New England Patriots: 5 Jaguars to fear in AFC Championship matchup

The No. 1 seed New England Patriots are set to host the Jacksonville Jaguars in an AFC Championship game Sunday afternoon at Gillette Stadium.

The New England Patriots have advanced to their seventh consecutive AFC Championship game with an impressive 35-14 victory over the Tennessee Titans.

If Tom Brady and company are to book their tickets to Minnesota with a chance to repeat as Super Bowl champions, they will have to defeat a very talented and confident Jacksonville Jaguars team.

In shocking the Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field, the Jaguars got good play from quarterback Blake Bortles and despite allowing 42 points to Ben Roethlisberger, the defense proved they are big time.  With cornerback Jalen Ramsey guaranteeing a victorious trip to the Super Bowl, the Patriots will have their work cut out for them on the offensive side of the football.

Defensively, New England have to keep Jacksonville’s running game at bay and keep Bortles from scrambling outside the pocket.  Similar to Marcus Mariota, if the Patriots can keep Bortles in front of them, they should be able to limit a Jacksonville offense that uncharacteristically put up 45 points against the Steelers.

In all, it will take an outstanding coaching performance by Bill Belichick who talked about how impressive Jacksonville is in his weekly conference call with the media.

"“They do a lot of things well, play good defense, can rush the passer, can stop the run, turn the ball over, can run the ball, have a lot of explosive players in the passing game, they’re good in the kicking game, they’re very aggressive in the kicking game,” Belichick said.  “They’re well coached.  I know that, for sure.  They’ve handled the situations that have come up in those games very well – fourth-and-1 in the first quarter, things like that.  They’ve really done a good job, so year, it’s impressive.”"

Impressive all over the field indeed, but who are the Jacksonville Jaguars players the New England Patriots should fear?  Which players have the capability of making Sunday night a not so great night in Foxboro?

5. Blake Bortles

Okay, Blake Bortles and fear don’t necessarily go in the same sentence.  However, with his performance on Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers, the New England Patriots cannot overlock his ability.  Most importantly, they can’t make him look like the next coming of Eli Manning in this game.

More from New England Patriots

• Former Patriot Stevan Ridley Put Kevin Hart in a Wheelchair
• 3 Patriots Who Can Clinch a Roster Spot in Final Preseason Game
• Patriots Get Win Over Division Rivals Before Season Even Begins
• New Massachusetts Sportsbook Promos: $450 Bonus to Bet on Your Patriots at Caesars + DraftKings
• Ezekiel Elliott Reveals 3 Reasons Why He Signed With Patriots

In Jacksonville’s 45-42 victory over the Steelers, Bortles completed 53.8 percent of his passes for 214 yards and a touchdown.  Not great numbers, but he did enough with safe throws and his feet to keep the Jaguars’ offense on the field during crucial periods of the game.

Every Patriots fan knows the team struggles against mobile quarterbacks, they also struggle a bit when the opposing team gets their running game going.  Defensive coordinator Matt Patricia knows this as well and emphasized how good Bortles is at making plays off play action and utilizing the skill offensive players around him.

"“I think Blake Bortles does a really good job of understanding the skill players that are around him,” Patricia said during his weekly conference call.  “So it’s going to start with the run game.  Their offensive line, we’re talking about a really big, strong, consistent offensive line.”"

Patricia went on to complement Jacksonville’s running game and how Bortles feeds off of that.  If they get running back Leonard Fournette going, Bortles is capable of sneaking in a run like Marcus Mariota.

In all, the New England Patriots defense did a good job against Tennessee.  This Sunday, they will have to be equally as good to make Blake Bortles more of the quarterback he was in the wildcard playoff game against the Buffalo Bills where he threw for just 87 yards.

4. Calais Campbell

The Patriots offensive line will have their hands full with the entire Jacksonville Jaguars defensive line, especially defensive end Calais Campbell.

With 14.5 sacks in the regular season, this big man knows how to get to the quarterback and could make life miserable for Tom Brady.

