Game story
In Week 16 of the 2014 NFL season on 2014-12-21, the New England Patriots took care of business against the New York Jets, pulling away with a 17–16 final that came down to the wire.
The highest-scoring period was Q2 with 17 combined points — the stretch that most shaped the final margin.
T. Brady (New England Patriots) paced the passing game, with -4.18 total EPA, and -1.9% completion percentage over expected.
On the individual side, J. Cumberland (New York Jets) delivered the top overall EPA impact at +4.83 — the clearest player-of-the-game signal on the analytics sheet.
The momentum swing (-24.1% win probability) landed in the fourth quarter when New England Patriots changed the game: (7:26) (Shotgun) 12-T.Brady pass short left intended for 19-B.LaFell INTERCEPTED by 22-M.Williams [58-J.Babin] at NE 31. 22-M.Williams to NE 30 for 1 yard (19-B.LaFell).
Line score
Final score and points by quarter.
| Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | — | — | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New England Patriots | 7 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 17 |
| New York Jets | 10 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 16 |
Stars of the game
Top performers by total expected points added (EPA) across passing, rushing, and receiving.
- 1 J. Cumberland · New York Jets · Receiving · +4.83 total EPA · 5 snaps · +0.97 EPA/play
- 2 D. Amendola · New England Patriots · Receiving · +4.73 total EPA · 11 snaps · +0.43 EPA/play
- 3 B. Bolden · New England Patriots · Rushing · +1.99 total EPA · 5 snaps · +0.40 EPA/play
- 4 G. Smith · New York Jets · Passing · +1.98 total EPA · 32 snaps · +0.06 EPA/play
- 5 J. Kerley · New York Jets · Receiving · +1.98 total EPA · 6 snaps · +0.33 EPA/play
- 6 T. Wright · New England Patriots · Receiving · +1.82 total EPA · 1 snaps · +1.82 EPA/play
- 7 P. Harvin · New York Jets · Receiving · +1.70 total EPA · 5 snaps · +0.34 EPA/play
- 8 J. Conner · New York Jets · Receiving · +1.43 total EPA · 1 snaps · +1.43 EPA/play
Player of the game
FantasyHQ analytics player-of-the-game pick based on total EPA and signature plays.
J. Cumberland — NYJ · Receiving
J. Cumberland posted the highest total EPA (+4.83) in the game, making the biggest overall impact on New York Jets's efficiency. Across 5 counted snaps, they averaged +0.97 EPA per play.
The signature play (-3.80 EPA) came from New England Patriots: (7:26) (Shotgun) 12-T.Brady pass short left intended for 19-B.LaFell INTERCEPTED by 22-M.Williams [58-J.Babin] at NE 31. 22-M.Williams to NE 30 for 1 yard (19-B.LaFell).
Who scored touchdowns and field goals
Every touchdown and field goal with the player named in official play-by-play.
Touchdowns
- New England Patriots — R. Gronkowski (T. Brady pass)
- New York Jets — J. Cumberland (G. Smith pass)
- New England Patriots — J. Gray
Field goals
- New York Jets — N. Folk
- New York Jets — N. Folk
- New England Patriots — S. Gostkowski
- New York Jets — N. Folk
How it unfolded, quarter by quarter
A quarter-by-quarter recap built from live scoring plays and play descriptions.
The second quarter: New York Jets won the period 10–7. New England Patriots found the end zone from the NYJ 3 (Q2 42:14) — (12:14) (Shotgun) 12-T.Brady pass short left to 87-R.Gronkowski for 3 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; New England Patriots added 1 points from the NYJ 2 (Q2 42:10) — 3-S.Gostkowski extra point is GOOD, Center-48-D.Aiken, Holder-6-R.Allen.; New York Jets found the end zone from the NE 20 (Q2 36:03) — (6:03) 7-G.Smith pass deep right to 85-J.Cumberland for 20 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; New York Jets added 1 points from the NE 2 (Q2 35:59) — 2-N.Folk extra point is GOOD, Center-46-T.Purdum, Holder-4-R.Quigley.; New York Jets connected on a field goal from the NE 8 (Q2 30:52) — (:52) 2-N.Folk 26 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-46-T.Purdum, Holder-4-R.Quigley..
The third quarter: The quarter finished even at 3–3. New York Jets connected on a field goal from the NE 5 (Q3 21:43) — (6:43) 2-N.Folk 23 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-46-T.Purdum, Holder-4-R.Quigley.; New England Patriots connected on a field goal from the NYJ 6 (Q3 16:58) — (1:58) 3-S.Gostkowski 24 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-48-D.Aiken, Holder-6-R.Allen..
