Sports · NEWS EXPLAINER
Maye throws three TDs as Patriots hold off Jets 26–19 for third straight win
New England built a 17–3 halftime lead, answered New York's rally and recovered the final onside kick to improve to 4–2.
The New England Patriots beat the New York Jets 26–19 in Foxborough on October 18, extending their winning streak to three games. Drake Maye completed 18 of 32 passes for 235 yards and threw touchdowns to Romeo Doubs, DeMario Douglas and Hunter Henry.
New York cut a 17–3 halftime deficit to four points in the third quarter and was within seven again late. Jason Sanders made a 36-yard field goal with 32 seconds left, but New England recovered the ensuing onside kick to close the game.
Three touchdown passes built the margin
After the Jets opened with a field goal, Maye found Doubs for a 42-yard touchdown. A 32-yard Andy Borregales field goal and Douglas's 9-yard touchdown catch made it 17–3 just before halftime.
Maye later answered New York's third-quarter surge with a 7-yard touchdown to Henry. Borregales missed the extra point, leaving the score 23–13, but his 27-yard field goal with 1:12 left restored a 10-point margin.
The Jets rallied but settled for four field goals
Smith connected with Cooper for a 48-yard touchdown on New York's first second-half drive. Cooper finished with six catches for 103 yards in his first game back from injured reserve, while Braelon Allen ran 17 times for 78 yards.
Sanders made four field goals, including kicks after turnovers gave New York extra opportunities. The official Jets recap also notes two failed fourth-and-short attempts in Patriots territory, an important distinction between moving the ball and finishing drives.
Turnovers kept the fourth quarter open
The Jets recovered fumbles by TreVeyon Henderson and Douglas, but Smith's attempted throwaway became his first interception of the season. Reuters and the Jets agree that New York stayed within reach without taking the lead after the opening field goal.
New England then used more than six minutes on a 13-play fourth-quarter drive before Borregales's final field goal. Sanders answered, but the recovered onside kick removed New York's last possession.
What the result changes
The Patriots are 4–2 and have won three in a row; the Jets are 2–4. Those records and the completed 26–19 score are confirmed, while future standings and playoff implications remain unsettled.
The result does not erase New England's mistakes or establish a trend for later games. It shows that Maye produced three passing touchdowns and that the Patriots protected the lead through the final special-teams play.
