Week Three Game Preview: New England Patriots vs Jacksonville Jaguars
By Hal Bent
PATRIOTS MATCHUPS VS JAX DEFENSE
Sep 10, 2015; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots tight end Scott Chandler (88) celebrates his touchdown against the Pittsburgh Steelers with tight end Rob Gronkowski (87) during the second half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports
The Jaguars defense will have the same problem most teams have with New England: matching up with Rob Gronkowski. Last week against Miami’€™s Jordan Cameron, the Jaguars mixed cornerback Demetrius McCray, safeties James Sample, Josh Evans and Sergio Brown, and linebacker Paul Posluszny in coverage. Expect Gronkowski to see more of the same coverage this week.
Another match-up problem will be Julian Edelman and Danny Amendola. The two smaller and quicker receivers gave the Seahawks fits in the Super Bowl and their lateral quickness and shiftiness after catching the ball in space could be a major problem for the long and strong Jaguars cornerbacks. Colvin will be tasked with Edelman, but it could be another game with big plays unexpectedly coming from Amendola.
Sep 20, 2015; Orchard Park, NY, USA; New England Patriots running back Dion Lewis (33) runs the ball during the second half against the Buffalo Bills at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Patriots defeat the Bills 40 to 32. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports
The Patriots may again feature running back Dion Lewis as the primary component in the backfield. Remember, in the Super Bowl against Seattle it was Shane Vereen playing 52 of the 76 snaps on offense. So far in 2015 Lewis has been in the backfield for 119 of 147 snaps on offense and he should continue to have a key role against Jacksonville.
The Jaguars defense swarmed Miami quarterback Ryan Tannehill last week with pressure and well-timed blitzes. Although they sacked Tannehill just twice, their blitzes caused chaos for Miami. In their 10 blitzes, the Jacksonville defense forced Tannehill into a 33% completion percentage, a sack, and just 3 completions for 16 yards (per PFF).
Of course, quarterback Tom Brady handles the blitz better than Miami’s impressive young signal caller. So far in 2015 Brady has been blitzed 28 times and been sacked just twice. He has completed an almost unbelievable 73.1% of his passes facing a blitz with an 8.9 yards per pass attempt average and 5 touchdowns. Facing a blitz, Brady has a 139.6 QB rating (per PFF).
Next: INTRODUCTION TO THE JAGUARS OFFENSE