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Today in Patriots History
Tom Brady's near-perfect 26-28 game
Pats eliminate Jaguars from playoffs - twice
Tom Brady's near-perfect 26-28 game
Pats eliminate Jaguars from playoffs - twice
Sunday January 12, 1997 at 4:00
1996 AFC Championship Game at Foxboro Stadium
New England Patriots 20, Jacksonville Jaguars 6
Head Coaches: Bill Parcells, Tom Coughlin
Quarterbacks: Drew Bledsoe, Mark Brunell
Odds: Patriots were favored by 7½
- Patriots improve to 13-5 to win the AFC, and advance to Super Bowl 31 in New Orleans vs Green Bay.
- Jacksonville had upset Buffalo and then #1 seed Denver to advance to AFCCG in just their second NFL season; the Jaguars finished with a record of 11-8.
Key Stat: Turnovers
Jaguars 4 (Brunell had two picks, and lost a fumble); Patriots 2.
As a result Pats were able to overcome their offense converting just two of 13 third down opportunities. The Jacksonville defense was strong, limiting Curtis Martin to 59 yards rushing on 19 carries.
Click the link below for a very well detailed account of the game:
Patriots' Defense Freezes Out Upstart Jaguars, 20-6 | Washington Post
New England prevailed in front of 60,190 bundled-up partisans mostly because their defense was able to contain Jaguars quarterback Mark Brunell and their special teams excelled. They had to on a day Patriots quarterback Drew Bledsoe and the NFL's highest scoring offense struggled in 30 mph wind and single digit wind-chill temperatures. Bledsoe fumbled twice, had a pass intercepted and publicly thanked his defense for bailing him out.
Both teams also had to endure an 11-minute stoppage of play midway through the second period when a fuse blew in a transformer outside the stadium. That dimmed the lights so low game officials ordered both teams to the sidelines while utility workers scrambled to find and ultimately fix the problem.
There was more than enough high energy provided by a frequently blitzing Patriots defense and a plucky punt team to eventually end the Jaguars' seven-game winning streak, including stunning playoff road upsets against the Buffalo Bills and Denver Broncos. Those two units combined to force four Jacksonville turnovers, manufacturing 17 Patriots points and the clinching score--cornerback Otis Smith's 47-yard fumble recovery and return for one last touchdown and a breathe-easy 14-point lead with 2 minutes 24 seconds remaining.
"I was coming in to make a routine play [on running back James Stewart] and one of my teammates [end Chris Slade] knocked the ball out," said Smith, cut by the Jets four games into the season and signed by the Patriots to shore up a struggling secondary. "I jumped up to support the play and take away the outside and the ball just sort of bounced up to me. I saw the quarterback there and just cut it back inside and saw all that room.'
Clay, whose nickname has been "Big Play" since his Georgia Tech days, lived up to that billing when it counted most. The Jaguars, trailing by 13-6, were driving toward a potential tying touchdown and facing a second and goal at the Patriots 5 inside the four-minute mark.
Brunell was aiming for tight end Derek Brown flashing in front of him across the back of the end zone, but Clay dropped off his own coverage, stepped in front of Brown and made the catch instead with 3:43 left.
Both teams also had to endure an 11-minute stoppage of play midway through the second period when a fuse blew in a transformer outside the stadium. That dimmed the lights so low game officials ordered both teams to the sidelines while utility workers scrambled to find and ultimately fix the problem.
There was more than enough high energy provided by a frequently blitzing Patriots defense and a plucky punt team to eventually end the Jaguars' seven-game winning streak, including stunning playoff road upsets against the Buffalo Bills and Denver Broncos. Those two units combined to force four Jacksonville turnovers, manufacturing 17 Patriots points and the clinching score--cornerback Otis Smith's 47-yard fumble recovery and return for one last touchdown and a breathe-easy 14-point lead with 2 minutes 24 seconds remaining.
"I was coming in to make a routine play [on running back James Stewart] and one of my teammates [end Chris Slade] knocked the ball out," said Smith, cut by the Jets four games into the season and signed by the Patriots to shore up a struggling secondary. "I jumped up to support the play and take away the outside and the ball just sort of bounced up to me. I saw the quarterback there and just cut it back inside and saw all that room.'
Clay, whose nickname has been "Big Play" since his Georgia Tech days, lived up to that billing when it counted most. The Jaguars, trailing by 13-6, were driving toward a potential tying touchdown and facing a second and goal at the Patriots 5 inside the four-minute mark.
Brunell was aiming for tight end Derek Brown flashing in front of him across the back of the end zone, but Clay dropped off his own coverage, stepped in front of Brown and made the catch instead with 3:43 left.
Memorable Moments: 1996 AFC Championship | Patriots.com Video
Saturday January 12, 2008 at 8:15
2007 Divisional Round Game at Gillette Stadium
New England Patriots 31, Jacksonville Jaguars 20
Head Coaches: Bill Belichick, Jack Del Rio
Quarterbacks: Tom Brady, David Garrard
Odds: Patriots were favored by 13½
Patriots improve to 17-0; next up is AFCCG vs San Diego
Jacksonville finishes season with a 12-6 record
Key Stat: Incomplete Passes (2)
Brady was 26-28 for 262 yards, 3 TD, 0 Int, 1 sack (-4 yards) and a 141.4 passer rating.