Named first-team All-Pro, Campbell is one of the prime reasons the Jaguars defense is big time.  His high motor and power will challenge a Patriots offensive line that did a good job against the Titans.  They cannot, absolutely cannot allow Campbell and Jacksonville’s front seven dominant the line of scrimmage.

If they do, it could be a long day for Brady and the offense.  Very well aware of the challenge the Jaguars’ defense presents, don’t be surprised if Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and Brady start the game with an up-tempo approach.

By going no huddle, the Patriots offense can tire out that line, especially since they are a team that does not substitute often.

3. Yannick Ngakoue

 Yannick who?

With Calais Campbell on one side of the defensive line, the Patriots’ offensive line may quickly learn the name of Yannick Ngakoue if they are not on their game.

The second-year defensive end followed up an eight sack rookie season with 12 sacks this season.  He is young, fast, hungry and out to prove he is one of the best up and coming pass rushers in the NFL.

As a 2018 Pro Bowl snub, Ngakoue has a little chip on his shoulder and will look to use the spotlight of the AFC Championship game as his stage to show the rest of the NFL exactly who he is.

In all, a young, player like Ngakoue is exactly the type of player who could give Patriots tackle Nate Solder fits.  If he gets to Brady a couple times early, it could be a long afternoon for the offensive line.

The New England Patriots could also take advantage of Ngaloue’s high motor by setting up screens to keep him and the pass rush honest.

2. Leonard Fournette

A big, bruising force, Jaguars running back Leonard Fournette is capable of controlling the game.  Therefore, the New England Patriots front seven will have to play as good as they did against Derrick Henry.

While Henry is not the running back Fournette is, he still runs with a similar style.  Against the Steelers last week, Fournette ran for 109 yards with a 4.4 yards per carry average.  His three rushing touchdowns were a reason why Jacksonville was able to jump out early against Pittsburgh.

He was exactly the force Matt Patricia praised during his conference call on Monday.

"“A guy that really can get the ball vertical into the defense quickly,” Patricia said.  “He has a great combination of size and power and athleticism that makes him very difficult to bring down.  So I think his run game obviously fits the style that they block in front of him.  His ability to continually just be that workhorse for the offense definitely just pops out on tape.”"

While a lower leg injury limited Fournette a bit towards the end of the game, his importance in this offense is obvious.  If he gets going, Jacksonville has a shot.  If he doesn’t, the pressure will be on Blake Bortles who has yet to prove he can put the offense entirely on his shoulder.

1. Jalen Ramsey

Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Jalen Ramsey will be looking for his Richard Sherman moment against Tom Brady.

More from Chowder and Champions

• 3 Midseason Chaim Bloom Decisions That Have Killed the 2023 Red Sox
• 10 Patriots Who Will Be Cut by Tuesday’s Roster Deadline
• MLB Screws Red Sox Fans With Broadcast for Mookie Betts Return
• 3 Most Underpaid Celtics Heading Into the 2023 Season
• Red Sox Continue Rollercoaster Season With Massive Win

The second-year cornerback is part of a very tough Jacksonville secondary and is out to show Brady and the rest of the league that he has arrived.  Not only does he have the physical skills to impact the game, he has the confidence to make a prediction in this AFC Championship game and Super Bowl LI.

"“I ain’t got too much to say,” Ramsey said, via Sports Illustrated.  “But y’all make sure y’all bring that same energy out here next week and the week after.  We going to the Super Bowl.  And we gonna win that b—-.  We gonna win that b…. .”"

While Ramsey and the defense are very capable of doing their part to upset the New England Patriots, they will need Blake Bortles and the offense do their part.  That’s exactly why a couple of defensive turnovers can be key in this game.  Ramsey, who had 4 interceptions in the regular season, could force Brady into a couple mistakes.

How can a second-year player force a future Hall-of-Fame quarterback into a mistake?

Simple.

If Jacksonville matches Jalen Ramsey up against Rob Gronkowski, Brady could attempt to force some passes.

Next: Patriots gridiron news: The growing legend of Danny ‘Playoff’ Amendola

It will be up to Gronkowski to win that matchup.  If he doesn’t, advantage will go to the Jaguars’ secondary who also have another great cornerback in A.J. Bouye.