ESPN First Look at AFC divisional matchups

[SVN]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/playoffs07/columns/story?columnist=chadiha_jeffri&id=3184363

 

[psychoPat]

1. Should the Patriots be concerned about their defense?

Yes. For all the love that has been earned by Tom Brady, Randy Moss and the rest of the New England offense, the Patriots' defense hasn't exactly been the holding up its end of the deal.

Three ordinary quarterbacks picked them apart in the second half of the season -- Philadelphia's A.J. Feeley, Baltimore's Kyle Boller and the New York Giants' Eli Manning -- and it also became quite clear that a talented running back could create problems for them. The reality is that the Patriots' defense isn't scaring any opposing offenses right now.

Their biggest weakness is the linebacking corps. Mike Vrabel is a Pro Bowler and Adalius Thomas is a gifted player, but age is an issue for inside linebackers Junior Seau and Tedy Bruschi. We already know the Jaguars love pounding the ball on the ground with Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew. You can expect them to do even more of that on Saturday night.

2. Will the Jaguars' injuries on defense catch up to them?

It's hard to think they won't. Jacksonville has played a fair share of this season without three key starters -- including defensive tackle Marcus Stroud and middle linebacker Mike Peterson -- and the Jags lost defensive tackle John Henderson to a strained hamstring early in their AFC wild-card victory over Pittsburgh.
Now it's one thing for the Jaguars to lose Stroud and find a way to succeed. But if Henderson's hamstring injury lingers for another week and Peterson can't find a way back to the field (he has missed seven straight games with a broken right hand), Jacksonville will be incredibly vulnerable in the heart of its defense.

So far, the Jaguars haven't paid a heavy price for those problems. They got a huge game from rookie defensive tackle Derek Landri in the Pittsburgh win (two sacks and one interception) and they also received valuable snaps from defensive tackle Grady Jackson.

That said, the Jaguars are starting two rookies -- outside linebacker Justin Durant and free safety Reggie Nelson -- and it's a safe bet that Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels caught that on the scouting report as well. At some point, they're going to be tested and possibly exploited.

3. Is it possible the Patriots will have a letdown after making history during the regular season?

We'd put better odds on Patriots head coach Bill Belichick appearing on "Dancing with the Stars" than of the Patriots coming out flat after a two-week layoff.

By the time the Pats take the field Saturday night, Belichick will have his team convinced that they barely tapped into their potential during their first 16 games. They'll be ready to play. You can count on that.

- edited extract

Taylor and Drew are welcome to run all night long. I hope they do.
Good night!

Surely this slur
already has been printed out and taped to
#54's and #55's lockers.

 

[ne5patsfan4]

ok so we know we have older linebackers, the thing is everytime a team decides to run on us they loose because they cant keep up the score so they have to throw.

also every time we played a good team we had a OUTSTANDING game.

we let teams run on us, but we still win so i dont see why they are making a big deal of it, plus we will go into the game saying STOP the run, probably with rodney in the box.

 

[ALP]

thats right, we made bad QB's look good....

not many bad QB's left to play though are there?

and i only consider one team being able to run on us, the ravens...and the D won that game b/c of the mistakes and yaradage they were giving up...

dont be fooled, this is a championship defense, when the opposition HAD to get a 1st down to win, it was NEVER allowed...and with a 16-0 team, thats the ONLY thing that counts

btw, our aged lb's seem to be doing pretty good right now, even against the run.....(i trust the ilb's more against hte run then the pass...but OK)

 

[Brady to Brown]

On offense we will spread em out and have them gassed by the 7 min mark of the 3rd qtr. If we can get up by 14 points in the first qtr it will be a blow out.

On defense we will have 8 in the box and stop the run.

 

[karran_s]

On offense we will spread em out and have them gassed by the 7 min mark of the 3rd qtr. If we can get up by 14 points in the first qtr it will be a blow out.

On defense we will have 8 in the box and stop the run.

8 in the box is right... Junior Seau still has some steam left in him at his age and you'll see him going full steam ahead at the Jags on Saturday... Just watch ... we'll have a terrific game - both offense and defense...

 

[Jones-Drew]

8 in the box is right... Junior Seau still has some steam left in him at his age and you'll see him going full steam ahead at the Jags on Saturday... Just watch ... we'll have a terrific game - both offense and defense...

Yeah, we've seen eight in the box against even better D-lines then yours, and they still couldn't slow our run game down. We will mow you down like grass hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[ne5patsfan4]

Yeah, we've seen eight in the box against even better D-lines then yours, and they still couldn't slow our run game down. We will mow you down like grass hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

now tell me how your going to stop our offense?

 

[Jones-Drew]

now tell me how your going to stop our offense?

Duh, it's called controling the clock by running our famous 18-20 play drives that keep pretty boy on the sideline, and then when he does make his way to the field, we will sacrifice one of our players for the rest of the game by intentionally taking out his ankles. At this point we will simply beat the tar out of the rest of your average team.

 

[MrClutch]

Duh, it's called controling the clock by running our famous 18-20 play drives that keep pretty boy on the sideline, and then when he does make his way to the field, we will sacrifice one of our players for the rest of the game by intentionally taking out his ankles. At this point we will simply beat the tar out of the rest of your average team.

Will you honestly come back here if you lose?

I know you won't, so why even bother talking trash if you can't handle defeat?

 

[Jones-Drew]

Will you honestly come back here if you lose?

I know you won't, so why even bother talking trash if you can't handle defeat?

No, I probably wouldn't come back, but not for the reasons that you are probably thinking.

 

[BradyFTW!]

Jag fans are a weird mix of Charger fans and Steeler fans.

 

[tedylb]

No, I probably wouldn't come back, but not for the reasons that you are probably thinking.

Forget this loser. Every team has irrational zeroes like him. How would he explain the Jags' 5 losses? He can't.

 

[SpiderFox53]

Yeah, we've seen eight in the box against even better D-lines then yours, and they still couldn't slow our run game down. We will mow you down like grass hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That part made me laugh. The Patriots have arguably the best D-line in the league.

 

[zoostation]

Duh, it's called controling the clock by running our famous 18-20 play drives that keep pretty boy on the sideline, and then when he does make his way to the field, we will sacrifice one of our players for the rest of the game by intentionally taking out his ankles. At this point we will simply beat the tar out of the rest of your average team.

Famous? Most of the world thinks Jacksonville's a college team.

Yawn...I've seen this movie too many times.

 

[zoostation]

No, I probably wouldn't come back, but not for the reasons that you are probably thinking.

I'm almost certain it's because you've got no b@lls.

 

[ATippett56]

Duh, it's called controling the clock by running our famous 18-20 play drives that keep pretty boy on the sideline, and then when he does make his way to the field, we will sacrifice one of our players for the rest of the game by intentionally taking out his ankles. At this point we will simply beat the tar out of the rest of your average team.

Like your team did last time they met in the playoffs?

http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter?game_id=28848&displayPage=tab_gamecenter&season=2005&week=POST18

 

[chrisfx811]

and then when he does make his way to the field, we will sacrifice one of our players for the rest of the game by intentionally taking out his ankles.

Stay CLASSY, lil man.

 

[Kato]

No, I probably wouldn't come back, but not for the reasons that you are probably thinking.

The star trek convention is leaving town?

You have used your last death row appeal?

Haley's comet is coming to take you away?

 

[FortressX]

and then when he does make his way to the field, we will sacrifice one of our players for the rest of the game by intentionally taking out his ankles. At this point we will simply beat the tar out of the rest of your average team.

Another person who recognizes his team is inferior and hurting Brady is the only hope they have of winning!