Highlights:
Patriots claw past Jaguars to open playoffs | The Boston Globe
Jacksonville limited big plays, took Moss out of the game, and put together long scoring drives - nine plays, 11 plays, nine plays, and 13 plays. It didn't matter.
Tom Brady was just as patient, and more precise, than the Jaguars. Brady completed 26 of 28 passes for 262 yards and three touchdowns. He hit his first 16 throws before Benjamin Watson couldn't corral a catchable ball with 10:27 remaining in the third quarter. The other incompletion was a fourth-quarter drop by Wes Welker.
An inspired Laurence Maroney had the first 100-yard rushing game of his playoff career (22 rushes for 122 yards and a score), upstaging the much-talked-about Jacksonville tailback tandem of Maurice Jones-Drew and Fred Taylor, who were held to 66 yards on 19 carries by a fired-up Patriots defense.
Give the Jaguars credit, they made the Foxborough Faithful sweat for a bit, until Rodney Harrison wrapped up the game with another clutch playoff interception with 4:08 left (tying an NFL record with a pickoff in four straight postseason games). That was one of two big mistakes by Jacksonville's David Garrard, who played a solid game (22 of 33 for 278 yards and two touchdowns).
Brady didn't make any miscues, and he showed his acting skills on a fake direct snap to Kevin Faulk. Brady deftly hid the ball, jumping and turning his back for effect, before finding Welker for a 6-yard touchdown that broke a 14-14 tie with 8:49 left in the third quarter.
Tom Brady was just as patient, and more precise, than the Jaguars. Brady completed 26 of 28 passes for 262 yards and three touchdowns. He hit his first 16 throws before Benjamin Watson couldn't corral a catchable ball with 10:27 remaining in the third quarter. The other incompletion was a fourth-quarter drop by Wes Welker.
An inspired Laurence Maroney had the first 100-yard rushing game of his playoff career (22 rushes for 122 yards and a score), upstaging the much-talked-about Jacksonville tailback tandem of Maurice Jones-Drew and Fred Taylor, who were held to 66 yards on 19 carries by a fired-up Patriots defense.
Give the Jaguars credit, they made the Foxborough Faithful sweat for a bit, until Rodney Harrison wrapped up the game with another clutch playoff interception with 4:08 left (tying an NFL record with a pickoff in four straight postseason games). That was one of two big mistakes by Jacksonville's David Garrard, who played a solid game (22 of 33 for 278 yards and two touchdowns).
Brady didn't make any miscues, and he showed his acting skills on a fake direct snap to Kevin Faulk. Brady deftly hid the ball, jumping and turning his back for effect, before finding Welker for a 6-yard touchdown that broke a 14-14 tie with 8:49 left in the third quarter.
Still Perfect, and Passing Game Almost Is | New York Times
With Brady facing almost no pressure from Jacksonville’s enormous defense until late in the game, the offense was nearly unstoppable, stalling for only two incomplete passes — one a drop — and a missed field goal. And so the Patriots are still racing toward history, beating the Jaguars, 31-20, to advance to the A.F.C. championship game next Sunday in Foxborough. They will play Indianapolis or San Diego, both of which the Patriots have beaten on their way to a 17-0 record.
Brady is 13-2 in the postseason now, and there have certainly been victories fraught with more drama than this one. But for precision, it will be hard to top Brady’s mastery of Jacksonville, which was bent on taking away his most dynamic weapon —Randy Moss — while ceding large chunks of space in the middle of the field. In a record-setting season, he grabbed another one Saturday. His 92.9 completion percentage broke Phil Simms’ postseason record, 88 percent in Super Bowl XXI.
The Jaguars played a zone defense that eliminated almost all of the big plays that had defined the Patriots’ season, but Brady was 26 of 28 for 262 yards and 3 touchdowns. The Patriots did not punt until 32 seconds remained in the game.
Brady is 13-2 in the postseason now, and there have certainly been victories fraught with more drama than this one. But for precision, it will be hard to top Brady’s mastery of Jacksonville, which was bent on taking away his most dynamic weapon —Randy Moss — while ceding large chunks of space in the middle of the field. In a record-setting season, he grabbed another one Saturday. His 92.9 completion percentage broke Phil Simms’ postseason record, 88 percent in Super Bowl XXI.
The Jaguars played a zone defense that eliminated almost all of the big plays that had defined the Patriots’ season, but Brady was 26 of 28 for 262 yards and 3 touchdowns. The Patriots did not punt until 32 seconds remained in the game.
Jaguars vs. Patriots - Game Recap - January 12, 2008 - ESPN
Watch Jacksonville vs New England [1/12/2008] | NFL.com
Full Game:
