09/20 — Three points, 57 total yards (including minus-2 net passing) and four first downs. In the first 30 minutes of football, the Jets’ offense was effectively shut down by the Patriots and nobody was happy about it.

“We came in at halftime,” said RB Leon Washington, “and some of the leaders spoke up and said, ‘We don’t have to do anything special. Just go out there and do what we do.’ ”

“We just came inside and said, ‘Let’s do what we do.’ Football is two halves,” added WR Chansi Stuckey. “We have another 30 minutes to go out and see what kind of team we have.”

After the defensive unit played a whale of a half to keep the deficit to only 9-3, NT Kris Jenkins talked. Thomas Jones, an emotional offensive leader, and Washington also made their voices heard.

“There were a bunch of guys, not just one guy, saying, ‘Hey, step it up, especially on offense. We need to carry the defense a little bit because they did a heck of a job in the first half. That’s what it’s going to take,' " Washington said.

Just three plays later, the Jets took their first lead on a beautiful 9-yard toss from rookie Mark Sanchez to tight end Dustin Keller. It should be noted that Washington got everything started with a 43-yard kickoff return to start the third stanza, which was followed by a Sanchez strike to Jerricho Cotchery on a post for 45 yards. Jones got a carry for 2 yards before the Jets found the end zone. It took just 1:03.

“All I knew was when we get the ball, if we’re not going to get many snaps, we have to make the most of all the snaps we get,” said Sanchez, the talented rookie signalcaller, “then to come out after halftime and set a tempo, make a statement on offense. And I felt like that’s what we did.”

After the defense forced the Pats into a three-and-out, the Jets responded with another scoring drive that culminated on Jay Feely’s 24-yard field goal. Starting from their 45, Sanchez and Keller got 9 on a critical third-and-9. A few plays later, Sanchez hit J-Co again for 22 that moved the Green & White inside the 10.

Feely’s second field goal only came after the Jets had a Chansi Stuckey touchdown come off the board (as the receiver only got one foot inbounds) and then Sanchez and Stuckey just failed to convert on a third-and-goal.

“The mistakes that we did make didn’t kill us — we still got points,” Sanchez said. “The throw to Stuck in the end zone is a 'gotta have it.' That’s pitch-and-catch and that’s all me. Some people are staying he stumbled coming out of the break, but I’m not buying it. … I don’t care if I’m a rook, I don’t care if I’m a seventh-grader — I need to make that throw, especially against that team.”

Sustaining the momentum, the Jets scored on their third consecutive second-half possession when Feely was true from 39 yards out with 9:54 left in regulation. It was a magnificent 14-play, 63-yard drive orchestrated by Sanchez that took 8:21 off the game clock and gave the Jets a huge lead at 16-9. The way this defense was playing today, it felt like a two-touchdown advantage even with Brady at the opposing controls.

Despite going 3-of-5 for 15 yards in the first half, Sanchez finished 14-of-22 for 163 yards with the TD.

“The guy’s poised," Washington said. "Collectively as an offense we had a horrible first half and we came back in the second half and put things together."

“He is the same guy in the huddle every time and when we needed him most he came up with big plays,” Keller concurred. “That’s what we’ve come to expect from him and we know he’s going to continue to do it the rest of the season.”

The whole offense got better but No. 6 played big down the stretch. A day after the University of Washington upset his alma mater largely due to ineffective offensive play from the Men of Troy, it was Sanchez, who left USC after his junior year, who once again he showed he belonged on football’s biggest stage.

“He definitely settled down after the first half,” Stuckey said. “This was the first really big game that he’s been in, so he started settling down in the second half and made some plays and we were able to back him up and give him some confidence.”