a pair of touchdowns, including Gronkowski's one-handed grab , and the New England Patriots stayed on track for home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs with a 37-16 win over the Buffalo Bills on Sunday.

For Gronkowski it was his 12th touchdown catch in 13 career games against the Bills - more than he's had against any other opponent.

"It's cool when your hometown team passed on you twice in that (2010) draft. And you kind of remember it still," Gronkowski said. "No lie, I remember it every single time I play them."

New England (12-3) locked up a first-round bye with Jacksonville's loss 44-33 loss at San Francisco. If Pittsburgh loses to Houston on Monday, the Patriots will secure home-field advantage throughout the postseason.

Dion Lewis caught a touchdown pass and rushed for a 4-yard score. He carried 24 times for career-high 129 yards. It was just his second-career 100-yard game. Mike Gillislee, active for the first time in six games, added a 1-yard rushing touchdown

Even with the loss, the Bills (8-7) remain in contention to break their 17-year playoff drought. It is the longest active streak in North America's four major professional sports and the longest in the NFL since the 1970 merger.

New England has won at least 12 games in eight straight seasons - an NFL record.

Buffalo went into halftime tied at 13, but the Bills managed just three points in the final 30 minutes.

Trailing 13-10, Buffalo was in position to take the lead, but an apparent 4-yard touchdown pass from Tyrod Taylor to Kelvin Benjamin in the corner of the end zone was overturned after an official review.

Benjamin said he thought it was a catch.

"I mean definitely, but ref made the call and you've got to live with that," he said.

NFL vice president of officiating Al Riveron said in a Twitter post Benjamin was juggling the ball and was only able to get one of his feet down before completing the catch.

"When Kelvin Benjamin gains control, his left foot is off the ground. The receiver only has one foot down in bounds with control. Therefore, it is an incomplete pass," Riveron wrote.

That was echoed postgame by referee Craig Wrolstad.

"It was clear and obvious that he did not have control of the ball until he brought it all the way down into his chest," Wrolstad said in a pool report.

The Bills were forced to settle for a 23-yard field goal as the half expired.

The play elicited immediate reaction on social media.

"Regarding the Buffalo no touchdown, nothing more irritating to an official than to make a great call and then someone in a suit in an office in New York incorrectly reverses it," former NFL officiating VP Mike Pereira wrote on Twitter .

The game was tied at 3 on Buffalo's second possession when Taylor was sacked on a fourth-and-2 run by Marquis Flowers. On the next New England drive, Brady's third down pass intended for Kenny Britt was intercepted by Jordan Poyer and returned 19 yards for a touchdown.

It was Brady's eighth interception of the season. He threw two picks in the first 10 weeks, but now has six in his last five games.

The mistake only momentarily slowed down New England's offense. Brady capped a nine-play, 75-yard drive with a 17-yard pass that Gronkowski pulled in with one hand to tie the game at 10.

INJURIES

Bills: RB Travaris Cadet was carted off the field late in the second quarter with a right ankle injury. ... S Micah Hyde left the game after being shaken up in the third quarter. ... CB Shareece Wright was shaken up in the fourth quarter, but walked off on his own power.

RARE MISTAKE

The pick six thrown by Brady was his first since he was intercepted by Robert Alford in last season's Super Bowl win. Brady's last regular season pick six came in Week 13 of 2015 against Philadelphia (Malcolm Jenkins).

DYNAMIC DUO

Brady's touchdown 17-yard TD pass to Gronkowski marked the 75th time they have connected for a score. It is the fifth-most all-time between a quarterback and a receiver.

UP NEXT

Bills: At Miami in regular-season finale

Patriots: Host Jets in their finale.

Patriots outlast Steelers on late TD reversal

PITTSBURGH -- Tom Brady broke the Pittsburgh Steelers' hearts again, and he got help from Duron Harmon.

Brady led New England to a touchdown with 56 seconds left that gave the Patriots a 27-24 win over the Steelers on Sunday, ruining Pittsburgh's chance to clinch a first-round playoff bye and potentially home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs.

The game was marred by a left calf injury sustained in the first half by Steelers receiver Antonio Brown, who was taken to a hospital for further examination and treatment. Multiple media outlets reported that Brown will miss the rest of the regular season but might be able to return for the postseason.

An 8-yard run by Dion Lewis capped New England's go-ahead, 77-yard drive in 1:10 to complete a rally from a 24-16 deficit.

The Steelers came right back on a 69-yard catch-and-run by rookie JuJu Smith-Schuster. The play moved the ball to the New England 10-yard line with 34 seconds left.

Tight end Jesse James appeared to have scored the go-ahead touchdown, but his 10-yard reception was reviewed and James was ruled to have not completed the catch. The ball came loose when he impacted the ground.

"I thought that he crossed the plane before the ball hit the ground," Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said. "But the rule is you must possess it all the way through."

Referee Tony Corrente, speaking to a pool reporter, said, "To have a completed pass, a receiver must survive going to the ground. In this case, he had control of the football, but he was going to the ground. As he hit the ground, the ball began to roll and rotate, and the ball hit the ground, and that's the end of it at that point."

After the play was overturned, the Steelers faced second down with 28 seconds left. Roethlisberger threw a 3-yard pass to Darrius Heyward-Bey, who was tackled inbounds.

The Steelers, without any timeouts, lined up quickly. Roethlisberger faked a spike -- after communicating with slot receiver Eli Rogers -- and threw to Rogers on a slant in the end zone. However, cornerback Eric Rowe deflected the ball, and it was intercepted by Harmon with five seconds left.

"The fake spike is something we see all the time," Patriots safety Devin McCourty said. "I think all great quarterbacks do that. If they can catch you sleeping and get an easy play, they're going to try to do it.

"You could see us yelling and screaming the coverage, trying to line guys up and get set because we knew there was a chance. If they spike it, they spike it."

Steelers guard David DeCastro said, "It's tough, man. It's hard to put in words. It was a heck of an emotional swing.

"I don't know if I've ever been a part of something like that, that big, back and forth like that. We'll see how we respond, if it makes us hungrier or not. There's still more football to play, thankfully."

Vince Williams made the Steelers' defensive play of the game to help turn a one-point lead into an eight-point advantage late in the third quarter. The linebacker's interception of Brady's third-and-2 pass to tight end Rob Gronkowski gave the Steelers the ball at the New England 22.

Le'Veon Bell gave the Steelers a 24-16 lead with a 3-yard touchdown run behind a pulling DeCastro with 1:33 left in the third.

New England's Stephen Gostkowski kicked a 46-yard field goal with 3:56 remaining to cut into the deficit, and fate did the rest.

