FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Ten things to know about the New England Patriots' game against the New York Jets on Sunday at MetLife Stadium, via ESPN Stats & Information:
1. If the Patriots win, they clinch home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs. There is not a scenario for the Patriots, who have won eight of the last nine against the Jets, to clinch home-field advantage in Week 16 if they lose to the Jets. They would have to wait until Week 17 to beat Miami to clinch home-field advantage.
2. The Jets (9-5) are hoping to keep their playoff hopes alive. They will be an AFC wild-card team in one of two scenarios:
Win remaining two games (vs. Patriots, at Bills) and the Broncos (vs. Bengals, vs. Chargers), Chiefs (vs. Browns, vs. Raiders) or Steelers (at Ravens, at Browns) lose.
Win one of their last two games, and the Broncos, Chiefs or Steelers lose both.
3. The Patriots have already won 12 games for the sixth consecutive season, which is the second longest streak since the merger. Bill Belichick referenced the 12-win mark in his postgame remarks to players. A win Sunday would be New England’s sixth 13-win season since 2001, most of any team in the league. New England had zero seasons with 13 or more wins in the first 43 seasons of the franchise spanning from 1960 to 2002.
4. The Jets' passing game has already produced 3,594 yards this season, which is the second most in Jets history through 14 games (1967). Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick is 579 yards away from tying the franchise record (4,007 by Joe Namath in 1967).
5. Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski has 66 career touchdowns since being drafted in 2010, which is the second most in Patriots history (65 receiving, 1 rushing). Gronkowski is two behind wide receiver Stanley Morgan for the franchise record.
6. The Patriots dropped back to pass on 90.9 percent of their offensive plays in Week 7 against the Jets, the only team above 90 percent in the last 10 years. Over that time frame, the Patriots are 4-0 when at least 80 percent of their plays are dropbacks. All other teams are 4-111.
7.The Patriots have recorded at least one sack in 27 straight games, the longest active streak in the league. New England sacked Fitzpatrick twice in Week 7, but overall, Fitzpatrick has been sacked on the lowest percentage of his dropbacks of any quarterback in the league this season (3.2 percent).
8. There have been seven games this season with a touchdown by both of the Jets' top receivers, Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker. That’s tied with Cris Carter and Randy Moss from the 1998 Vikings for most by teammates in NFL history. Meanwhile, Marshall has eight games with 100 or more receiving yards this season, one shy of the franchise record by Don Maynard in 1967. His team-high 93 receptions are tied with Al Toon’s single-season Jets record set in 1988. Decker has 25 red-zone targets this season, four more than any other player in the league.
9. The Jets have allowed a league low two rushing touchdowns this season. The next team, the Steelers, have given up five.
10. Veteran running back Steven Jackson, who was signed to a one-year deal by the Patriots on Tuesday, is expected to make his debut. He is third among active players with 11,388 rushing yards. Only Frank Gore (11,879) and Adrian Peterson (11,504) have more.