Ranking New England Patriots Thanksgiving Day games
1. November 22, 2012: Patriots 49, Jets 14
This game will always be remembered for the Butt Fumble, but it was so much more.
The Patriots and Jets were scoreless in the first quarter, but New England tied a franchise record for points scored in a quarter in the second. They had 35 in that frame.
Wes Welker got things started on a 3-yard pass, but the big plays were still to come. Shane Vereen took a Tom Brady pass 83-yards for a touchdown, and just 43 seconds later Steve Gregory recovered the Mark Sanchez Butt Fumble and returned it 32-yards for a score. On the ensuing kickoff Jets returner Joe McKnight fumbled the ball up in the air at the 22. Julian Edelman was in the right place at the right time and returned the fumble for a touchdown. Later in the quarter, Edelman was on the receiving end of a 56-yard pass from Brady to make it 35-0. Nick Folk added a field goal with 2 seconds left in the quarter for New York.
Next. The 5 faces of the New England Patriots: The stars, the coach, the dynasty. dark
New England slowed down in the second half, but they still won easily. Stevan Ridley was penalized for a chop block in the end zone and a safety was awarded for 2 points to New York. Bilal Powell scored and the Jets were up to 12 total points after three quarters.
The fourth quarter went to New England. Brady and Ridley each added a rushing score, but Dustin Keller took a Sanchez pass in for a touchdown as well. That brought the final score to 49-19 New England.