PHOTOS: Belichick Earns 200th Win in Patriots' Thanksgiving Rout of Jets

The New England Patriots enjoyed another night full of milestones, records and a blowout victory in Thursday's 49-19 rout of the rival New York Jets in East Rutherford, N.J.

Thursday's win was Patriots head coach Bill Belichick's 200th of his career and improved the team's record to 8-3 this season. The Pats defense continued its resurgence with another solid outing that yielded five New York Jets turnovers and one defensive touchdown.

As if that wasn't enough for Patriots fans to be thankful for this Thanksgiving, the team set a franchise record for points scored in a quarter with 35 in the second. Quarterback Tom Brady had another big day, completing 18 of 28 passes for 323 yards and three touchdowns, including an 83-yard completion to running back Shane Vereen and a 56-yard completion to wide receiver Julian Edelman.

The win also gives the Patriots a season series sweep of the Jets, dropping New York's record to 4-7. New England travels to Miami next week to face the AFC East rival Dolphins for the first time in the 2012 season. Kick-off is 1 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 2.

The following is a compilation of game notes courtesy of the New England Patriots Media Relations Department:

SUSTAINED SUCCESS: PATRIOTS TO FINISH 500 OR BETTER FOR 12th STRAIGHT SEASON

With their eighth win of the 2012 season, the Patriots are guaranteed to finish the season with a record of .500 or better for the 12th consecutive year. At the conclusion of the 2012 season, the Patriots will be the only NFL team to finish with a record of .500 or better in each of the last 12 years (2001-2012). Each of the other 31 NFL teams had at least one losing season between 2001 and 2010.

BELICHICK BECOMES 8TH NFL COACH WITH 200 WINS

Bill Belichick became the eighth NFL coach with 200 career victories. He is currently in eighth place. Dan Reeves is in seventh place with 201 career wins.

THE PATRIOTS EARN THEIR 15TH SERIES SWEEP OVER THE JETS

The Patriots earned their 15th series sweep over the Jets and swept the annual series for the second straight season. The Patriots beat the Jets 29-26 in overtime on Oct. 21 at Gillette Stadium in the first meeting of 2012.

THE PATRIOTS HAVE MOST POINTS IN BACK-TO-BACK GAMES IN FRANCHISE HISTORY

With 59 points vs. Indianapolis last week and 49 points tonight against the Jets, the Patriots have scored 108 points in a two week stretch for highest two-week point total in team history. The Patriots previous best was 101 points when they scored 49 points and 52 points in back-to-back weeks in 2007. It is the third most in a two-game span in a single season in NFL History. The 1950 Rams hold the record with 135 points.

STRONG IN THE SECOND HALF

Since 2001, the Patriots have done a remarkable job of finishing the season strong, compiling an NFL-best 70-16 (.814) record in games on or after Thanksgiving since 2001, the best record in the NFL.

PATRIOTS STRONG IN SEASON’S SECOND HALF

The Patriots are now 3-0 in the second half of the 2012 regular season (games 9-16). Since the 2010 season, the Patriots are now a combined 19-0 in the second half of the regular season. In both 2010 and 2011, the Patriots were 8-0 in the second half of the regular season. The last time the Patriots lost a game in the second half of the regular season was in the 2009 regular-season finale, a 34-27 loss at Houston on Jan. 3, 2010. During their 19-game second half winning streak, the Patriots have forced opponents into 55 turnovers while only turning the ball over five times. During their 19-game second-half winning streak, the Patriots have more than doubled the point total of their opponents, scoring 735 points (38.7 points per game) and allowing just 357 points (18.8 points per game).

PATRIOTS IMPROVE TO 3-2 ON THANKSGIVING

The game against the Jets was the Patriots’ fifth Thanksgiving game and first Thanksgiving night game. The patriots improved to a 3-2 Thanksgiving record with the victory.

BILL BELICHICK ON THANKSGIVING

Patriots head coach Bill Belichick has coached eight times on Thanksgiving: twice as an assistant coach with the Detroit Lions (1976-77), once with the Denver Broncos (1978), once with the N.Y. Giants (1982), and four as the head coach of the New England Patriots (2000, 2002, 2010). He has a 5-3 record in those games.