"We have a lot of football ahead of us," Steelers defensive tackle Cameron Heyward said. "We can be dejected, but I like where we are at."

The Steelers hoped this was the game they could hurdle the Patriots, but New England extinguished Pittsburgh's hope for a quick start by scoring the game's first touchdown.

Two play-action fakes by Brady in the backfield allowed Brandin Cooks to get open for a 43-yard completion on the Patriots' first possession. Two plays later, Rex Burkhead ran through right guard for a 1-yard touchdown and a 7-0 lead.

The Steelers answered with a touchdown, thanks to third-down catch-and-runs by Brown and Smith-Schuster. The catches set up Roethlisberger's 18-yard touchdown pass to Rogers to tie the score at 7 with 3:28 left in the first quarter.

The Steelers jumped to a 10-7 lead on a 51-yard Chris Boswell field goal early in the second quarter, but at a high cost. Brown injured his left calf in the end zone two plays before the field goal and was helped off the field.

Gostkowski tied the score at 10 with a 32-yard field goal with 9:04 left in the second quarter. The kick was set up by a 31-yard Brady pass to Gronkowski while the Steelers had only 10 men on the field.

The Steelers put together a long 8:39 drive to finish the half with a 17-10 lead. Roethlisberger ended it with a 4-yard pass to Martavis Bryant, who ran under the spot pass and made a one-handed catch in the end zone.

Brady took the Patriots in for a touchdown to open the second half. His third-down pass to Cooks delivered a 4-yard touchdown, but Gostkowski missed the extra point attempt and the Steelers clung to a 17-16 lead with 8:50 left in the third quarter.

The wild fourth quarter followed to put the Patriots in the driver's seat for the No. 1 seed in the AFC.

NOTES: Pittsburgh LB Ryan Shazier was at the game in a luxury suite. ... Steelers rookie CB Cameron Sutton started for the first time in his career as Joe Haden was deactivated. ... Cameron Heyward's first-quarter sack was his 10th of the season, the first Steelers defensive lineman since Keith Willis in (12 in 1986) with double-digit sacks in a season. ... With his first catch, WR Antonio Brown became the first player in NFL history with five consecutive 100-reception seasons. ... WR Kenny Britt made his first catch with the Patriots in the second quarter, a 7-yarder. New England recently signed Britt after he was released by the Cleveland Browns. ... Patriots RB Rex Burkhead was helped from the field after a knee injury on a carry near the goal line early in the third quarter. ... Steelers rookie RB James Conner was helped off the field with 9:41 left due to a sprained knee.

Brady throws for 4 TDs, Patriots beat Dolphins 35-17

By KYLE HIGHTOWER
Associated Press

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Rob Gronkowski was upset that he didn't get to sample any of the biscuits Tom Brady made for Thanksgiving.

They worked it out on Sunday.

Brady tossed four TD passes — including two to Gronkowski — and the New England Patriots pushed through injuries and a mistake-filled game for a 35-17 victory over the sliding Miami Dolphins.

"Anything (Gronkowski) wants I try to get for him," Brady said. "So anything to keep him happy."

New England (9-2) posted its seventh consecutive victory and third straight win over Miami. The Dolphins (4-7) have lost five straight for their longest slide since 2011.

It was Brady's 28th career game with four or more touchdown passes — ranking third all-time. His 26 touchdowns passes are the most ever in a season after turning 40 years old.

Rex Burkhead also scored two TDs and Dion Lewis had 15 carries for 112 yards for New England, marking his first career 100-yard game. The Patriots went 5 for 5 in the red zone.

"We know our biggest games are ahead of us," Brady said. "All the good teams are gonna start playing really well. We've gotta be one of those teams."

Miami got within 28-17 in the fourth quarter, but came up empty on a fourth-down pass play with 8:48 left. On the ensuing series, the Patriots scored on a 5-yard touchdown pass from Brady to Brandin Cooks.

The Dolphins played without quarterback Jay Cutler, who practiced Friday, but remained in the concussion protocol.

Matt Moore struggled to find a rhythm in his second start of the season. He completed 23 of 34 passes for 215 yards and a touchdown, but also had two interceptions. He was sacked seven times.

Despite the losing streak, Moore said the locker room is staying together.

"The overall pulse is OK. I mean, the world's not ending," he said. "But it's not what we want, for sure."

Miami also lost more key players to injury.

Running back Damien Williams was carted off the field in the third quarter with a shoulder injury following an 11-yard run. Return man Senorise Perry was placed in the concussion protocol after what appeared to be a helmet-to-helmet collision with New England's Trevor Reilly on a second-half kickoff return.

The Patriots got tricky to set up their first score, using a fourth-down run by Nate Ebner on a fake punt to keep their opening drive alive. Burkhead finished it with a 2-yard touchdown run.

Following a quick three-and-out by Miami, New England made it 14-0 via a 5-yard touchdown pass from Brady to Gronkowski.

Miami rebounded late in the second quarter, taking advantage of a rare self-inflicted mistake by New England.

Patriots center Ted Karras sent a second-down shotgun snap flying past Brady , who was not ready for the ball. It was scooped up by Dolphins safety Reshad Jones and returned for a touchdown.

Karras was filling in for David Andrews, who sat out for the second straight week with an illness.

But New England bounced right back. A pair of defensive holding penalties, a 27-yard pass from Brady to Cooks and a 22-yard run by Burkhead helped the Patriots drive to the Dolphins 1. Two plays later, Brady hit Burkhead for a 1-yard score to push the lead to 21-7.

ANGER MANAGEMENT

Miami cornerback Bobby McCain was ejected for throwing a punch at New England receiver Danny Amendola.

McCain and Amendola got into it at the bottom of the pile early in the second half. McCain, who intercepted Brady in the second quarter, was called for unnecessary roughness and thrown out for throwing the punch. He had a few words for the referee as he left the field, and then was walked off toward the Dolphins locker room.

The penalty put the Patriots at the Miami 12. Two plays later, Brady found Gronkowski for a 15-yard TD and a 28-10 lead.

MOVING ON UP

It was the 16th multi-touchdown game by Gronkowski, setting a franchise record. Randy Moss held the old record with 15.

INJURIES

Dolphins: DE Terrence Fede was helped off the field after being injured in the scrum during Jones' fumble recovery touchdown run.

Patriots: Ebner left with a knee injury after his fake punt run in the first quarter. ... Reilly left with a head injury after the collision with Perry. ... DL Trey Flowers (ribs) and LB Marquis Flowers left in the third quarter after a collision. ... OL LaAdrian Waddle left in the fourth quarter with an ankle injury. ... LB Kyle Van Noy (leg) was able to walk off the field on his own after he was shaken up in the fourth.

