EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - After all the trash talk and bulletin board chatter the Jets generated, it was silence that prevailed.
That sound you heard yesterday wasn’t the Jets trash-talking the Patriots into submission. It was them applying a gridiron gag-order to the Patriots’ offense.
The Jets backed up their brash talk and delivered an instant message to the Patriots yesterday at Giants Stadium with a suffocating 16-9 win, snapping New England’s eight-game road win streak against the Jets.
New York (2-0) didn’t embarrass the Patriots (1-1) as safety Kerry Rhodes said the Jets intended to do, but they did leave Tom Brady and Co. befuddled and touchdown-less, forcing them to settle for three field goals on three trips inside the red zone in the first half and holding them scoreless in the second half.
It was the first time since Dec. 10, 2006, when the Patriots were shut down and shut out, 21-0, by the Dolphins, that a Brady-led offense failed to find the end zone.
“We believed we could do that. It was you guys who doubted us,’’ said bombastic Jets linebacker Bart Scott.
All the questions entering the season were about the Patriots defense, but after two lackluster performances to start the season it doesn’t seem that 2007 redux is a fait accompli for the offense, even with Brady back.
The Patriots had fewer than 300 yards of total offense (299) and were 5 of 15 on third down. The Jets didn’t sack Brady, but Rhodes had promised they’d hit him six times. New York did one better, disrupting the timing of the Patriots’ precision passing game, which was without wide receiver Wes Welker (knee).
“They talked smack and they backed it up,’’ said Patriots running back Fred Taylor.
Brady finished 23 of 47 for 216 yards with no touchdowns and an interception against Rex Ryan’s Baltimore-borrowed defense. Brady’s favorite target, Randy Moss, was blanketed by New York Pro Bowl corner Darrelle Revis, who intercepted Brady, and was reduced to four catches for 24 yards.
“The defense did their job . . . that’s to help the offense,’’ said Moss. “The offense has a job to do, that’s to put points on the board.’’
The Patriots led, 9-3, at the half on field goals of 45, 25, and 29 yards by Stephen Gostkowski. They outgained the Jets, 197 yards to 57, and ran twice as many offensive plays (40 to 20) but were denied entrance to the end zone from inside the 20 on three occasions.
In the second half, Brady was 8 of 20 for 66 yards and New England punted four times and turned the ball over on downs in five possessions.
