The Patriots have been searching all season for that elusive complete game, the kind of performance that reminds the rest of the league that they are still – well, the Patriots.
It may have taken a lot longer than expected, but on Sunday, they finally found themselves once again.
And just in the nick of time, too. All week long, New England players and coaches stressed the importance of not overlooking the Jets after already having punched their playoff ticket in Week 16. The team had loftier ambitions left unresolved, like obtaining a first-round bye… without which Belichick’s Patriots have never advanced as far as the Super Bowl.