UP NEXT

Dolphins: Return home to host the Broncos next Sunday.

Patriots: Play first of three straight road games at Buffalo next Sunday.

Brown, Judon, Gostkowski named AFC Players of Week 11

​Wide receiver Antonio Brown of the Pittsburgh Steelers, linebacker Matthew Judon of the Baltimore Ravens and kicker Stephen Gostkowski of the New England Patriots are the AFC Offensive, Defensive and Special Teams Players of the Week for games played in Week 11 (November 16, November 19-20).

Brown had 10 receptions for 144 yards, and three touchdowns, joining John Stallworth as the only two players in Steelers’ history to score three receiving touchdowns in two separate games. Brown got the Steelers on the board early when he scored on a 41-yard reception from Ben Roethlisberger on the team’s opening drive. He added a five-yard reception in the third quarter to give the Steelers a 23-14 lead, one where they would start to pull away from the Titans.

Judon registered two sacks and could have been credited with a third Sunday against the Green Bay Packers. His two sacks for losses of 12 and 13 yards came on the same drive.Judon also forced a fumble for one of the Ravens' five turnovers. He had seven tackles overall, which was the second-most on the team.

Gostkowski was 4-for-4 on field goals in the win over the Raiders, including a franchise record 62-yard kick with time winding down in the first half. He also connected on tries of 51, 40 and 29 yards. It marked the third time in his career that he has kicked two field goals of at least 50 yards in the same game. He had a 51-yarder and a 53-yarder vs. Arizona (9/16/12) and had two 53-yarders at Houston (9/22/16). It is also the 14th time in his career he has made four or more kicks in a single game.

Brady picks apart Raiders in Patriots' 33-8 win in Mexico

By JOSH DUBOW
Associated Press

MEXICO CITY (AP) — The chants of "Brady! Brady!" started as soon as the New England Patriots got their first third-down stop, and the fevered fans at Azteca Stadium awaited Tom Brady's first appearance in Mexico.

The chants kept up for most of the day as Brady felt right at home in the new environment.

Brady threw for 339 yards and three touchdowns to the delight of an adoring crowd and the Patriots beat the Oakland Raiders 33-8 on Sunday.

"That was very much a surprise, especially seeing some of last year's game they were very pro-Raider," Brady said. "Seemed like there were a lot of Patriots fans here, so that was good to see."

Brady completed his first 12 passes and picked apart Oakland's suspect defense to chants from an amped-up crowd at Azteca Stadium. The large contingent of Patriots fans in the well-divided crowd for a Raiders "home" game had plenty to cheer about as New England (8-2) dominated from start to finish.

After winning their debut trip to Mexico City last year against Houston, the Raiders (4-6) were completely overmatched in their return. The offense failed to score until Derek Carr threw a TD pass to Amari Cooper in the fourth quarter with Oakland trailing by 30 points.

"They don't do anything special, they just do everything right," Carr said. "You sit there and in the first half they don't have any turnovers, I don't think they had a penalty, and they do the little things right."

The defense got victimized by short passes by Brady and then beaten on a 64-yard TD to Brandin Cooks on the third play of the second half that gave New England a 24-0 lead.

"It was just a fiesta all over the field," Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski said.

There was a festive environment at the famed stadium, with loud cheers for both teams from the crowd of 77,357 fans and a notable buzz throughout the early portions. Much was made heading to the game about the differing approaches to playing in an elevation of 7,200 feet above sea level. The Patriots spent the week at the Air Force Academy practicing at an elevation of 6,621 feet, while the Raiders stayed home and opted to limit their time at high altitude.

In a game this lopsided it probably didn't play much of a factor, although it was the Patriots who had two players leave because of dehydration in the second half with receiver Danny Amendola and cornerback Stephon Gilmore being sidelined for brief stretches.

The thin air might have helped Stephen Gostkowski set a New England record with a 62-yard field goal at the end of the first half that was tied for the sixth-longest field goal in NFL history. Two of the five longer kicks, including Matt Prater's record 64-yarder in 2014, were also done at high elevation in Denver. Gostkowski added three field goals in the second half.

"We came a long way to win the football game," coach Bill Belichick said. "We came down here to win a game and that's what we did. It was a great crowd tonight, a lot of energy, a great stadium and great environment. It was exciting to play here and coach here."

FAST START

Brady went 9 for 9 on the opening drive for New England as the Patriots used an up-tempo offense and short passes to keep the Raiders on their heels. He capped it with a 15-yard pass to Dion Lewis to take a 7-0 lead. Brady added a 5-yard TD pass to Amendola midway through the second quarter.

MOMENTUM CHANGER

The Raiders appeared in position to score late in the first half before Marquis Flowers knocked the ball out of Seth Roberts' hands inside the 5. Patrick Chung recovered with 33 seconds left at the New England 7. The Patriots managed to move 48 yards in four plays and ended the half with Gostkowski's long kick. The Patriots have now scored in the final minute of the first half in seven straight games.

"That was a 10-point swing right there," Raiders coach Jack Del Rio said. "That was a tough one to swallow."

MILESTONES

Brady became the first quarterback with 300-yard games in three countries, having also done it twice in London and 79 times in the United States.

The Patriots clinched their 17th straight season without a losing record, tying the 1957-73 Cleveland Browns for the second-longest streak in NFL history. Dallas has the record with 21 straight from 1965-85.

INJURIES

Raiders WR Johnny Holton left to be evaluated for a concussion after getting hurt on a deep pass that bounced off his shoulder pads for an interception by Duron Harmon . Holton returned in the second half and was called for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.

UP NEXT

Patriots: Host Miami on Sunday.

Raiders: Host Denver on Sunday.

All three phases coming together for Patriots

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Embarking on a two-game trip and a stretch of five games away from home in six weeks, the New England Patriots (7-2) exited the bye week in about as impressive a fashion as possible with Sunday night's 41-16 win over the Broncos (3-6) in Denver.

In a place that so often that has been a struggle over the years -- New England had a 3-7 mark in trips to Mile High dating to 2001 -- this time around it was a dominant win with contributions in all three phases of the game, with a few gifts along the way from the bumbling Broncos.

Tom Brady passed for three touchdowns and no interceptions, in large part because his offensive line gave him his best protection of the season against Von Miller and Co.

The kicking game chipped in big, including recovering a muffed punt to set up a short-field opening score, a 103-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by Dion Lewis and a blocked punt to set up a field goal. It left Broncos first-year head coach Vance Joseph saying he's never seen a worse special teams performance than the one his team fielded.

