New England Patriots maul New York Jets, inch closer to No. 1 seed

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Santa Claus dropped off an early present for the New England Patriots Saturday.

The woeful New York Jets.

The Patriots moved a step closer to clinching home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs with a 41-3 blowout of the Jets.

"It was a real good day for us today," New England coach Bill Belichick said after his team presented him with his 200th win as the Patriots' coach with this easy win.

That was an understatement.

Tom Brady threw for three touchdown passes in less than three quarters, LeGarrette Blount ran for two scores and Stephen Gostkowski kicked the 300th field goal of his NFL career in New England's sixth straight win. This one reduced the Patriots' magic number to one, meaning a New England win at Miami next Sunday or an Oakland Raiders loss either later Saturday or next week and the Patriots are home for two possible playoff games.

"Last year we didn't finish strong and we didn't like the way the season ended," said Brady, talking about last year's 2-4 end to the regular season that led to a playoff loss at Denver in the AFC title game.

Brady wasn't able to answer a question concerning next week's game - about whether or not he would play of the game is meaningless. He said he hadn't talked to Belichick about it but added, "I expect to be out there and at my best."

The New England defense recorded its second straight game without allowing a touchdown and is now up to 140:29 without one dating back to the third quarter of the Dec. 12 games. For the year, the Patriots have allowed 17 points or fewer in 10 games.

Brady tossed touchdown passes to tight ends Martellus Bennett and Matt Lengel -- the first catch of Lengel's NFL career -- and running back James White in the first half as New England led 27-0 at the end of a rainy half. The Patriots cruised home in better weather after halftime, completing the series sweep of the Jets.

Blount scored his 16th and 17th touchdowns, tying him with Curtis Martin for the third-best total in club history. Gostkowski kicked a pair of first-half field goals, becoming the 30th kicker ever to hit 300. He added his 301st.

Belichick is the fifth coach with at least 200 with one team. Naturally, he downplayed it, crediting his players and assistants.

Brady left the game with 27 seconds left in the third quarter, finishing 17 of 27 for 214 yards and, again, no interceptions. He has just one pick in the 11 games since coming back from his four-game Deflategate suspension -- and the 214 yards left him 53 yards shy of passing Dan Marino for fourth place on the all-time list.

It was Brady's 50th career game with at least three touchdowns and no interceptions. Five of his completions went to Julian Edelman for 89 yards.

Malcolm Butler intercepted two passes and recovered a fumble to lead a defense that was untested by New York.

The Jets (4-11), who avoided the shutout on a 29-yard Nick Folk field goal with 6:16 left, fell to 4-11 while guilty of the following: four turnovers, two dropped touchdown passes, defensive holding on a sack that led to a New England touchdown, a 49-yard pass interference penalty and missing a 34-yard field goal (after the dropped touchdown). They had another defensive hold that turned a field goal into a touchdown. Oh, and coach Todd Bowles called a timeout as the Patriots were running out the first-half clock - leading Belichick to send his team down the field for a touchdown.

On one play in the third quarter, referee Gene Steratore announced a "false start, offense, everyone but the center."

Jets quarterback Bryce Petty (shoulder) and tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins (hamstring) both left the game after suffering first-half injuries, while defensive lineman Sheldon Richardson and several others left in the second half with injuries.

Petty was 0 of 3 with an interception and Seferian-Jenkins dropped a touchdown pass. Ryan Fitzpatrick was 8 of 21 for 136 yards and two interceptions.

The loss was the worst for the Jets since a 49-9 defeat at the hands of the Cincinnati Bengals in 2013.

Bowles spent Saturday in a hospital with kidney and gall stones but made it for the game. He might have wanted to skip it.

"It was actually great to see him make the trip up here," cornerback Darrelle Revis said. "But it just falls into other things that's been happening with this team this year with injuries. It feels like there's something else going on."

NOTES:

Patriots LB Dont'a Hightower (knee) and special teams captain Matthew Slater (foot) were inactive, while the Jets were without RB Matt Forte (knee, shoulder).

Patriots QB Tom Brady improved to 70-18 against the AFC East.

WR Michael Floyd, signed by New England after his release from the Arizona Cardinals after his DUI arrest, was active and caught a pass in the fourth quarter.

While the Patriots visit Miami next Sunday before sitting out the bye in the first round of the playoffs, the Jets finish their season at home against Buffalo.