No Joey Bosa Jersey , really. A first-round bye through the AFC playoffs is on the line Sunday, so they insist they’re not taking their game against the lowly New York Jets lightly.“It’s a one-game season,” running back James White said. “We’ve got to play our best football this week.”Article continues below ...The Patriots have not played during wild-card weekend since the 2009 season, when they were blown out 33-14 by Baltimore. They also failed to make it to the Super Bowl the other two times under coach Bill Belichick (2005 and ’06) that they played during the opening weekend of playoffs.So, New England wants a win, which would clinch the franchise’s 13th first-round bye in AFC playoffs since 2001, the most in the NFL during that span. The Patriots (10-5) would also earn a bye with losses by Baltimore, Houston and Tennessee on Sunday.But they’d prefer to take care of business themselves against the Jets (4-11).“I mean, for us, this is a playoff game Tony Pollard Jersey , so we just worry about what we can control,” safety Patrick Chung said.There’s also an outside shot New England could clinch home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs with a win — which would be its 500th in the regular season — combined with losses by Kansas City and Los Angeles Chargers.Speaking of Gillette Stadium, Tom Brady and the Patriots are the only team in the NFL without a loss at home (7-0). They could complete an undefeated home regular season for the seventh time since 2002 with a sixth straight victory in the series with the Jets.“It’s always tough when we play these guys, home or away,” White said. “They’re going to come in ready to play no matter what their record is. We’ve just got to play our best football — which we haven’t done yet and which I’ve said a lot this year. I think we all know that we can play better in general and maybe that’s enough motivation for us to go out there and play our best.”The Jets’ playoff hopes vanished months ago and this is expected to be Todd Bowles’ final game as coach. New York failed to reach the postseason in any of Bowles’ four seasons and needs a victory to just match the team’s 5-11 records of the last two seasons.Bowles’ bunch could have some extra motivation: spoil the Patriots’ plans.“It would be awesome,” left tackle Kelvin Beachum said. “But that’s not what it’s about. It’s about pride and about finding a way to get a win.”Here are some other things to know when the Jets and Patriots face off in Foxborough:BRADY’S BUMMERBrady is coming off his worst performance of the season with his 48.3 passer rating in a 24-12 win over Buffalo his lowest since throwing four interceptions against Indianapolis in 2006.He has 25 touchdown passes, his fewest since also tossing 25 during the 2013 season. But the 41-year-old Brady has no plans to step away from the game anytime soon. In his weekly radio spot with Westwood One Sports Radio on Monday, he said he fully intends to play beyond the end of his contract in 2019.“I absolutely believe I will,” Brady said. “I know I’ve talked about it a long time. I have goals to play not only next year, but beyond that.”THE END?All indications are that Bowles will be fired by the Jets sometime after the clock hits zero on the scoreboard Sunday.Bowles has mostly declined to discuss his job status or his future Noah Fant Jersey , despite the speculation swirling for weeks, and his family has inevitably been exposed to.“My private life will remain private,” Bowles said. “I don’t insulate them from anything. My kids go to school and they’re tough minded, they can take care of themselves and the Mrs. can take care of herself. We understand where we are and I’ve got no problems with my family.”SOARING SAMJets quarterback Sam Darnold is playing the best ball of his young career to cap his rookie season.He was 24 of 35 for a career-high 341 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions last Sunday in New York’s overtime loss to Green Bay. In the three games since returning from a foot injury, Darnold is 64 of 97 (66 percent) for 764 yards and six TDs with just one INT.“You just want your quarterback to be the most consistent player on the field,” Darnold said, “and that’s what I try to strive to be every single week.”DOUBLE TROUBLERookie Sony Michel and James White have been dynamic presences in Brady’s backfield.Michel needs 119 yards rushing to become just the sixth Patriots running back to reach 1,000 under Belichick, and fourth rookie to do so — joining John Stephens (1988), Curtis Martin (1995) and Robert Edwards (1998).White needs seven catches to become the 10th running back in NFL history with 90 or more in a season.MANY HAPPY RETURNSJets return specialist Andre Roberts Dalton Risner Jersey , selected last week for his first Pro Bowl, had a 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown against the Packers.He’s the first player in franchise history — and 16th in the NFL since the merger — with TDs on a catch, kick return and punt return in the same season. He also joined Leon Johnson (1997) as the only players in team history to return a kick and a punt for a score in the same season. The Houston Astros‘ offense looks to be back on track.

