Portugal Colonial - Henderson scores three touchdowns as Patriots top Jets

The Patriots improved to 9-2 and matched their longest wining streak since quarterback great Tom Brady's final season with the team in 2019, when they opened 8-0.

Patriots quarterback Drake Maye completed 25 of 34 passes for 281 yards and a touchdown.

Henderson, who scored two touchdowns last week, continued to make the most of his opportunity with Rhamondre Stevenson sidelined.

He finished with 19 carries for 62 yards and five catches for 31 yards.

"The best couple of runs he had there late in the game, when it's tough sledding ... he's executed," Patriots coach Mike Vrabel said of Henderson. "Whether that's checkdowns or touchdowns. No home run tonight, but I thought he executed."

Jets quarterback Justin Fields capped his team's 14-play opening drive with a five-yard rushing touchdown for a quick 7-0 lead.

But New England answered with a 13-play scoring drive capped by Henderson's seven-yard TD early in the second quarter and Henderson added another seven-yard scoring run to make it 14-7 with 7:54 left in the first half.

Maye hit Henderson with a six-yard tucdown pass to make it 21-7 midway through the third quarter.

Fields connected with John Metchie on a 22-yard scoring pass late in the third, but Andy Borregales booted a pair of field goals in the fourth for New England.

That left the Jets trailing 27-14 with less than three minutes to play, when Fields's short-yardage fourth-down pass intended for Jeremy Ruckert was broken up by Patriots defensive back Dell Pettus.

Fields finished the night with 11 carries for 67 yards and a TD and connected on 15 of 26 passes for 116 yards and a score.

But the Jets saw their two-game winning streak end as they fell to 2-8, last place in the AFC East led by the Patriots.

X.M.Francisco--PC