DIVISIONAL DOMINCANCE

The New England Patriots own a 57-15 (.792) record in regular season AFC East games since the beginning of the 2001 season, compiling the best intra-division record of any team in the NFL.

BRADY MOVES PAST DAN FOUTS INTO 10TH PLACE ALL-TIME ON THE NFL PASSING LIST

Brady (43,278) moved past Dan Fouts (43,040) into 10th place on the NFL’s all-time passing list. He entered the game needing 86 yards to pass Fouts and did so on an 83-yard touchdown pass to RB Shane Drew Brees is in ninth place with 43,808 passing yards.

BRADY REACHES 3,000 PASSING YARDS FOR 10TH TIME.

Brady (3,299) went over 3,000 passing yards on the season for the 10th time in his career. Brady entered the game needing 24 yards to reach 3,000 yards and reached 3,000 yards on a 28-yard pass to TE Aaron Hernandez in the first quarter. He is one of six NFL players with at least 10 3,000-yard seasons.

BRADY CONNECTS WITH RB SHANE VEREEN ON AN 83-YARD TOUCHDOWN PASS

Brady connected with RB Shane Vereen on an 83-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter. It is the third longest pass in Brady’s career, to a 99-yard touchdown pass to Wes Welker at Miami (9/12/11) and a 91-yard touchdown pass to WR David Patten at Indianapolis (10/21/01). Brady now has five touchdown passes of 80 or more yards in his career. It is Vereen’s first touchdown reception of his career.

BRADY CONNECTS WITH EDELMAN ON A 56-YARD PASS; HAS SEVENTH GAME OF HIS CAREER WITH AT LEAST TWO 50-YARD PASSES IN THE SAME GAME.

Brady connected with WR Julian Edelman for a 56-yard touchdown pass and an 83-yard touchdown pass to Shane Vereen in the second quarter. It is the seventh time in Brady’s career (including the postseason) that he has had at least two 50-yard pass plays in the same game. His career best was when he had a 58-yard touchdown, a 58-yard pass and an 81-yard touchdown at Miami on Dec. 6, 2009.

EDELMAN HAS CAREER LONG 56-YARD RECEPTION

Edelman’s 56-yard touchdown in the second quarter is the longest of his career. His previous best was a 40-yard reception on January 2, 2011

EDELMAN HAS SECOND STRAIGHT GAME WITH TWO TOUCHDOWNS

Edelman scored on a 22-yard fumble return and a 56-yard reception. It is the second straight game where he has had two touchdowns. He scored on a 68-yard punt return and a 2-yard pass vs. Indianapolis (11/18). He now has three games with two touchdowns. His first was in a 2009 postseason game vs. Baltimore (1/10/10) when he caught two touchdown receptions.

BRADY NOW HAS 189 STRAIGHT PASS ATTEMPTS WITHOUT AN INTERCEPTION

Tom Brady has now thrown 189 straight passes without an interception and has totaled just three interceptions through 10 games this season. The last time Brady threw an interception was more than a month ago – in the fourth quarter of the Patriots’ game at Seattle on Oct. 14. He has gone five games without an interception.

BRADY HAS FIFTH STRAIGHT GAME WITH AT LEAST TWO TOUCHDOWNS AND NO INTERCEPTIONS

Brady had his fifth straight game with at least two touchdowns and no interceptions. Brady had three touchdowns and no interceptions against the Jets. Brady set an NFL record by throwing at least two touchdowns without an interception in each of the final nine games of the 2010 season. Brady passed Don Meredith’s previous record of six straight games with two or more touchdowns and no interceptions (1965-66).

BRADY HAS THROWN THREE TOUCHDOWNS OR MORE FOR FOURTH TIME IN 2012 AND HAS SECOND STRAIGHT GAME WITH AT LEAST THREE TOUCHDOWNS

Brady had three touchdowns in a game for the second straight week. It is the fourth time in 2012 that he has had three or more touchdowns in a season.

