New England Patriots: Trey Flowers named a top performer vs Jaguars

In the win in the AFC Championship Game, players on the offensive side of the ball received a lot of praise. However, Trey Flowers had a great game for New England.

The New England Patriots were able to pull off another big comeback win in the playoffs, this time erasing a double-digit lead against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the AFC Championship Game.

Even though the Patriots might not have won by as much as people thought, but they were still able to advance to the Super Bowl. Like against the Falcons in the Super Bowl, the Patriots needed big performances on both sides of the ball.

On the offensive side, it was the play of Tom Brady and Danny Amendola. Both Brady and Amendola were able to pull off some big plays to help defeat a talented Jaguars defense. However, it wasn’t only those two that were making plays.

Helping the comeback for the Patriots was the play of Trey Flowers on the defensive side of the ball. Last season, Flowers emerged as a very talented pass rusher for the Patriots, and he has really elevated his play in the playoffs for the Patriots this season. Recently, Flowers received the highest grade on the Patriots from Pro Football Focus in the win over the Jaguars. Here’s what PFF had to say about Flowers’ performance.

"One of the better, more underrated draft picks in Patriots recent memory, Flowers emerged as a force in 2016 but has taken his game to a new level this year. He has now amassed 12 combined sacks, hits, and hurries and six run stops in the postseason."

Come playoff time, getting pressure on the opposing quarterback is extremely important. Sometimes the difference between a win and a loss can be a mistake made the quarterback. Generally, pressure on a quarterback raises the chances of making mistakes.

Even though Flowers only has one sack in the playoffs, he has been all over the opposing quarterbacks. Generating pressures can sometimes be a forgotten stat, but they are very important.

Through two games the Eagles have only allowed Nick Foles to be sacked twice, which is certainly one of the reasons why he has played so well. However, the Patriots have sacked opposing quarterbacks 11 times in two games, which is the most among playoff teams.

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With Flowers and the rest of the Patriots pass rush performing well, they could be poised to throw Foles off his game. As a great performer in the Super Bowl last season, Flowers will certianly be a player to watch once again.