Jets at Patriots

It's not just the game of the week, Jets coach Rex Ryan says, "It's the marquee game of the year." Two emerging kids could determine the outcome of this showdown between 9--2 teams. Jets QB Mark Sanchez outplayed Tom Brady in New York's Week 2 win and has been Mr. Clutch during the Jets' four-game winning streak. Sanchez isn't a complementary player anymore; the Jets asked him, not the ground game, to win late against Detroit and Cleveland. For the Pats, rookie Devin McCourty isn't yet a shutdown corner, but he's missed only one snap all season and stole a jump ball from Calvin Johnson last week in Detroit for one of his two picks. McCourty's why I'm giving New England the edge. He'll keep Santonio Holmes in check, and Brady will be his accurate self to keep the Jets' offense off the field.

Patriots 27, Jets 20

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DAVID BERGMAN (SANCHEZ)