AFC Championship Live Blog: Patriots vs. Jaguars

Welcome to Foxboro for the AFC Championship between the 14-3 New England Patriots and the 12-6 Jacksonville Jaguars. The Jags come to Foxboro after pulling off a stunning, upset in Pittsburgh, while the Patriots enter the game confident after a 35-14 whooping of the Tennessee Titans.

Let’s take a look at the inactives for today’s game:

Patriots- RB Mike Gillislee, DT Alan Branch, WR Kenny Britt, TE Jacob Hollister, T LaAdrian Waddle, WR Bernard Reedy, LB David Harris

Jaguars- RB Chris Ivory, DL Eli Ankou, LB Deon King, DL Carroll Phillips, OL Chris Reed, OL Josh Walker, OL William Poehls

We’ll be back in 39 minutes for kickoff!

FIRST QUARTER

15:00- The Jags deferred, so Brady and the offense will get things started at the 25. Here we go!

14:53- Lewis picks up six through the air, 2nd & 4….

14:12- Cooks with a 31-yard catch, and thge Patriots are at the Jags 39, 1st & 10, no huddle…

13:36- Good coverage, and Brady runs for a one-yard gain, 2nd & 9…

13:01- Burkhead gains six on the end-around, 3rd & 3…

12:27- Hogan gains one, but that isn’t enough for a first. The Patriots are going for it on 4th & 2…timeout. Brady saw the defense, didn’t like what he saw, and called the timeout.

11:49- Amendola with the great catch on the wheel route, gain of 21. 1st & Goal from the 10…

11:16- Great read by Barry Church on the screen to Lewis, and the Patriots are facing a 2nd & Goal from the 13…

10:39- Lewis stopped for -1 again on the catch, 3rd & Goal…big play here…

9:56- Dante Fowler gets pressure and the Patriots will be forced to go for the field goal. Good red zone defense from thr Jags.

9:21- Field goal, Patriots! Gostkowski connects from 31, and the Patriots get a score on the board on their first drive, something they haven’t done in awhile. The Jags can be proud of their red zone defense, but the Patriots will figure out how to attack them in that area eventually. It’s the Bloke Bortles Show now…Patriots 3, Jaguars 0

9:14- Jags take over at their own 26 after a strong return. 1st & 10…

9:09- Fournette gains two; Gillette is LOUD. 2nd & 8…

8:25- Fournette makes the catch and picks up the 1st down; good job by Bortles waiting for something to open up. 1st & 10…

7:41- Fournette gains three, 2nd & 7…

7:05- Fournette with another catch, picks up four, 3rd & 3…

6:26- Hurns picks up five yards for the 1st down; good start for the Jags offense. 1st & 10…

5:55- Yeldon picks up two; Malcom Brown blew up that play, 2nd & 8…

5:14- Van Noy broke up what looked to be a huge play to Yeldon. Great play, 3rd & 8 for the Jags…

5:10- Lee can’t make the play as Malcolm Butler rides him until the ball comes free; good pay from the young, talented cornerback. Amendola makes the fair catch at the 13. 1st & 10, Patriots.

4:55- Cooks picks up 11 on the catch, 1st & 10 from their own 25…

4:30- Four-yard run by Lewis, 2nd & 6…

4:05- Amendola picks up two on the jet sweep, 3rd & 4…

3:26- Misdirection run by White doesn’t work (rarely does it ever) and the Patriots are forced to punt. The Jaguars will start their series at their own 24. Big three-and-out for the Jags. 1st & 10…

2:25- 20 yard gain by Grant, 1st & 10 from the 44…

2:03- No pass rush, Lee picks up seven on the play.

1:30- Fournette picks up five, 1st & 10, Jags, from the Patriots 43.

