Week 6 · 2026
Drake Maye’s Calm Finish Carries Patriots Past Jets
New York Jets 19 at New England Patriots 26
A Fast Answer
With 7:20 left at Gillette Stadium, the Patriots had a narrow lead and one hard job: keep the ball moving. Drake Maye had already thrown three touchdown passes, but the Jets had cut into New England’s early control. The finish would show whether the Patriots could stay calm when every play mattered. The Jets struck first after Geno Smith led them deep into Patriots territory. A penalty erased a touchdown pass, so Jason Sanders made a 42-yard field goal for a 3-0 lead. New England’s defense then recorded two sacks, bringing down Smith behind the line of scrimmage. Maye used that opening well. After a pass to A.J. Brown was changed to an incompletion on review, Maye sent a deep throw to Romeo Doubs for a 42-yard touchdown. The quick answer put New England ahead, 7-3.
A Lead Starts to Slip
The Patriots found more room before halftime. Maye connected twice with Hunter Henry, then found DeMario Douglas for a 9-yard touchdown with 14 seconds left. New England carried a 17-3 lead into the break, while the Jets were still looking for a way back. They found one early in the third quarter. Omar Cooper Jr. caught a 48-yard touchdown pass from Smith, cutting the score to 17-10. Soon after, Jamien Sherwood forced a fumble by TreVeyon Henderson and recovered it at the New England 36. A fumble happens when a player loses the ball before a play ends. The Jets added another field goal, and their pressure was growing. In the fourth quarter, Maye answered with a 7-yard touchdown pass to Henry, but the extra point missed. After a Patriots interception stopped one Jets drive, Douglas lost a fumble after a 39-yard catch. Sanders made a field goal, pulling New York within 23-16.
The Closing March
Now the Patriots needed a careful response, not a rushed one. Henry caught a key 15-yard pass, and Corey Kiner took five straight carries as New England pushed toward the goal line. That tactical choice kept the clock moving and gave the Jets less time to answer. Borregales then made a 27-yard field goal for a 26-16 lead. Smith led one final drive, and Sanders made another field goal with 32 seconds left. The Jets tried an onside kick, a short kickoff meant to give the kicking team another chance at the ball. New England recovered it, and Maye knelt down to end the game. The 26-19 win moved the Patriots to 4-2. Their fast start mattered, but their calm final march showed they could protect a lead when the game grew tight.