New York Jets running back Breece Hall (20) pushes away New England Patriots safety Kyle Dugger on a run during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Jan. 7, 2024, in Foxborough, Mass. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)
A season finale between the two bottom dwellers of the AFC East, the New York Jets and the New England Patriots, could not have been scripted better — because it was simply two uninspired teams playing things out.
Greg Zuerlein kicked three field goals, Breece Hall rumbled in for a 50-yard touchdown inside the final two minutes of the game, and the Jets defense stifled the Patriots in a 17-3 victory, ending their playoff-less 2023 season with a 7-10 record while snapping a 15-game losing streak against the Patriots.
Gang Green’s defense limited Bailey Zappe and the New England offense to just 122 total yards on Sunday, providing an unceremonious 4-13 ending to Patriots head coach Bill Belichick’s historic run with the franchise, which featured a record six Super Bowl titles and an unprecedented dynasty in the NFL that haunted the Jets for more than two decades. It’s safe to assume that sending him off with a loss provided little consolation.
In 24 years with the Patriots, Belichick won 266 regular-season games compared to the Jets’ 168.
Hall rushed for a season-high 178 yards as the headlining playmaker of a Jets offense that will look considerably different next season. Quarterback Trevor Siemian completed 8-of-20 passes for 70 yards in the win as he once again was called in for Zach Wilson, who was still in concussion protocol and forced to miss the final three games of the season.
While Aaron Rodgers is expected to return to the fold healthy after recovering from an ACL injury that ended his 2023 season after just four snaps, the Jets are likely to pursue a trade of Wilson this offseason.
Zuerlein hit a pair of field goals in the first half to give the Jets a 6-3 lead going into the break — an advantage that should…
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