Defensively, New England held its opponent to 17 points or fewer for the fifth straight game, which not coincidentally is a five-game winning streak for the AFC East leaders.

"(Sunday night) was a really good night for us. Hopefully we can build on this and gain some confidence in all three phases," Brady said afterward. "I thought playing from ahead was really important all night. We played really good, complementary football. We just tried to hold up our end of the bargain."

In a league and a conference where so many teams struggle to win and find consistency on a weekly basis, head coach Bill Belichick's defending champions appear to be rounding into midseason form. But don't expect any victory laps in New England or acknowledgment that a good night in a usually tough environment in Denver was any sort of statement game.

"I think we're never satisfied, though," running back Rex Burkhead said a day after he recorded the blocked punt and opening score in the big win with a 14-yard touchdown catch.

"Even though we may have played well last night, we're still not satisfied. We know we're not where we need to be yet. We have a lot of room for improvement and a long ways to go. It's still early in the season, so we've got to improve upon things if we really want to be where we want to be."

Burkhead, a first-year Patriots contributor, clearly has learned the way things work in New England from guys like safety Duron Harmon, one of the team's captains.

"The only thing we're worried about each and every week is being a better football team than we were the week before and I think progressively over the season we have been able to see that especially defensively. We didn't start out the way we wanted to, but we've actually been making a lot of strides," Harmon said.

"It's not about being the best in the NFL right now. It's really about, like I said, just getting better, being better than you were the week before, trying to make constant improvement and being able to learn from the tape which allows you to be better next week. So we're going to watch the tape this week, watch it today, learn from it and then try and get better and improve on areas that we weren't as good at or where we want to be at."

Even if the Patriots are at a pretty impressive place right now, building a foundation for yet another potential Super Bowl run.

--Tight end Martellus Bennett made his 2017 Patriots debut in Denver with reserve action, including three catches for 38 yards. New England claimed Bennett off waivers from the Packers on Nov. 9, after Green Bay released him midway through his first season with the team with the designation of failure to disclose an injury amid some controversy surrounding a shoulder problem. Though Bennett, who won a Super Bowl with the Patriots a year ago, had not been playing or practicing in his final weeks with the Packers, he got to work immediately in New England.

"It wasn't where I was, it was just about the injury," Bennett said after the Patriots beat Denver, 41-16. "It was like one of those things, I talked to six or seven doctors about it and it could go either way. It was like one of those things I felt I should get fixed. And then after trying to get it fixed and getting waived, you just get that vengeance in your heart. It's just like, 'All right, that's how you're going to do it, then (expletive) it. Let's go ball.'"

Bennett claims he instructed his agent to tell teams not to claim him because he was planning on getting surgery, but he explained that his thinking changed when the Patriots claimed him and head coach Bill Belichick called.

"It was like, 'Let me just call you back in a few minutes. Give me a chance to think about it and regroup.' Because I don't even know if I went through the seven stages of grief yet," Bennett explained. "I'm probably on step 3. I think the group of guys on this team couldn't be a better place for me to be, with what I'm going through right now, this situation, it couldn't be a better place for me, all the familiar faces and friends and things like that. It's been good to have those guys around."

--Following New England's Sunday night win in Denver, the Patriots remained in Colorado where they'll work out all week leading up to next Sunday afternoon's meeting with the Raiders in Mexico City. The Patriots will set up base in Colorado Springs, practicing at the Air Force Academy.

The decision to remain out west this week paid immediate dividends for those involved, with a short bus ride to a hotel rather than a cross-country flight after the 41-16 win at Mile High.

"We kind of just sat back and relaxed. It was a good time to take a deep breath, have a little time to enjoy with your teammates and just enjoy the night," safety Duron Harmon said of settling into the hotel home-away-from-home for the week ahead.

"Definitely different not flying back after the game, just getting to the hotel right after the game last night," running back Rex Burkhead said. "It was beneficial for sure - get a lot more rest and just time to unwind and recover from the game."

--Coach Bill Belichick tied Tom Landry (270) for third-most wins in NFL history with the 41-16 victory over the Broncos on Sunday night. As he so often does in such situations, the Patriots' head coach deflected the attention from the milestone toward his players, past and present, who helped him get to this point.

"Look, it's flattering, but honestly, I don't think that's the story tonight," Belichick said in Denver. "The story is what our team did, the way our team performed. To win games in this league, you need great players. I've been fortunate. I've had a lot of great players, a lot of great assistant coaches and great staffs. That's really what it's about. Players are the ones that deserve the credit. They're the ones that go out and make the plays, and they did it tonight."

NOTES: DT Malcom Brown (ankle) was listed as out prior to the trip to Denver and missed his second straight game to the injury, just the second game missed in the former first-round pick's two-plus year career. ... WR Chris Hogan (shoulder) was listed as out prior to the trip to Denver, missing his first game of the year coming out of the bye to the injury suffered against the Chargers that left him in a sling last week. ... RT Marcus Cannon (ankle) was listed as out prior to the trip to Denver after missing practice all last week with the issue that's actually a reinjury. Cannon has been dealing with an ankle issue since the first month of the season and left the pre-bye win over the Chargers in the second quarter and did not return. L'Adrian Waddle made his second start of the season in Cannon's place at right tackle and was impressive. ... RB Mike Gillislee was a healthy scratch in Denver, missing his first game of the season after notching double-digit rushing attempts in seven of the first eight contests of his New England career. For at least one night, Gillislee was the odd man out in a crowded and versatile Patriots backfield. ... CB Eric Rowe (groin) missed his fifth straight game despite returning to the practice field on a limited basis last week and being listed as questionable for a return to action against the Broncos. ... DE Cassius Marsh (shoulder) missed his first game of the season despite practicing on a limited basis last week and being listed as questionable for the Broncos game. Prior to the injury, Marsh had seen his role grow to more than 50-percent playing time on the New England defense. ... DE Geneo Grissom re-signed to the New England practice squad Nov. 11, a day after being released from the active roster when the team claimed TE Martellus Bennett off waivers from the Packers. ... DT Ricky Jean Francois made his Patriots debut in reserve action in Denver just five days after signing with the team on Nov. 7. ... TE Martellus Bennett made his season debut for the Patriots in Denver after joining the team off waivers from the Packers on Nov. 9.

REPORT CARD VS. BRONCOS

--PASSING OFFENSE: A - With arguably his best pass protection of the season, Tom Brady had one of his best career games in Denver completing 25 of 34 throws for 266 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions for a 125.4 passer rating. Sacked just once, Brady spread the ball to nine targets, with eight catching multiple balls, led by Brandin Cooks' six catches for 74 yards. Rex Burkhead, James White and Dwayne Allen all had short scores.