After totaling 21 runs in their previous seven games, the World Series champs have scored in double-figures in each of their last two.

Yuli Gurriel and Alex Bregman each homered and Charlie Morton won his 11th as the Astros beat the Chicago White Sox 12-6 Saturday for their fifth straight win.

”I think we’re swinging the bats well and playing good baseball,” Bregman said. ”I think offensively, we have a done a good job of passing the baton to the next guy, and if we continue to do that, we will be successful.”

Morton (11-2) allowed five runs and five hits with eight strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings. The right-hander has won four of his last five starts.

”I feel bad for Charlie because he got a little nickel and dimed at the end with a few soft hits and an ill-timed walk and then a well-placed, bases-clearing double,” Houston manager AJ Hinch said. ”I thought his stuff was really good at the end. . That saying that he pitched better than the line indicates Drew Lock Jersey , that’s going to be the day today. Still a winning pitcher, still a guy that gave us a chance to win.”

James Shields (3-10) allowed a season high-tying eight runs on a season-high 10 hits with nine strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings for the White Sox, who have lost four straight. Shields had allowed one run over his prior two starts.

”Just wasn’t my day today,” Shields said. ”I’m just not really happy about not going deep in the game. I’m really trying to save this bullpen. These guys are taxed. I really wanted the ball and be that guy to go deeper in the game.”

Gurriel, who also had an RBI single in the eighth, hit a three-run homer to left field to increase Houston’s lead to 4-0 in the third inning.

Josh Reddick had a run-scoring fielder’s choice and Evan Gattis added an RBI single to push the Astros’ advantage to 6-1 in the fifth. However, Matt Davidson had an RBI single with the bases loaded and Omar Narvaez followed with a three-run double to pull Chicago within one in the sixth, chasing Morton.

Bregman’s two-run homer in the bottom of the inning extended Houston’s lead back to three.

”A 2-0 count, I was trying to get something over the middle of the plate,” Bregman said. ”I was fortunate enough to put a good swing on it.”

Bregman finished a triple shy of the cycle to extend his hitting streak to 12 games.

”He’s doing everything right in the batter’s box as far as seeing the ball http://www.cardinalscheapstore.com/zach-allen-jersey-cheap , his selectiveness, his approach is A-plus,” Hinch said. ”Bat-to-ball has been exceptional.”

Max Stassi hit an RBI double in the second and an RBI single in the eighth for the Astros. Marwin Gonzalez added an RBI single in the seventh as every Houston starter had a hit. Houston won 11-4 Friday night.

”It’s an excellent ball club, let’s face it they’ve got guys that swing the bat up and down the lineup,” Chicago manager Rick Renteria said of the Astros. ”They’ve got an air of confidence that they play with, which comes with the things that they’ve accomplished. It’s natural.”

Avisail Garcia hit a sacrifice fly in the fourth and a solo home run on to the train tracks in left in the eighth for Chicago. Garcia has five home runs in his last six games.

TUCKER PROMOTED

The Astros promoted top prospect, outfielder Kyle Tucker from Triple-A Fresno. Tucker, who was named to the Pacific Coast League’s All Star team, was hitting .306 with 14 home runs and 66 RBIs. He went 1 for 4 with a single and run scored in the seventh and an RBI walk in the eighth to go along with three strikeouts. The Astros optioned outfielder Jake Marisnick to Fresno in a corresponding move.

TRAINER’S ROOM

White Sox: SS Tim Anderson returned to the lineup. Anderson was out Friday after being hit on the left forearm the previous day. Anderson went 0 for 4 and reached on an error in the fifth.

UP NEXT

White Sox: RHP Lucas Giolito (5-7) will make his 18th start of the season in the series finale. Giolito is 2-3 with a 7.50 ERA in his last eight stars and gave up nine runs in two innings in his last start against the Astros on April 21.

Astros: LHP Dallas Keuchel (5-8) is looking for his third straight win. Keuchel allowed two runs over seven innings in his last start Tuesday against the Rangers.

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