FOXBOROUGH — Defeat was all but inevitable for the Patriots in the closing minutes of Sunday’s snow-swept showdown against the Jets.
New England — having gained a whopping 121 net yards on offense in their season finale — trailed New York, 17-3, with just 18 seconds left on the clock.
But down to the final seconds of what might be his final season patrolling the Patriots’ sideline, Bill Belichick continued to coach — frantically trying to catch the attention of return man Jalen Reagor and get him to reposition himself ahead of what was ultimately a meaningless kickoff.