--RUSHING OFFENSE: C - With Dion Lewis once again taking the lead-back role, New England ran it enough (29 times for 99 yards) to balance out the offense in Denver. It was a solid effort against a top-five run defense, even if no Patriot averaged better than 4 yards a carry or had a run longer than 9 yards. Lewis led the way with a game-high 14 carries for 55 yards, including an 8-yard touchdown.

--PASS DEFENSE: C - Despite Denver's ineptitude on offense coming in, Brock Osweiler and Co. still made some plays, especially before the game got out of hand. The Broncos passer completed 18 of 33 throws overall for 221 yards with one TD and one fourth-quarter interception for a 72.9 rating. Denver hit four pass plays of 23 yards or longer, including a 38-yarder to Emmanuel Sanders on the first third down of the night. Sanders ran Malcolm Butler all over the field to a game-high 137 yards on six catches, while Demaryius Thomas had Denver's only touchdown catch.

--RUSH DEFENSE: C - Playing without Malcom Brown (ankle), the New England front had its issues at times with the Broncos ground game that got going a bit in the second quarter. C.J. Anderson had eight rushes for 48 yards with a long of 21 yards in the first half, adding just two carries for 6 yards as the score got lopsided in the second half. Overall, Denver had 28 rushes for 118 yards (4.2 average), with both Anderson (5.4) and Jamaal Charles (8 for 38 and 4.8) hitting on chunk runs. Denver's line got good push more often than not.

--SPECIAL TEAMS: A - New England's kicking game swung the game thanks to Broncos mistakes. Jacob Hollister recovered a muffed Isaiah McKenzie punt return after an opening three-and-out to set up a short score. Dion Lewis broke down the left side for a 103-yard kickoff return touchdown. Rex Burkhead notched a blocked punt to set up a short field-goal drive. It was a marquee night for the special teams units, including drawing a 12-man penalty on a punt to extend another drive.

--COACHING: B - Bill Belichick's team had been 3-7 in Denver dating back to 2001 prior to Sunday night's beat-down of the Broncos. Coming out of the bye, New England's short passing game and balanced attack made for a nice mix offensively behind an impressive offensive line performance. Defensively, the lack of a couple starters on the front seven was evident, but not enough to derail the win in which the back end used a lot of man looks. Clearly Joe Judge's special teams troops were more than ready to go and dominated the game. Coming out of the bye, the Patriots had solid game plans, team-wide confidence and a calm approach in a tough environment.

Reports: 49ers acquire QB Garoppolo from Pats

The San Francisco 49ers acquired quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo from the New England Patriots for a second-round pick in the 2018 draft, multiple media outlets reported Monday.

Garoppolo enjoyed a successful stint while filling in during Tom Brady's suspension related to "Deflategate" last season. The Eastern Illinois product completed 68.3 percent of his passes with four touchdowns and no interceptions.

He won both of his starts before sustaining a shoulder injury. Garoppolo subsequently was replaced for the last two games of Brady's suspension by the Patriots' then-third-stringer, Jacoby Brissett.

The 25-year-old quarterback, who was selected in the second round of the 2014 draft by New England, was a hot trade commodity during the summer before remaining as Brady's backup.

In 17 career NFL games (just the two starts), Garoppolo has completed 63 of 94 passes for 690 yards and five touchdowns with no interceptions.

Garoppolo will head to San Francisco and be under the watch of coach Kyle Shanahan, who has seen quarterbacks Brian Hoyer and third-round pick C.J. Beathard struggle for the 49ers (0-8). Hoyer was replaced by Beathard in Week 6, with the latter tossing three interceptions in his two-plus games.

Garoppolo represents the second Brady backup to be traded in recent months. New England sent Brissett to Indianapolis shortly before the start of the season, receiving former Colts wide receiver Phillip Dorsett, a former first-round pick, in return.

In the wake of the reported trade, the 49ers released Hoyer on Monday evening, making him an option to rejoin the Patriots, his former team. With Garoppolo gone, the only quarterback on the New England roster would be Brady.

Hoyer, 32, backed up Brady for the Patriots from 2009-11, appearing in 13 games and making no starts. He subsequently earned starts with the Arizona Cardinals, Cleveland Browns, Houston Texans, Chicago Bears and San Francisco, going 16-21.

In 55 career games, Hoyer has a 59.3 percent completion rate with 9,853 passing yards, 48 touchdowns and 30 interceptions. This season, he was 0-6 as a starter for the 49ers with four TD passes and four interceptions.

Patriots need better production from K Gostkowski

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - New England Patriots kicker Stephen Gostkowski was a bit torn when he spoke with the media following the Patriots' 21-13 win over the Chargers on Sunday at Gillette Stadium.

The former All-Pro was clearly happy to get the win, to which he contributed impressive kickoffs and four field goals.

But, the veteran also clearly wasn't happy with the fact that he missed two other field goals, each from 43 yards.

Gostkowski has now hit 20 of 23 field goals on the season, trying to bounce back from a 2016 campaign in which he struggled to find consistency, missing field goals and PATs right up to the Super Bowl. He's certainly been better this fall, but not perfect.

"I get ticked off and mad just like anybody else. I don't look at it like a 'Debbie Downer,' it's just part of the game," Gostkowski said. "It stinks and I get mad. It's going to bother me for a week, probably two weeks, but that's just part of the game. If you can't deal with it, then you probably shouldn't be here. It stinks and it's tough to swallow, but we won and it's a little easier to wake up tomorrow knowing that when you do bad and the team can pick you up. That's part of being a part of a good team."

While head coach Bill Belichick has praised Gostkowski's work on kickoffs this year, putting them high and to the goal line to let his coverage units try to tackle opponents inside the 25 or even the 20, the coach made it clear that making field goals remains the top priority.

"Kicking the ball through the uprights is No. 1. Kickoffs is not to say a distant second, but it's definitely second to kicking it through the uprights for the kickers," Belichick said after breaking down the tape of the win over the Chargers. "But, both plays are important. Our kickoff coverage unit certainly has benefited from the excellent kickoffs that Stephen has given us all year, so not only the location, but the hang time. And, he's put a lot of pressure on those returners when they catch the ball right there on the goal line, 1-yard line, whether to bring it out or stay in."

Not playing well, Patriots still 6-2

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Head coach Bill Belichick's New England Patriots (6-2) are certainly happy to head into the Week 9 bye with a four-game winning streak and sitting atop the AFC East following Sunday's 21-13 win over the Chargers at Gillette Stadium.

But that does mean the defending champs, who have been held below 25 points in four straight games for the first time since 2009 and have seen five of their last six games decided by one score, are happy with the way they are playing at the midpoint of the 2017 season.

