NFL

Jets’ Geno, Kerley on target

The Jets game plan looked pretty simple on third down — throw it to Jeremy Kerley.

The receiver had six third-down conversions on Sunday, including the first three of the game. He and quarterback Geno Smith had a nice chemistry all game. He finished with a career-high eight receptions for 97 receiving yards and a touchdown.

“Jeremy just was finding ways to get open,” Smith said. “That’s something he has a knack for. “I believe he’s a really good slot [receiver] and he always finds ways to get open. He makes yards after the catch and he’s one of those guys that you can depend on.”

Kerley now leads the team in receptions (24) and receiving yards (319). Kerley had three third-down conversions on the Jets first drive, the final one was a 12-yard touchdown.

The Jets wide receivers have taken a lot of criticism, but Kerley is a constant. The Jets missed him during the first meeting with the Patriots, which he missed with a concussion.

“Being down Santonio Holmes, we get a lot of discredit for what we do out there,” Kerley said. “We’ve got guys who are putting it out on the practice field every day and when you put it out on the practice field it shows up on the game field.’’

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The Jets defense got to Patriots quarterback Tom Brady in the second half. Brady was 11-of-28 for 126 yards with an interception and a quarterback rating of 38.7 after halftime. They sacked him three times and returned the one interception for a touchdown. This was the first time since the first game of 2009 that Brady failed to throw a touchdown pass against the Jets.

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The Jets’ 52 rushing attempts were their highest since Jan. 3, 2010 when they had 57 against the Bengals. The 46:13 in time of possession is the highest since Nov. 14, 2010 when they held the ball for 47:08 against the Browns.

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Rex Ryan has 42 wins as Jets coach, including postseason, moving him into sole possession of third place in team history. Joe Walton is second with 54. … WR David Nelson had four catches for 80 yards in his third game as a Jet. … S Antonio Allen said he injured his right shin, but he returned to the game. … DE Muhammad Wilkerson now has six sacks. … K Nick Folk has three game-winning field goals this season.