:52- Five more for Fournette, and the Jags o-line is asserting itself on this drive. 2nd & 6…

:13- Cole with the catch for the 1st down, Jacksonville is driving to end the quarter. The Patriots defense needs to step up because this game lloks exactly how I thought it would. Patriots 3, Jaguars 0

SECOND QUARTER

15:00- Grant with another catch in the flat, and the Jags have a 1st & Goal from the four…

14:15- Touchdown, Jags. Marcedes Lewis with the play action catch in the flat, and Jacksonville takes the lead. Bad defensive series for New England; we have a ball game here. Jaguars 7, Patriots 3

14:08- Lewis returns it to the 25; 1st & 10, Patriots…

14:03- Lewis with the drop on the overthrow, 2nd & 10…

13:54- Campbell and Dareus with another stop in the backfield, 3rd & 11…

13:22- Incomplete pass to Hogan, and the Patriots offense is looking overwhelmed early. The defense needs to step up, get a stop and let that offense start to figure out the Jags puzzle. We’ve seen this scenario multiple times (Ravens, Seahawks, Falcons).

13:06- Grant is KILLING the Patriots catching the ball out of the backfield. This time he picks up 15 to negate the false start, 1st & 10…

12:24- Bortles looks like Peyton Manning right now, and he hits Hurns for 15 more. The Jags have a 1st & 10 at the Patriots 40.

11:46- Eight more to Hurns in thr air, 2nd & 2…timeout.

11:00- Fournette taken down for no gain, 3rd & 2…

10:21- Fournette picks up four more and a 1st down. Yes, it is time for Patriots fans to worry.

9:47- Fournette rips off 13, Jags have another 1st down, and they are creeping toward the end zone.

9:07- Yeldon gets blown up on the screen, Van Noy made the play. 2nd & 13, Patriots need to step up.

8:30- Yeldon rips off a 12-yard run, which was just defended horribly. 3rd & 1…

7:49- Fournette picks up two, 1st & Goal, Jags, from the four…

7:06- Fournette rips through the Patriots defense, and Jacksonville is completely dominating this game in all facets. The Patriots offense needs to wake up or this is going to be a Jags rout. Jaguars 14, Patriots 3

6:54- Brady looked deep to Gronk on the fade, but he dropped it. 2nd & 10…

6:42- Gronk picks up 20 as Brady gets hammered on the throw. 1st & 10, Patriots.

6:12- Brady overthrows Gronk on the waggle; 2nd & 10…

6:06- Burkhead with the drop, 3rd & 10…huge play coming up…

5:26- Jacksonville forces another punt after getting to Brady (who had more time than he thought) and the Jags take over at their own 25. With the way they’ve moved the ball, I wouldn’t be surprised if the same exact thing happens. Throws to running backs in the flat, Fournette hammers away at the overmatched Patriots front. I hope I’m wrong, but this is a recipe for disaster. Jaguars 14, Patriots 3

4:57- Gain of one, 2nd & 9…

4:43- Fournette is swarmed again by Brown, forcing the Jags into a 3rd & 9…

3:49- Questionable catch for a 1st down, and the Jags run a quick play that results in a penalty. 1st & 15 from the 50.

3:17- Roberts with the tackle after a four-yard gain, 2nd & 11…

2:33- Gain of four by Yeldon, 3rd & 7. Patriots call a timeout so they can possibly have some time to mount a drive.

2:23- Huge delay-of-game penalty costs the Jags a 1st down, 3rd & 12…

2:14- Sack!! Adam Butler makes the big play, forcing the Jags back to the 45. Amendola makes the fair catch on the 14, and the Patriots offense will attempt to put together a scoring drive. They haven’t been past the Jags 35 in three straight series.

1:57- Two-minute warning after the one yard run by Lewis. Patriots already facing 2nd & 9. They need to spread these guys out and pray the o-line can hold up, that is the only thing that is going to work.

1:52- Cooks picks up 15 on the play, 1st & 10…

1:46- DA with a gain of eight, 2nd & 2…

1:28- White makes the catch and gets out of bounds for the 1st down. 1st & 10 from their own 40.

1:23- Gronk is wonky, which is NOT GOOD. Barry Church with the clear cheap shot, that was on purpose. He celebrated! Suspension coming for that jackass. 1st & 10…

1:17- Cooks draws DPI, Patriots now have 1st & 10 from the Jags 14…

1:17- 13-yard gain by Cooks, 1st and Goal…

:55- Touchdown, Patriots!! White takes it in for the huge touchdown, and two penalties, one being the dirtiest I’ve seen in awhile, and the Patriots pick up the much needed touchdown. Church should have been thrown out of the game. Loser. Jaguars 14, Patriots 10

:00- The Jags had a full minute and one timeout, yet they kneel it and run out the clock? I’m sorry, but in order to beat the Patriots, you need to be aggressive. They easily could have got into field goal territory. Jags 14, Patriots 10

END OF FIRST HALF

THIRD QUARTER

15:00- The Jags offense will start at their own 25 after Gostkowski kicked it though the end zone.