There are certainly issues Belichick and his troops will try to clean up over the two weeks between games, issues that were on display again against Los Angeles.

Part of the Patriots' scoring problem is a result of a newfound inefficiency in the red zone. New England converted just one of its four trips inside the 20 against the Chargers and settled for six field-goal tries overall on the afternoon. After scoring touchdowns on just two of five red-zone trips a week earlier against Atlanta, quarterback Tom Brady admits the group is facing "struggles" to finish drives.

"That's a good word for it," Brady admitted. "I think we just have to do a better job of that. I know I've said that about 100 times this year, but it's tough. I mean, we're trying. It's just the execution is coming up a little short in critical times."

Defensively, there have been a variety of issues from coverage and communication breakdowns in the back end to the lack of a consistent pass rush. But one constant has been too many big plays allowed, including Melvin Gordon's 87-yard run to open the scoring on Sunday afternoon.

New England has given up four touchdowns longer than 58 yards this season, 29 total passes longer than 20 yards and 16 runs longer than 10 yards.

"We're giving up too many big plays on defense and can't convert on third down in the red area. Those are two huge issues," Belichick said in the aftermath of another tight win.

There have also been too many penalties. Six more came on Sunday against L.A., giving New England five or more penalties in all eight games it played and 59 total during the first half of the season.

As much as the Patriots have things to tighten up and improve upon in all three phases as it builds toward another possible postseason run, the team has fought through early-season struggles to put itself in good position as it enters the bye.

"We've got to improve this week," safety Devin McCourty said of the bye. "It's a good time, especially halfway through. We go back throughout the season, see what we've been doing wrong, see what we've been doing well. We get to self-evaluate, obviously get healthy and then move forward and get ready for the back half. (There are) eight games to go. We obviously have a chance at 6-2 to do some good things. We've got to just take advantage of this week so we're ready to go for the rest of the season."

"Starting 0-1 and then being 6-2 -- you know, a lot of mental toughness," Brady added. "So, that's good, and we've got to keep it going. You know, biggest games are ahead of us, so we're going to have to go play well."

--New England ran the ball 32 times in Sunday's win over the Chargers, but was only able to pick up 97 yards thanks to a 3.0-yard average. Midway through the season the Patriots have a mediocre ground attack, averaging just 3.9 yards per carry as a team.

Running back Mike Gillislee, a restricted free-agent newcomer from the Bills who led the NFL with a 5.7-yard average last fall as a backup in Buffalo, is averaging just 3.6 yards per attempt on a team-high 98 carries. Running back Dion Lewis has given the group a little boost with a 4.7-yard average on his 58 carries on the year, but he was held to a 2.9-yard average on his season-high 15 attempts against the Chargers.

Put it all together and it's simply not good enough in the eyes of head coach Bill Belichick.

"In the end, you have to block them. At some point, a good back needs to gain some yards on his own and break a tackle or make somebody miss on a player that's not blocked," Belichick said after dissecting the film of the Chargers game. "So, we've got to do a better job of running the ball, period. That's coaching the running game, designing the running game, blocking the running game, running the ball and all the other things associated with it. (We) need to have more production than what we had yesterday or, I'd say, what we had overall over a period of time. We need to get more out of it."

--Quarterback Tom Brady's Halloween costume was kind of a big story the last couple days in New England.

After Sunday afternoon's win over the Chargers, Brady declined to reveal what he would be dressing up as on Tuesday's candy-collecting holiday.

"I think my wife picked something out, so I don't want to give it away," Brady said of supermodel Gisele. "They'll find me in my neighborhood. It will be a nice costume. People won't know who I am, but it will be fun."

Monday morning during his weekly interview on WEEI Radio in Boston, Brady was a bit more revealing. Apparently his costume is a bit of a nod to his extreme diet and TB12 training method that's been at the center of his existence in recent years.

"I think we're some kind of avocado and toast," Brady told WEEI.

NOTES: CB Stephon Gilmore (concussion/ankle) missed his third straight game, after initially being listed as questionable to play against the Chargers following limited practice action all last week. ... CB Eric Rowe (groin) was once again ruled out on Friday's practice report, missing his fourth straight game and fifth in the last sixth to the injury. ... LB Dont'a Hightower (pectoral) missed his third game of the season after undergoing surgery midweek to repair the torn muscle. Though he currently remains on the active roster, the Pro-Bowl captain is expected to miss the rest of the season. ... DL Malcom Brown (ankle) missed the first game of his NFL career after failing to get on the practice field last week with the injury suffered a week earlier against the Falcons. ... DL Geneo Grissom was a healthy scratch for the second straight week after the practice squad call-up had played mostly on special teams in the previous four weeks. ... WR Chris Hogan (shoulder) left the fourth quarter of Sunday's win and did not return after taking a hit from the helmet of Chargers LB Hayes Pullard, who was also tended to by trainers after the post-catch collision. Hogan was wearing a sling in the postgame locker room and was scheduled to undergo an MRI on Monday. Hogan was also previously dealing with a rib injury. ... RT Marcus Cannon (ankle) limped off in the second quarter of the game with the Chargers and did not return. Cannon popped back up on the injury report with the ankle issue on Friday having previously dealt with an ankle injury dating back to late September. ... WR Danny Amendola (knee) played his usual reserve role on offense and special teams against the Chargers after missing practice last Wednesday to the injury. The veteran has a history of knee injuries that have plagued him in recent years.

REPORT CARD VS. CHARGERS

--PASSING OFFENSE: C-plus -- Aside from more than a dozen completions to what were many times uncovered backs out of the backfield, New England continued to struggle with efficiency in the passing game, especially going just 1 of 4 on red-zone trips and settling for six field-goal attempts overall. Tom Brady completed 32 of a season-high 47 pass attempts for 333 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions for a 94.5 passer rating. RB Rex Burkhead caught all seven passes thrown his way for 68 yards, while RB James White hauled in five of his six targets for 85 yards. TE Rob Gronkowski had five catches for 57 yards, including a wide-open 2-yard touchdown reception. WR Brandin Cooks, who came in averaging 19.2 yards per catch, had just 26 yards on five receptions. Brady was sacked three times and saw the pressure increase as the game wore on. New England piled up impressive yards through the air and was a solid 9 of 19 on third down, but the red-zone failures left Brady and Co. expressing disappointment afterward.

