FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – New England's offense has long been hailed as one of the most explosive in the league.
Lately, though, the other two phases of the Patriots have been delivering in impressive fashion, too.
What was expected to be a grind-it-out game quickly turned into a laugher Thursday night as the Patriots posted 35 points in the second quarter alone, including offensive, defensive and special teams touchdowns in a 52-second span, on their way to a 49-19 thrashing of the struggling New York Jets.
One of the worst pass defenses in the league over the past year-and-a-half has swiftly shifted into one of the most feared, more closely resembling the units that keyed New England's three Super Bowl victories than the one that allowed the second-most yards passing in the league last season and ranks similarly this year.
Just five days before the Patriots feasted on five Jets turnovers Thanksgiving night, they capitalized on a handful of Colts miscues as well, returning two interceptions for touchdowns and a punt return for a score in a 59-24 win over Indianapolis on Sunday.
___
Online: http://pro32.ap.org/poll and http://twitter.com/AP_NFL
Receive your weekly recap of all the happenings around the world of sports.