Jaguars Still Looking For First Regular Season Win Against Patriots
By Gregory Hunt
After starting to 2015 NFL season with victories over two teams that are expected to contend for the AFC playoffs, the New England Patriots are now preparing to face a Jacksonville Jaguars team that hasn't played in the postseason since 2007. The teams will face each other Sunday afternoon at Gillette Stadium before the Patriots enter a bye week for Week 4.
Jaguars Season Record
Jacksonville comes to Foxboro with a 1-1 record after a surprising 23-20 victory over the Miami Dolphins in Week 2. The Jaguars haven't won a division title since 1999, but their current record is good enough to put them in a first-place tie in the AFC South with the Tennessee Titans, one-half game ahead of the 0-1 Indianapolis Colts, who face the New York Jets Monday night.
The all-time Jags/Pats series dates back to 1996, one year after the Jaguars debuted as an expansion team along with the Carolina Panthers. The Jaguars trail the series 0-6 in the regular season and 1-3 in the playoffs. Jacksonville's lone win was a 25-10 victory at Alltel Stadium in a Wild Card Playoff game on January 3, 1999. The most-recent meeting in the regular season came on December 23, 2012, with the Patriots coming away with a 23-16 win at EverBank Field. The last meeting at Gillette Stadium came on December 27, 2009, with the Patriots earning a 35-7 victory.
Jaguars on Offense
Quarterback Blake Bortles was chosen by Jacksonville third overall in the 2014 NFL draft, but he is still struggling with the professional game after 15 career starts. During his rookie season, he threw 17 interceptions against only 11 touchdowns while completing less than 59 percent of his passes. He completed less than 55 percent in his first two games this season, but on the positive side, he's already thrown three touchdowns with only two interceptions.
The Jaguars have yet to score a rushing touchdown this season, and their leading rusher, running back T.J. Yeldon, is averaging only 3.3 yards per rush on 37 carries. Yeldon normally splits carries with fellow running back Denard Robinson, but Robinson suffered a knee injury on his first carry against Miami and didn't return to the game. Their biggest threat in the passing game is wide receiver Allen Robinson, who has seven catches for 182 yards and two touchdowns.
Jaguars on Defense
Despite missing several key contributors, the Jaguars are playing well enough to currently be ranked 10th in the NFL in total defense. Defensive tackle Sen'Derrick Marks, considered one of the best interior lineman in the NFL, was inactive for Week 2 due to an injury, as was defensive end Andre Branch, safety Johnathan Cyprien and cornerback Dwayne Gratz. Whether any of them will be active against the Patriots remains to be seen. Cornerback Davon House started against Miami, but he was injured during the game and did not return. Picking up the slack is linebacker Telvin Smith, who leads the team in tackles and helped preserve the win against Miami with a blocked pass late in the game.
Jaguars Players to Watch
Robinson, a second-round pick out of Penn State in 2014, had a breakout game against Miami, so he will look to do damage against a young Patriots secondary that's been giving up a lot of yardage. Smith, a fifth-round pick out of Florida State in 2014, is still looking to get his first sack of the 2015 season.
Outlook
It's tough to see the Patriots losing this one. New England quarterback Tom Brady has been playing like a man on a mission, so if he is able to put this game away early, that should give New England the opportunity to sit some starters late in the game so they can get an early start on their bye week.
Gregory Hunt is a Boston native and a life-long fan of the Patriots, Red Sox, Bruins and Celtics. He's also particularly fond of lacrosse, IndyCar racing and women's college basketball. He currently works for Examiner.com where he serves as the Senior Manager of Content and Media Access. He also writes for Examiner.com as the New England Patriots Examiner. His work can be found on Examiner.com.