PATRIOTS TIE A TEAM MARK WITH 35 POINTS IN THE SECOND QUARTER

The Patriots tied a franchise record with 35 points in the second quarter against the Jets. The Patriots also scored 35 points in the second quarter in a 59-0 win vs. Tennessee on Oct. 18, 2009. The Patriots are the only team to score 35 points in a quarter since 1983, and they have now done it two times. It is the second time in 2012 that the Patriots have scored 30 or more points in a quarter. The Patriots scored 31 points in the fourth quarter in a 52-28 win at Buffalo on Sept. 30, 2012.

PATRIOTS RETURN TWO FUMBLES FOR A TOUCHDOWN FOR FIRST TIME IN TEAM HISTORY

Steve Gregory scored on a 32-yard fumble return and Julian Edelman scored on a 222-yard fumble return on the ensuing kickoff. It is the first time in team history that the Patriots have scored on two fumbles returned in the same game.

STEVE GREGORY RECORDS AN INTERCEPTION, RECOVERS A FUMBLE AND SCORES ON A FUMBLE RETURN

Steve Gregory intercepted his second pass of the season when he picked off a QB Mark Sanchez pass in the first quarter. His two interceptions match his season-high mark. He also had two interceptions in 2010. Gregory recovered a RB Shonn Green in the second quarter. Gregory scored his first NFL touchdown when he returned a Sanchez fumble 32 yards for a touchdown. He was also credited with a forced fumble in the third quarter that was recovered by the Jets.

DEVIN MCCOURTY FORCES A FUMBLE ON A KICKOFF AND JULIAN EDELMAN RETURNS THE FUMBLE 22 YARDS FOR A TOUCHDOWN

Devin McCourty forced a fumble on a second quarter kickoff that was returned 22 yards for a touchdown by Julian Edelman.

PATRIOTS NOW HAVE FIVE DEFENSIVE TOUCHDOWNS IN 2012

Gregory’s 32-yard touchdown on a fumble return and Edelman’s 22-yard fumble return give the Patriots five defensive touchdowns in 2012. In addition to Gregory and Edelman’s scores, LB Dont’a Hightower returned a fumble at Tennessee (9/9), and Alfonzo Dennard and Aqib Talib returned interceptions for touchdowns vs. Indianapolis (11/18). It is the most for the Patriots since scoring five defensive touchdowns in 2010. The Patriots team record for most defensive touchdowns in a season is six by the 2007 team (3 interception returns and 3 fumble returns). The Patriots also had five defensive touchdowns in 2003, 2001, 1992 and 1961.

THE 2012 PATRIOTS NOW HAVE SEVEN NON-OFFENSIVE TOUCHDOWNS IN 2012

In addition to the two interceptions returned for touchdowns and three fumbles returned for a touchdown, Devin McCourty scored on a kickoff return and Julian Edelman scored on a punt return, giving the Patriots seven non-offensive touchdowns in 2012. The 2010 Patriots and 1961 Patriots teams had a team record of nine non-offensive touchdowns. The NFL record for most non-offensive touchdowns is 13 by Seattle in 1998.

MARCUS CANNON MAKES FIRST CAREER START

Marcus Cannon made his first NFL start when he lined up at right tackle in place of Sebastian Vollmer, who was inactive for the game.

JEROD MAYO SETS A CAREER BEST WITH HIS FIFTH STRAIGHT 10-PLUS TACKLE GAME

Jerod Mayo had his fifth straight 10-plus tackle game for a new career high after finishing with 11 against the Jets. He had two four-game stretches with 10 or more tackles in 2010. It was also his ninth 10-tackle game of the 2012 season. He had a career-best with ten 10-tackle games in 2010. After 11 games, Mayo has a team-leading 137 tackles, putting him on pace for 199.

PATRIOTS SCORE ON THE GROUND

The Patriots had a pair of rushing touchdowns against the Jets and have now scored 18 times on the ground this season. New England is on pace to total 26 rushing touchdowns this year, which would be the second-highest such total in team history. The last time the Patriots had 25 or more rushing touchdowns in a season was 1978, when they scored a franchise-record 30 times on the ground. The NFL record for most rushing touchdowns in a season is 36, by Green Bay in 1962.

BRADY TIES CAREER-HIGH WITH HIS THIRD RUSHING TOUCHDOWN OF THE SEASON

Brady scored on a 1-yard for his third rushing touchdown of the season to match a career-high. He had three rushing touchdowns in 2011.