14:54- Fournette runs for two, 2nd & 8…

14:10- Zero pass rush, and Bortles hits his fullback in the flat for a gain of 15. This is annoying to watch. 1st & 10…

13:32- Great job of filling the alley by Chung and Fournette is stopped after a gain of one. 2nd & 9…

12:55- Fournette for one again, 3rd & 8…big play for New England…

12:05- ANOTHER catch by Yeldon. Seriously, can the Patriots not figure out a way to slow down their backs in the passing game? It isn’t like they have Jerry Rice in their WR depth chart; stop the backs! 1st & 10, Jags.

11:44- Fournette with a gain of three, 2nd & 7…

11:05- Chung misses and Fournette picks up four that he never should have got. 3rd & 3…

10:28- The Patriots finally knock down a pass, this time it was Flowers. Lambo in for the 54 yard attempt.

10:23- Field goal, Jags. Lambo with the bomb, which is huge foe Jacksonville. Jags 17, Patriots 10

9:13- 1st down catch by Hogan, 1st & 10 from the 45.

8:56- Cooks with a terrible drop on what would have been a huge play. You have to make that catch. 2nd & 10…

8:44- Four yards out of nothing on the catch by Lewis, 3rd & 6…

8:13- Three-yard gain, and the Patriots are forced to punt. Cooks HAS TO make that play; that is the difference in winning and losing championships. Jags field the punt at the 10, but can the Patriots defense get the quick stop they need? We shall see. 1st & 10, Jags.

7:26- Incomplete pass on 1st down, 2nd & 10 from the 10…

7:17- Sack! Lawrence Guy is the first one there, and the Patriots need a stop on 3rd & 15…

6:41- Two-yard gain by Yeldon (terrible play-call) and the Jags are forced to punt. DA fielded it at the 40 and returned it to the Patriots 44. Huge series coming up; 1st & 10, Patriots.

5:58- Lewis gains three on the ground, 2nd & 7…

5:40- Three more, this time through the air, 3rd & 4…

5:10- Wow, they just can’t get a 1st down. Stop throwing it to the backs every 3rd down, the Jags clearly game-planned for it. Now it is on the defense again. Jags take over at their own 10, same as last series.

4:34- Loss of one for Fournette, 2nd & 11 from their own nine…

3:50- The defense cannot let things like that happen! Fournette was bottled, then picks up six that he never should have gained, which led to a easy 1st down conversion. 1st & 10, Jags, and the Patriots are in serious trouble. They CANNOT allow a score on this drive.

2:01- Fournette for a gain of two. 2nd & 8, Jags, from the Patriots 49.

1:14- New England has it defended, and Lee still picks up 11 yards because Rowe was way to far off. Ugly stuff.

:41- Fournette for a gain of 14. Jags are at the Patriots 27…

:05- Dropped pass on the bootleg; 2nd & 10, Jags…

:00- Gain of one for Grant to end the 3rd quarter, and the Jaguars are in the drivers seat. 3rd & 9, and they are in field goal range. Without Gronkowski, the Patriots are going to have a very difficult time scoring twice in one quarter. Jaguars 17, Patriots 10

FOURTH QUARTER

15:00- The blitz works, and Lambo comes in and hits the 44 yard field goal. That is HUGE. The Patriots have a tall task this quarter if they want to go to another Super Bowl. Jags 20, Patriots 10

14:44- Gain of two, 2nd & 8…

14:12- Cooks with a gain of 14, 1st & 10…

13:37- Looked like a fumble, but Lewis was down and still had possession. That has to be Patriots ball. It was a throwback from Amendola that SHOULD have gone for more yards, but Jack is amazing in pursuit.

13:37- The Patriots just got screwed. The ball was on Lewis’ hip when he went down, neither player had control. That is NOT a recovery by Jacksonville. Wow, that is just bad.

