Drake Maye Throws 3 TDs as Patriots Hold Off Jets 26-19

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Drake Maye threw for three touchdowns and New England kept the Jets out of the end zone every time they reached the red zone, holding on for a 26-19 home win Sunday that pushed the Patriots to 4-2.

Maye went 18 for 32 for 235 yards, his third straight outing with at least three scoring passes. Romeo Doubs made a diving grab for a 42-yard score in the opening quarter, DeMario Douglas added a 9-yard catch and Hunter Henry finished a 12-play, 68-yard march with a 7-yard reception early in the fourth. Douglas led the club with seven receptions for 86 yards.

New England carried a 17-3 cushion into halftime. The Jets had opened the day with a nearly seven-minute, 13-play drive that ended in a 42-yard Jason Sanders field goal after a pass interference flag wiped out an apparent touchdown. They also came up short on fourth-down runs on back-to-back possessions.

New York climbed back after the break. Rookie Omar Cooper Jr., playing for the first time since an ankle injury in Week 1, slipped behind the secondary for a long touchdown from Geno Smith. Rookie edge rusher David Bailey then ripped the ball from TreVeyon Henderson, and the takeaway led to a Sanders field goal. A sack by Elijah Ponder kept that drive from reaching the end zone.

Smith had gone 165 passes without an interception before Charles Woods picked off a deep throw in the fourth quarter. The Patriots later burned more than six minutes on a 13-play drive capped by a 27-yard field goal, and Sanders hit from 36 yards with 32 seconds left to set the final margin.

Smith completed 20 of 30 passes for 252 yards. Cooper led all receivers with 103 yards on six catches, and Braelon Allen ran 17 times for 78 yards. The Jets, now 2-4, went 0 for 3 inside the 20 and 3 of 10 on third down.

The win was costly up front for New England. Right tackle Morgan Moses hurt an ankle, left guard Alijah Vera-Tucker injured a hamstring and right guard Ben Brown left with a knee injury, while Doubs exited with a shoulder injury after his score. A.J. Brown, back from injured reserve, caught three of his 10 targets for 27 yards. The Patriots have beaten the Jets four straight times and 19 times in the last 21 meetings, and they visit Chicago on Thursday night.

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