--RUSHING OFFENSE: C-minus -- A New England ground game that had been on the uptick in recent weeks with four straight games averaging better than 4.2 yards per carry never got things going against the Chargers' 31st-ranked rush defense. Overall, the Patriots ran it 32 times for just 97 yards and a 3-yard average. None of the five New England players to run the ball averaged better than 3.8 yards per carry, and Dion Lewis was the only player with a run longer than 10 yards. Lewis paced the Patriots in carries for the third straight game, picking up 44 yards on his 15 attempts. Mike Gillislee had just 34 yards on his 11 carries on a day when the New England line just couldn't create much space for the runners against a front that's struggled previously on the ground.

--PASS DEFENSE: B -- Continuing to have to play without two of its top three corners, New England put forth another solid performance against Philip Rivers and Co. The veteran quarterback completed 17 of 30 attempts -- including 4 of 5 throws in the first half -- for 212 yards with one touchdown and an interception on the final play of the game for a 76.0 passer rating. The Chargers challenged fill-in cornerback Johnson Bademosi successfully at times, but didn't throw nearly as much as they probably could/should have. Malcolm Butler allowed Travis Benjamin a free release off the line and then chased the receiver on a 24-yard touchdown pass, the Pro-Bowl cornerback immediately gesturing toward Pro-Bowl safety Devin McCourty to indicate there was some type of miscommunication or coverage breakdown. Benjamin also had a long catch-and-run touchdown in the third quarter called back on an offensive pass interference call on a pick, a flag that the visitors openly questioned afterward. New England's pass rush was non-existent all afternoon, but the much-maligned secondary put together another solid effort that was good enough to get the win as Jonathan Jones sealed the deal with an interception at the goal line as time expired.

--RUSH DEFENSE: C-minus -- One play really did in the Patriots' run defense and kept the Chargers in the game early. Cassius Marsh lost the left edge and watched Melvin Gordon go 87 yards around right end for the game's opening score. Gordon, who averaged just 3.4 per rush coming in, finished with 14 attempts for 132 yards and a 9.4 average thanks to the long score. Overall the Chargers ran it 21 times for 157 yards and a 7.5 average, most allowed by the Patriots since the Chiefs ran for 185 on opening night. Aside from the long edge run, New England's front actually did a decent job playing its first game without Pro-Bowl LB Dont'a Hightower as well as DT Malcom Brown. The Patriots used a number of run blitzes from its inside linebackers to try to solidify the undermanned front. But the one big play ruined the day.

--SPECIAL TEAMS: B-minus -- Despite Stephen Gostkowski missing two of his six field-goal attempts -- both from 43 yards -- New England actually had a pretty dominant day in the kicking game. The home squad took advantage of a huge mistake by Benjamin when he muffed a punt return and then retreated trying to make a play. He was tackled by Brandon King just behind the goal line for a second-quarter safety. New England's coverage was also impressive on kickoffs, Gostkowski's high, short kicks enticing the Chargers into four ill-advised returns that averaged just 18 yards. It's an area the Patriots have excelled in all season. Gostkowski did hit kicks from 25, 36, 43 and 26 yards to provide key points in the tight win. And Lawrence Guy got a finger on Nick Novak's 51-yard field-goal attempt to help induce the miss to close the opening drive of the game. Lewis added a 71-yard kickoff return following a Chargers penalty, though New England could not take advantage of the short field due to one of Gostkowski's misses. Still, the punt and kick coverage was key in the win, as were Gostkowski's 12 points.

--COACHING: B-minus -- New England clearly wanted to run the ball against the Chargers' previously-porous run defense, but never was able to really get the job done. That fixation on running the ball in the red zone, in particular, led to some of the poor execution in that area and probably helped keep the scoring down overall. The Patriots did take advantage of suspect and at times non-existent coverage on running backs to put up more than 150 yards through the air to White and Co. Defensively, coordinator Matt Patricia deserves credit for a pass defense that's putting up the good fight without two top cornerbacks. He also utilized a wrinkle with the inside linebackers coming on run blitzes much of the afternoon to help fortify a defensive front that is banged up on the interior. Certainly, New England had a massive edge on special teams, where Joe Judge's units covered and returned well, blocked a kick and scored 14 of the Patriots' 21 points. Josh McDaniels and Bill Belichick need to find a way to jump-start the offense again and become more efficient in the red zone. Otherwise, New England's coaches seem to be rounding the team into midseason form.

Super Mismatch: Patriots continue mastery of Falcons 23-7

By BARRY WILNER
Associated Press

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — To Tom Brady and the New England Patriots, this was simply an extension of last February's Super Bowl.

For the Atlanta Falcons, it was another dose of football pain.

By the end of New England's clinical 23-7 romp through the fog Sunday night, it was clear that the Patriots have straightened out what ailed them earlier this season. And that the Falcons are a shadow of the team that built a 25-point third-quarter lead in that championship game, only to fall apart and lose the first overtime contest in Super Bowl history.

Brady led that historic comeback, and he guided an offense that dominated the clock when the score was relatively close. Plus, unlike in the last meeting, he had a strong defense complementing him. A unit that ranked dead last in the NFL through six weeks nearly pitched a shutout against the league's No. 5 offense.

"They had some big stops in the red area, the fourth-down plays were huge," Brady said about the defense. "It was great complementary football and everyone did a great job contributing."

Brady threw two touchdown passes as the Patriots toyed with the Falcons — sound familiar? — in the foggy Super Bowl rematch that wasn't particularly super.

New England scored the final 31 points to win the NFL championship in February. Placards and shirts reading 28-3 were ever-present in and around Gillette Stadium as the Patriots (5-2) scored the first 23 points in this prime-time mismatch. The Falcons (3-3) were outplayed throughout this one.

"There were plays out there, we didn't make them," center Alex Mack said. "If it's third down, if it's red zone — all those little things add up. And to play a good team, like the Patriots are, you've gotta make them."

While Atlanta looked tentative, if not intimidated, Brady and his offense surgically tore apart the Falcons, mixing runs and passes. And that defense ...

"This was a reminder that when we play the game the right way, we can do good things on defense," DB Duron Harmon said.

"Every game takes a little different turn and I think we did a great job staying balanced," Brady added after the Patriots gained 162 yards on the ground and 241 through the air. "It was great to hand it off, see those guys rushing the way they did, and the linemen blocking. It was a great win."

Brady threw a shovel pass to Brandin Cooks that traveled perhaps a foot, and the receiver used his speed to get into the left corner of the end zone. The other TD was a 2-yarder to James White, who had three touchdowns, including the winner, in the Super Bowl.

It got so bad for Atlanta that the usually reliable Matt Bryant had a field goal blocked and then put a 36-yarder off the left upright. That Super Bowl losers' malaise folks talk about might have found a home in the ATL this year.

Stephen Gostkowski had no trouble sending field goals of 29, 21 and 38 yards through the fog for New England.