13:00- 3rd & 7, Jags…

12:38- Patriots get the much needed stop, but the Jags flipped field position again; the Patriots take over at their own 15. 12 minutes, 10 points to ties, and no Gronk. If they pull this off, it will be as impressive as the comeback in the Super Bowl. Jags 20, Patriots 10

11:08- 2nd & 18 after Brady is sacked.

10:49- Brady throws deep into double coverage; that is the type of throw you make when you don’t think you can do anything else.

10:39- Amendola with a 21-yard catch to keep the Patriots somewhat alive. 1st & 10…

10:08- Fleaflicker connects, Dorsett picks up 30 on the play. 1st & 10, Patriots…

9:25- Incomplete pass to Amendola, 2nd & 10…

9:07- Welker can’t catch that, but Amendola can. 1st and Goal from the nine…

8:44- Touchdown, Patriots!! Amendola with the huge catch and run to make this a one-score game. Danny “Playoff” Amendola strikes again. Jaguars 20, Patriots 17

8:38- The kickoff coverage team is looking to crush someone, and the Jags can only get out to the 15. Here. We. Go.

8:32- Fournette runs for one, 2nd & 9…

7:50- Hurns was WIDE OPEN for the 15 yard gain and 1st down. That is inexcusable. 1st & 10…

7:13- Fournette gains one, 2nd & 9, New England needs to pressure Bortles, roll the dice!

6:34- Gilmore with great coverage, but he dropped the interception. It would have been a tough play. 3rd & 9…

6:30- Incomplete pass, and the Patriots got away with a hold. Brady and the offense will come on to try and tie this or take a lead. They’ll begin the series at their own 18.

6:15- DPI on the Jags, which was obvious. The Patriots are now at the Jags 45.

6:10- Incomplete on the wheel route to White, 2nd & 10…

6:06- Good blitz leads to another incomplete pass, 3rd & 10…

6:01- Incomplete pass, 4th & 10. Ball should been caught; Jags take over at their own 10. This series could decide the game. Jags 20, Patriots 17

5:46- No gain for Fournette, 2nd & 10. The Jags are going to have to pass here if they want to put this away.

5:13- Rowe breaks up the pass, 3rd & 10. HUGE play…

5:10- Incomplete, and the defense steps up again! Bad punt leads to a strong return, Patriots take over at the Jags 30. 1st & 10, Patriots.

4:11- Amendola with another catch, 2nd & 2 from the Jags 7…Myles Jack is down on the play.

3:52- Brady with the keeper for the 1st down, and it is 1st & Goal from the Jags 5. Dareus is down, so in two plays the Jags have lost two key defenders.

3:43- Gain of one on the run by White, 2nd & Goal…need a td…

2:48- Touchdown, Patriots!! Amendola steps up AGAIN and the Patriots have taken the lead! Captain Comeback does it again, but the Jags have a ton of time on the clock.

2:40- Eight yard gain by Lee, 2nd & 2…

2:12- Huge gain by Jags, now they are at the Pats 39…

2:07- Incomplete, and that was scary. Flowers had good coverage, 2nd & 10…

2:00- James Harrison with the sack!! Hey Steelers, you want a mulligan? 3rd & 17, Jags, as we hit the two-minute warning. Keep them from picking up 18 yards on the next two plays, and the Patriots may finish yet another playoff comeback.

1:53- Five-yard gain, Jags facing 4th & 14…this is fun.

1:47- Gilmore breaks up the pass!! What a play! Patriots offense takes over at their own 43.

1:42- Two yard loss, and a timeout. Do the Patriots throw? I wouldn’t, force them to use all three, then punt it deep. Drive the distance with zero timeouts and just over a minute.

1:38- Three-yard gain by Lewis, 3rd & 9. Run. The. Ball. Make them use up their last timeout.

1:30- First down, Dion Lewis, and the Patriots are AFC Champions AGAIN!! They’ll take victory formation, and they are headed to Minnesota to try and win their 6th Super Bowl, also their 3rd in 4 years. This win showed serious guts, and this Jacksonville team is FOR REAL.

FINAL SCORE: NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS 24, JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS 20

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS, 2017 AFC CHAMPIONS!!

Thanks for staying with us on this rollercoaster, and now we watch to see who the Patriots will face in Minnesota. Congratulations to the Patriots and all their fans! Minnesota, here we come!