EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- The New York Jets' 17-16 defeat against the New England Patriots was Curtis Martin's worst nightmare.

"I don't like losing to the Patriots," the former Patriot said. "I like their team. I like the players on the team. But I don't like losing to them."

	Curtis Martin is second in the NFL in rushing with 1,070 yards.

It's easy to understand. Following the 1997 season, Martin, one of the league's top running backs and a restricted free agent, was signed to an offer sheet by the Jets. The Patriots declined to match the contract, letting Martin go to New York for draft choices. Martin wondered why. All he'd done was gain more than 1,000 yards every year he'd been in New England. It's a trend he's continued in his four seasons in New York.

His 87 yards on 19 carries Sunday increased his season total 1,070 yards. It was Martin's type of game. The Jets led 13-0 at the half. All the Jets had to do was put the game on his shoulders and let him carry them to victory.

"I've always said the true test is when you have success and how you handle it, not when you're an underdog," Martin said. "We had success in the first half, but when we came out in the second half, we didn't. I don't know the answer."

Under Martin's law, the Jets couldn't have been any more successful. They were 7-3 and leading 13-0 at home. Quarterback Vinny Testaverde dominated the first half. Martin was fresh because he had only nine carries for 37 yards in the first half.

Which makes you wonder why coach Herm Edwards came out passing in the second half. On the Jets' second play, Testaverde had a pass intended for Laveranues Coles picked off, and the comeback began.

Suddenly, the team with the plus-22 turnover margin showed a flaw. Fans started thinking of some of the Jets' most recent December fades. In Bill Parcells' first year with the Jets, a bad December cost the Jets a trip to the playoffs. Last year, the Jets were 9-4 and lost their last three and finished out of the playoffs. Al Groh, the first-year coach, left for Virginia.

	“	I don't like losing to the Patriots. I like their team. I like the players on the team. But I don't like losing to them. ”
		— Curtis Martin

"What we have to do to stop this is win our next game (Sunday in Pittsburgh)," Martin said. "There is no December jinx. It's up to us. It's not a mystical thing. It's us going out there, playing hard and winning."

Still, the defeat left the Jets a game behind the Dolphins in the AFC East and only a half-game ahead of the charging Patriots.

"This game could have done a lot for us," Martin said. "It would have given us a lot of confidence going into Pittsburgh."

Martin did his part. He had 11 carries for 48 yards in the second half. He probably needed to have more carries. With the lead, the Jets can ice a lot of games with a runner as good as Martin.

"Any loss is tough," Martin said. "But it's especially tough against the Patriots."

Jets' secondary bit by injury bug
The Jets' biggest worry going into the Steelers game will be at cornerback. In the second quarter, cornerback Aaron Glenn, who has been playing at a Pro Bowl level, made an incredible play on a deep pass to David Patten. Glenn jumped in the air and fell on his right knee.

Glenn left for X-rays, which were negative, but he will have an MRI on Monday to determine how long he will be out. In the third quarter, Glenn's replacement, Ray Mickens, sprained an ankle and couldn't finish the game. He was replaced by Jamie Henderson the remainder of the game.

There was no determination on how long Mickens could be out. The only top surviving cornerback was Marcus Coleman, who had a tough time Sunday containing the Patriots' short passing game.

John Clayton is a senior NFL writer for ESPN.com.