Sports

Patriots clinch first-round bye with win over Jets to end regular season

By Austin Bumpus

DECEMBER 30: Phillip Dorsett #13 of the New England Patriots reacts with Tom Brady #12 after catching a touchdown pass against the New York Jets on December 30, 2018 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)

By Austin Bumpus

The Patriots got the job done against the Jets Sunday, earning themselves a week off by clinching a first-round bye with a 38-3 win to end the regular season.

BYE, BYE, BYE! 🏈 The Patriots earned themselves a week off in the form of a first-round bye with their win over the Jets! We're on to the playoffs! boston25.com/PatriotsJets

Posted by Boston 25 News on Sunday, December 30, 2018

The team went into the half with a 21-3 lead after three first-half touchdown passes from Tom Brady to James White, Rex Burkhead and Phillip Dorsett.

A Kyle Van Noy fumble recovery and return to the end zone extended their lead to 28-3 in the third quarter, and they didn't look back from there as they cruised to victory.

With the win, the Patriots locked themselves into a top-two seed in the AFC, but the Chiefs win over the Raiders kept them from home-field advantage in the playoffs.

The Patriots' first playoff game will be played January 13 at 1 p.m. against either the Texans, Ravens or Chargers.

>>MORE: Top seed still in play as Patriots play Jets in Week 17

Devin McCourty left the game early with a head injury after he and Dont'a Hightower were both injured on the same play. Hightower returned to the field for Van Noy's fumble return.

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LIVE UPDATES:

3:48 p.m.: Tom Brady throws his fourth touchdown pass of the game, this time to Julian Edelman, as the Patriots take a 38-3 lead.

3:36 p.m.: Devin McCourty was downgraded to out as the Patriots wound down the clock in the fourth quarter.

3:28 p.m.: Stephen Gostkowski adds on to the Patriots' lead, with a field goal making it 31-3 in the fourth quarter.

3:17 p.m.: The Patriots head into the fourth quarter with a 28-3 lead over the Jets, just 15 minutes away from clinching a first-round bye in the playoffs.

2:54 p.m.: Devin McCourty is now listed as questionable to return after leaving the game with a head injury.

2:51 p.m.: Kyle Van Noy takes a fumble recovery to the house for the Patriots, increasing the lead to 28-3 in the second half.

2:21 p.m.: The Patriots head into the half with a 21-3 lead, with Tom Brady going 16-for-22 with three touchdown passes on 165 yards through the air.

1:55 p.m.: Following a Jets fumble and a big penalty on a play that would've forced a fourth down, Tom Brady finds Phillip Dorsett on the move to extend the lead to 21-3 in the second quarter.

1:45 p.m.: Tom Brady finds Rex Burkhead in the end zone with a picture-perfect pass to extend the Patriots lead to 14-3 on an 18-yard touchdown.

1:34 p.m.: The Jets cut into the Patriots lead in the first quarter with a field goal, making it a 7-3 game with 54 seconds left in the frame.

1:23 p.m.: Tom Brady connects with James White for a 17-yard touchdown pass to give the Patriots a 7-0 lead in the first quarter.

1 p.m.: The Patriots open up the game on offense, but stall out after Tom Brady can't convert on a pass to James White on third down at midfield.

11:30 a.m.: Cordarrelle Patterson is listed as inactive for today's game, the most notable omission from the Patriots lineup as they look to wrap up a first-round bye.

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