EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — The Patriots gave the Jets the ball, and New York might carry it right into the playoffs.

Eric Decker’s 6-yard touchdown catch on the first drive of overtime — after New England stunningly chose to kick off – lifted the Jets to a 26-20 victory Sunday that put New York in position to make the playoffs.

New York Jets wide receiver Eric Decker (87) catches a pass for a touchdown in front of New England Patriots’ Malcolm Butler (21) during the overtime period of Sunday’s game in East Rutherford, N.J. The Jets won 26-20. AP photo

A win next week at Buffalo gives the Jets a wild-card berth.

New England (12-3) won the OT coin toss and elected to kick to the Jets (10-5). Patriots coach Bill Belichick said there was “no confusion” on the call; he’d done it once before in 2013, but a hefty wind was involved against Denver. That decision worked, this one flopped.

Special teams captain Matthew Slater called heads and won the toss. He told referee Clete Blakeman the Patriots wanted to kick in a specific direction. But once he said they wanted to kick, whatever followed didn’t matter.

“I just thought we would be able to choose the direction we kicked off from,” Slater said.

New York used a career-long 48-yard reception by Quincy Enunwa and a 20-yard pass to Brandon Marshall to move into scoring position. And then, Ryan Fitzpatrick hit Decker on a fade behind Super Bowl hero Malcolm Butler for New York’s fifth straight victory.

Marshall had two touchdown catches and also became the first NFL player with 100 receptions in six seasons. Fitzpatrick tied a franchise record with 29 TD throws this season.

Tom Brady hit James White for a 9-yard score with 1:55 to go, forcing OT. That was the only drive on which Brady got comfortable against an aggressive defense that pressured and hit him all game.

It was also the most impact Rob Gronkowski had for the undermanned Patriots, who were missing top wideouts Julian Edelman and Danny Amendola. The tight end had an 8-yard reception on fourth-and-1, then a 26-yarder to set up the touchdown.

New England was surprisingly conservative on offense in the first quarter, then went the other way in the second period. Brady threw deep for the first time, connecting with Gronkowski, early in the quarter. The next play was a flea flicker that flopped, followed by a reverse to Brandon LaFell for 9 yards and a run out of the wildcat by running back Brandon Bolden – with Brady spread wide right.

Some normality returned on fourth down with Brady’s pass to James White for 13 yards, but New York’s defense held and Stephen Gostkowski made a 35-yard field goal.

The Jets weren’t restrained on offense even after top back Chris Ivory left in the second quarter with a right knee problem. With strong contributions from Bilal Powell and former Patriot Stevan Ridley, the Jets marched 80 yards and went ahead 10-3 on Marshall’s 2-yard reception, when he stretched his long right arm over the goal line before going out of bounds.

The halftime margin was New York’s biggest over the Patriots since a 2010 playoff game the Jets won in Foxborough.

Their other points came on Randy Bullock’s field goals of 30 and 49 yards.

Ivory returned in the second half and the Jets scored again to lead 17-3 on Marshall’s 33-yard reception on which he appeared to push off safety Duron Harmon to make a reaching catch. It was his career-best 13th TD catch of the season and his 99th reception overall.

Back came New England on Gostkowki’s 44-yard field goal and Jamie Collins’ 14-yard fumble return on a sack of Fitzpatrick by Jabaal Sheard. The nervousness among Jets fans in the crowd was palpable at that point.

And it was over the edge in the Patriots’ 66-yard drive to tie it.

But when Decker scored, Jets players stormed the field, leaping and hugging as if they’d made the playoffs. Could happen, thanks greatly to their archrival’s overtime decision.

Related Stories