The New England Patriots and New York Jets closed the 2023 regular season on a snow day in Foxborough. The game went the way one expect from those two teams playing in inclement weather.
New York ended a sloppy game with a 17-3 victory. One of New England’s most productive offensive plays occurred on a Bailey Zappe interception.
Jets safety Ashtyn Davis picked off Zappe late in the fourth quarter. The turnover momentarily appeared to conclude an ugly Patriots season.
However, Davis fumbled the ball. The Patriots recovered, gaining 17 yards and a fresh set of downs.
Here’s a look at the messy sequence, courtesy of QB List’s Ben Brown:
Bailey Zappe is intercepted by Ashtyn Davis, who then fumbles the ball on the return. It was recovered by the Patriots pic.twitter.com/C0TDOavByR
— Ben Brown 🌻 (@BenBrownPL) January 7, 2024
New England didn’t capitalize on the second chance; Zappe threw another interception two plays later. The Jets maintained possession, and Breece Hall put the game out of reach with a 50-yard touchdown.
This likely wouldn’t have been a pretty game in perfect conditions. The Jets and Patriots entered Sunday’s game ranked 29th and 32nd in scoring.
These offenses didn’t stand much of a chance when factoring in a snowstorm. Zappe and Trevor Siemian combined to complete 20 passes for 158 yards.
New England averaged 2.1 yards per play while converting one of 14 third-down tries, and Zappe got sacked seven times in a fitting end to a nightmarish season.
The Patriots end the campaign at 4-13 after losing to the Jets for the first time since Dec. 27, 2015. They’ll have a chance to select a new franchise cornerstone when picking No. 2 or 3 in the 2024 NFL Draft.
It’d be a cruel way for Bill Belichick to end a legendary tenure with New England. The head coach will reportedly meet with Robert Kraft on Monday.