The fourth quarter: New England Patriots won the period 7–3. New England Patriots found the end zone from the NYJ 1 (Q4 13:56); New England Patriots added 1 points from the NYJ 2 (Q4 13:51) — 3-S.Gostkowski extra point is GOOD, Center-48-D.Aiken, Holder-6-R.Allen.; New York Jets connected on a field goal from the NE 19 (Q4 7:57) — (7:57) 2-N.Folk 37 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-46-T.Purdum, Holder-4-R.Quigley..
Turning points
Plays that moved win probability the most — the swings that decided the game.
- New England Patriots (Q4 7:26) — (7:26) (Shotgun) 12-T.Brady pass short left intended for 19-B.LaFell INTERCEPTED by 22-M.Williams [58-J.Babin] at NE 31. 22-M.Williams to NE 30 for 1 yard (19-B.LaFell).
- New York Jets (Q4 5:21) — (5:21) 2-N.Folk 52 yard field goal is BLOCKED (75-V.Wilfork), Center-46-T.Purdum, Holder-4-R.Quigley.
- New York Jets (Q3 16:19) — (1:19) 7-G.Smith pass deep left intended for 88-J.Amaro INTERCEPTED by 91-J.Collins [95-Cha.Jones] at NYJ 40. 91-J.Collins to NYJ 40 for no gain. Lateral to 39-B.Browner to NYJ 38 for 2 yards (11-J.Ke
- New York Jets (Q4 6:08) — (6:08) (Shotgun) 7-G.Smith sacked at NE 34 for -10 yards (54-D.Hightower).
- New York Jets (Q2 36:03) — (6:03) 7-G.Smith pass deep right to 85-J.Cumberland for 20 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
Impact plays
Highest expected-points added snaps that flipped field position and scoring chances.
- New England Patriots (Q4 7:26) — (7:26) (Shotgun) 12-T.Brady pass short left intended for 19-B.LaFell INTERCEPTED by 22-M.Williams [58-J.Babin] at NE 31. 22-M.Williams to NE 30 for 1 yard (19-B.LaFell).
- New York Jets (Q3 16:19) — (1:19) 7-G.Smith pass deep left intended for 88-J.Amaro INTERCEPTED by 91-J.Collins [95-Cha.Jones] at NYJ 40. 91-J.Collins to NYJ 40 for no gain. Lateral to 39-B.Browner to NYJ 38 for 2 yards (11-J.Ke
- New England Patriots (Q1 57:21) — (12:21) (Shotgun) 12-T.Brady sacked at NE 40 for -13 yards (sack split by 97-C.Pace and 52-D.Harris).
- New York Jets (Q4 5:21) — (5:21) 2-N.Folk 52 yard field goal is BLOCKED (75-V.Wilfork), Center-46-T.Purdum, Holder-4-R.Quigley.
Quarterback report card
T.Brady led all passers in efficiency for New England Patriots, setting the tone in the passing game according to FantasyHQ analytics.
- T.Brady (New England Patriots) · 42 dropbacks · 54.8% completion · -1.9% CPOE · -0.10 EPA/play · -4.18 total EPA
- G.Smith (New York Jets) · 32 dropbacks · 53.1% completion · +3.6% CPOE · +0.06 EPA/play · +1.98 total EPA
Team stats comparison
Side-by-side offensive and defensive efficiency from FantasyHQ analytics.
| Stat | New England Patriots | New York Jets |
|---|---|---|
| Offensive EPA/play | -0.096 | -0.128 |
| Offensive success rate | 45.6% | 36.4% |
| Pass EPA/play | -0.100 | +0.062 |
| Rush EPA/play | +0.132 | -0.197 |
| Defensive EPA/play | +0.128 | +0.096 |
| Defensive success rate | 63.6% | 54.4% |
By the numbers
Both offenses finished within striking distance on EPA per play (New England Patriots -0.10, New York Jets -0.13) — a true toss-up on the analytics sheet.
- New England Patriots: 11 drives, -7.62 total EPA, 3 scoring drives
- New York Jets: 10 drives, -9.86 total EPA, 4 scoring drives
Key takeaways
What to remember for fantasy research, film review, and follow-up box score digging.
- New England Patriots leaves with the win and the better postgame narrative for Week-to-week momentum.
- One-score margin — fantasy managers should double-check garbage-time stats before drawing conclusions.
- J. Cumberland (New York Jets) is the first name to pull up for highlight reels and prop-retrospective research.
- G. Smith (NYJ) beat expectation through the air — positive CPOE game for stack builds.