BRADY ON PACE FOR 30 TOUCHDOWNS….AGAIN

Tom Brady has 24 touchdown passes and just three interceptions this season and is on pace for 35 touchdowns and four interceptions. If he reaches 30 touchdowns in 2012 it will be his third straight season with 30 touchdowns after finishing with 39 in 2011 and 36 in 2010. It will be his fourth season overall with 30 touchdowns (50 in 2007, 36 in 2010 and 39 in 2011). He can become the fourth quarterback in NFL history to have 30 or more touchdown passes in at least four seasons and the third quarterback in NFL history with three or more straight seasons with 30 or more touchdowns.  

WELKER EXTENDS STREAK TO 105 CONSECUTIVE GAMES WITH AT LEAST ONE RECEPTION

Wes Welker extended his streak to 105 straight regular season games with at least one reception, including his time with the Miami Dolphins. He has a streak of 88 straight regular-season games with at least one reception as a member of the Patriots to extend his franchise record. Welker has caught at least one pass in each of his 95 games with the Patriots, including seven postseason games. The last time that Welker did not catch a pass in a game was December 24, 2005 when he was with Miami. He is one of 39 NFL players to have a streak of at least 100 games with one reception.

RIDLEY STARTS STRONG

Stevan Ridley has a total of 939 rushing yards through 11 games this season and needs 61 yards to reach 1,000. Ridley is on pace to total 1,368 rushing yards, which would give him the 15th 1,000-yard rushing season in Patriots history and make him the 12th Patriots’ player to reach 1,000 yards rushing. Ridley is on pace to become the fourth Patriots player with at least 1,400 yards rushing in a season.

CONSECUTIVE GAMES WITH AT LEAST ONE TOUCHDOWN PASS CONTINUES FOR BRADY

Tom Brady has now thrown at least one touchdown pass in 43 straight regular season games following a 3-yard touchdown pass to WR Wes Welker in the second quarter. It is the third longest streak, behind Drew Brees at 53 (current) and Johnny Unitas (47) (1956-60). Brady’s current streak started when he threw a touchdown pass in all 16 games in 2010 and 2011 and now the first nine games of 2012. The old team record was 19 games, also set by Brady.

PATRIOTS GO OVER 30 POINTS FOR EIGHTH TIME IN 2012; PATRIOTS TIED NFL RECORD FOR MOST 30-POINT GAMES IN A SINGLE SEASON IN 2011

The New England Patriots scored 49 points in the win against the Jets for their eighth game in 2012 with 30 or more points. The Patriots scored 30 points 12 times in 2011 to tie the NFL record for most 30-point games in a single season. The 2007 Patriots and the 1999 St. Louis Rams also had 12 30 point games. The NFL record for most consecutive 30-point games in a single season is eight by the 2007 and 2010 Patriots and the 2000 St. Louis Rams.

BRADY HAS HIS 52ND 300-YARD GAME TO MOVE DAN FOUTS AND INTO A TIE FOR FIFTH PLACE WITH KURT WARNER FOR SIXTH MOST 300 YARD GAMES

Tom Brady had his 52nd career 300-yard game after finishing with 323 yards against the Jets to move past Dan Fouts into a tie for fifth place all-time with Kurt Warner for the most 300-yard games in NFL history.

BRADY HAS SEVENTH 300-YARD GAME OF THE SEASON.

Brady had his seventh 300-yard game of the 2012 season with 323 yards against the Jets. In 2011, Brady had a personal best 11 300 yard games. The NFL record for most 300-yard games in a season is 13 by Drew Brees (2011).

SPIKES ON PACE FOR HIGH TACKLE TOTAL

Brandon Spikes went over 100 tackles after finishing with 11 against the Jets and now has 104 for the year.

MAYO AND SPIKES ON PACE FOR 100 TACKLES

Jerod Mayo and Brandon Spikes both reached 100 tackles in 2012. It is the fifth time in the Bill Belichick era that two players have finished with 100 or more tackles and the first time since 2006 when LB Tedy Bruschi (124), DL Ty Warren (117) and LB Mike Vrabel (101) each went over 100 tackles.