"That fog was pretty crazy," Rob Gronkowski said. "I mean I have never seen anything like that or played in any fog. A deep ball up in there was definitely tougher than with no fog."

The Falcons seemed ready to end the string of points allowed to the Patriots at 51 when they got to the 1 early in the fourth period. But Matt Ryan, who struggled all night, was off-target to Julio Jones in the end zone. Then receiver Taylor Gabriel lost 4 yards on a fourth-down run.

Even the fans in the upper deck who could barely see through the haze at that point let out a huge cheer, then Gostkowski added his third field goal to extend New England's mastery of Atlanta to 54 straight points.

Jones' 1-yard touchdown reception with 4:09 to go ended the schneid, and he hurled the football high into the mist as if to say "at last."

STREAKING

The Falcons surrendered 20 straight points in last week's loss to Miami, and then 23 in a row to New England before Jones' TD.

BRADY'S MOM

Brady's mother, Galynn, who battled breast cancer last year, was on the field with her husband for pregame ceremonies as part of the NFL's "Crucial Catch campaign.

"It was great for them to be here and be in attendance and for us to win," Brady said. "That was very special for me. I'm happy for my mom, what she has been through has been pretty challenging for her and for my dad.

"Carving pumpkins today with my kids and beating the Falcons tonight made for a pretty perfect day for me."

FLAGS FLY

In the first quarter alone, there were seven penalties, including six on the opening drive of the game by New England. The flags cost the team's 55 yards in the 0-0 opening period. To keep the sloppiness going, Patriots LT Nate Solder drew an illegal motion call on the first play of the second quarter, and Adrian Clayborn's roughing-the-passer penalty negated an interception and helped set up Cooks' TD.

Things got cleaner in the second half.

INJURIES

Falcons: Linebacker Duke Riley was sidelined by a knee injury in the first half.

Patriots: Linebacker Dont'a Hightower, sidelined earlier this season with a knee problem, left in the second half with a shoulder problem. DL Malcom Brown left with an ankle injury.

UP NEXT

Falcons — At New York Jets next Sunday.

Patriots — Host Los Angeles Chargers next Sunday.

Brady gets wins record, Patriots hold off Jets 24-17

By DENNIS WASZAK Jr.
Associated Press

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Tom Brady's record-setting victory was hardly smooth and easy. It also wasn't the prettiest of his 187 regular-season wins.

Brady, who broke a tie with Peyton Manning and Brett Favre, had to rally the New England Patriots from a two-touchdown deficit in the first half before holding on for a 24-17 win over the New York Jets on Sunday to claim first place in the AFC East.

"I wish we had done better, but we won," said Brady, who was limited early in the week with a sore left shoulder. "Probably a lot to learn from it. I wish we could have played better offensively. We got down early and came back. A good series before the half. We hung in there at the end."

The Patriots (4-2) were playing their first game in 10 days after beating Tampa Bay 19-14 on Oct. 5, and appeared a bit rusty early as they fell behind 14-0 in the second quarter against the surprising Jets (3-3).

"This was something we needed," said safety Devin McCourty, who had an interception. "We haven't played particularly well in the fourth quarter. I thought this was big for us as a team to win when we had to play well in the fourth quarter."

New York had a chance to tie the game after getting the ball back with 1:53 remaining, but the Patriots' 32nd-ranked overall defense held on — forcing Josh McCown to throw incomplete on a desperation heave on fourth-and-16 from the Patriots 49, and ending the Jets' three-game winning streak.

"The mood in this locker room," running back Matt Forte said, "is we gave the game away."

Brady, who already had the NFL mark for total victories, was visibly frustrated early, but got going in this one just before halftime as the Patriots tied it at 14 with 9 seconds left in the second quarter on a 2-yard TD catch by Rob Gronkowski .

Brady then marched the Patriots down the field on their opening drive of the second half, going eight plays and 75 yards to give New England its first lead at 21-14 with a 33-yard pass to Gronkowski .

Brady finished 20 of 38 for 257 yards with two touchdowns to Gronkowski and an interception. Dion Lewis also had a 1-yard TD run.

"Every time he gets mad, you know he's in the game," said Gronkowski, who missed the last game with a thigh injury. "It gets you fired up. Sometimes you get scared you got him fired up."

After Stephen Gostkowski's 28-yard field goal made it 24-14 50 seconds into the fourth quarter, New York appeared to make it a one-score game again on its next possession as Austin Seferian-Jenkins took a short pass from McCown and reached over the goal line for a 4-yard touchdown .

But officials reviewed the score and said the video replay showed that Seferian-Jenkins slightly lost control of the ball when Malcolm Butler nudged it loose as the tight end was crossing the plane of the goal line. Seferian-Jenkins didn't regain control until after he had stepped out of bounds, resulting in a touchback — despite the ball never hitting the ground. That gave the Patriots back the ball, with the Jets' sideline irate.

"I feel like I scored," Seferian-Jenkins said. "But at the end of the day, that's what the refs called. I'm going to go with what the refs said. But I've got to have better ball security."

Jets wide receiver Jermaine Kearse was less diplomatic: "I'm pretty sure everybody's going to look back and say that was a B.S. call."

Added McCourty: "We felt the ball was juggled a little bit, but I didn't know which way it was going to go. As a defense, we'll take it any day."

But after the Patriots went three-and-out, the Jets were able to cut it to a one-score game on Chandler Catanzaro's 28-yard field goal with 3:40 left. But their last-minute comeback attempt fell short.

QUICK START

The Jets talked all week about starting faster and McCown got things going right away in this one, capping a 13-play, 88-yard opening drive with a 1-yard TD pass to Seferian-Jenkins. They converted three third-down situations on the drive.

The Patriots' second possession ended on a fumble by Mike Gillislee, and New York turned that into another score. McCown floated a pass over the outstretched arms of Butler and right to Jeremy Kerley, who leaped over the cornerback to snatch the ball and then skipped into the end zone untouched to make it 14-0.

It marked the first time New England trailed by 14 or more in the first half since Week 4 of the 2014 season at Kansas City.

STATS

Gostkowski was wide right on a 47-yard attempt in the second quarter — his first miss after making 12 straight. ... McCown finished 31 of 47 for 354 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. ... Seferian-Jenkins had a career-high eight catches for 46 yards.

ROAD WARRIORS

The Patriots have won six of the last seven meetings with the Jets and 11 of the last 13. They have also won 11 straight road games, the second-best streak in team history since they won 12 in a row from 2006-08.

UP NEXT

Patriots: home vs. Atlanta in a rematch of last season's Super Bowl.

Jets: at Miami next Sunday.

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