Every scoring play
Chronological scoring with field position and full play-by-play context.
- New England Patriots TD (+6) — Q2 42:14 · NYJ 3 · Score 6-0
(12:14) (Shotgun) 12-T.Brady pass short left to 87-R.Gronkowski for 3 yards, TOUCHDOWN. - New England Patriots XP (+1) — Q2 42:10 · NYJ 2 · Score 7-0
3-S.Gostkowski extra point is GOOD, Center-48-D.Aiken, Holder-6-R.Allen. - New York Jets TD (+6) — Q2 36:03 · NE 20 · Score 7-6
(6:03) 7-G.Smith pass deep right to 85-J.Cumberland for 20 yards, TOUCHDOWN. - New York Jets XP (+1) — Q2 35:59 · NE 2 · Score 7-7
2-N.Folk extra point is GOOD, Center-46-T.Purdum, Holder-4-R.Quigley. - New York Jets FG (+3) — Q2 30:52 · NE 8 · Score 7-10
(:52) 2-N.Folk 26 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-46-T.Purdum, Holder-4-R.Quigley. - New York Jets FG (+3) — Q3 21:43 · NE 5 · Score 7-13
(6:43) 2-N.Folk 23 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-46-T.Purdum, Holder-4-R.Quigley. - New England Patriots FG (+3) — Q3 16:58 · NYJ 6 · Score 10-13
(1:58) 3-S.Gostkowski 24 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-48-D.Aiken, Holder-6-R.Allen. - New England Patriots TD (+6) — Q4 13:56 · NYJ 1 · Score 16-13
(13:56) 35-J.Gray right tackle for 1 yard, TOUCHDOWN. The Replay Official challenged the runner broke the plane ruling, and the play was Upheld. The ruling on t - New England Patriots XP (+1) — Q4 13:51 · NYJ 2 · Score 17-13
3-S.Gostkowski extra point is GOOD, Center-48-D.Aiken, Holder-6-R.Allen. - New York Jets FG (+3) — Q4 7:57 · NE 19 · Score 17-16
(7:57) 2-N.Folk 37 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-46-T.Purdum, Holder-4-R.Quigley.
Frequently asked questions
Who won New England Patriots vs New York Jets?
The New England Patriots beat the New York Jets 17-16 in Week 16, 2014 on 2014-12-21.
What was the final score of New England Patriots vs New York Jets?
The final score was New England Patriots 17, New York Jets 16 (NE 17-16 NYJ) in Week 16, 2014 on 2014-12-21.
What was the score by quarter in New England Patriots vs New York Jets?
Q2: New England Patriots 7, New York Jets 10; Q3: New England Patriots 3, New York Jets 3; Q4: New England Patriots 7, New York Jets 3; Final: New England Patriots 17, New York Jets 16.
Who scored touchdowns and field goals in New England Patriots vs New York Jets?
New England Patriots touchdown — R. Gronkowski (T. Brady pass) (Q2 42:14) New York Jets touchdown — J. Cumberland (G. Smith pass) (Q2 36:03) New England Patriots touchdown — J. Gray (Q4 13:56) New York Jets field goal — N. Folk (Q2 30:52, 3 pts) New York Jets field goal — N. Folk (Q3 21:43, 3 pts) New England Patriots field goal — S. Gostkowski (Q3 16:58, 3 pts) New York Jets field goal — N. Folk (Q4 7:57, 3 pts) Extra points followed each touchdown unless noted in the play-by-play.
How did the quarterbacks play in New England Patriots vs New York Jets?
T. Brady (New England Patriots), 54.8% completion, -1.9% CPOE, -0.10 EPA per dropback, -4.18 total passing EPA. G. Smith (New York Jets), 53.1% completion, +3.6% CPOE, +0.06 EPA per dropback, +1.98 total passing EPA.
Who was the most impactful player in New England Patriots vs New York Jets?
J. Cumberland (New York Jets) led the game in total EPA with +4.83 on receiving plays. across 5 snaps. The top single-play swing was (-3.80 EPA): (7:26) (Shotgun) 12-T.Brady pass short left intended for 19-B.LaFell INTERCEPTED by 22-M.Williams [58-J.Babin] at NE 31. 22-M.Williams to NE 30 for 1 yard (19-B.LaFell).. The biggest win-probability swing was -24.1%.
Was New England Patriots vs New York Jets a close game?
Yes — the margin was 1 points. New England Patriots won 17-16 in a game that came down to the wire.
Season records after this game
New England Patriots
Entered 11-3 Now 12-3 W
New York Jets
Entered 3-11 Now 3-12 L
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