“We didn’t even give them a chance to see us coming,” McKnight said.

The Jets barged into MetLife Stadium on Thursday believing they could topple the mighty Patriots, a victory that would fuel their pursuit of an improbable playoff berth. They left early Friday morning as a 4-7 team in disarray, still alive in the wild-card chase — technically, mathematically — but with a quarterback who might lead the N.F.L. in statistically misleading performances; with a special-teams unit that faltered once again, for the fourth time in five games; with a defense that allowed five touchdowns en route to yielding the most points by the franchise since Miami scored 52 in the 1995 season opener, surpassing the 45-3 Monday night massacre at Gillette Stadium in 2010.

Back then, the expectations were higher. The Jets had beaten the Patriots earlier that season. The coveted division title was within reach. Yet this loss, in a way, stings even worse. By now, the Jets’ mistakes blur together, a fumble in Week 12 indistinguishable from an interception in Week 3. The despair is cumulative.

“We’re about as wounded as you could possibly be, but we’re not dead,” Ryan said, adding, “I know our fans deserve a heck of a lot better than this.”

Many of those fans vacated the premises after halftime, off to pursue a more enjoyable endeavor, like running out of gasoline or drinking curdled milk. Already they had witnessed New England possess the ball for all of 2 minutes 14 seconds in the second quarter — and score 35 points. Already they had witnessed Steve Gregory account for three of the Patriots’ turnovers, intercepting Sanchez and recovering two fumbles, including a 32-yard return that extended their lead to 21-0.