Jaguars at Patriots: Highlights, recap and more

With a spot in Super Bowl LII on the line, the Jacksonville Jaguars headed North to take on the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game.

Five-time Super Bowl champion New England welcomed the Jacksonville Jaguars to town in the AFC Championship Game on Sunday. The Patriots, who were looking to lock up their second trip to the Super Bowl in a row, got the scoring started on their first drive, as Stephen Gostkowski nailed a 31-yard field goal. New England completed a big fourth-down play during the drive, and Tom Brady completed 6-for-6 passing.

The first team to find the end zone was the Jaguars, however, as quarterback Blake Bortles orchestrated a solid drive on their second possession of the game. Bortles hit Corey Grant for two big pickups, and eventually found Mercedes Lewis for a four-yard touchdown pass. Jacksonville had a great gameplan on the drive, and proved to themselves that they can score against this Pats defense on the road.

Jacksonville was not finished there, as they were in control for most of  the first half in this one. Rookie running back Leonard Fournette was a beast when the Jags got the ball back, running through Patriots defenders. He capped the Jaguars drive with a four-yard touchdown run, putting the Jaguars up 14-3, and showing why the team spent a high first round draft pick on him last April.

Right before the half, the Patriots answered, but they may have lost star tight end Rob Gronkowski in the process. Gronk was injured on a helmet to helmet hit by Barry Church, sending him to the locker room for evaluation. New England did find the end zone right before the half, however, as James White ran one in from one-yard out, sending the two teams into the locker room with the Jags up 14-10.

The third quarter was a defensive battle, as only the Jaguars put up points thanks to a field goal. Josh Lambo connected on his second field goal of the second half to start the fourth quarter, putting the Jaguars up 20-10. New England looked to be putting together a drive, and tried a trick play on a double pass, but Dion Lewis was stripped of the ball by Myles Jack, giving the ball back to Jacksonville.

New England got the ball back without any more damage, and drove the ball right down the field. A 3rd-and-18 conversion on a Brady to Danny Amendola kept the drive alive early, and Philip Dorsett made his first big play of the game on the next play. Amendola would find the end zone a few plays later, as Brady connected with his favorite target on a nine-yard touchdown. Brady was amazing on the drive, swinging the momentum back in the Patriots favor.

The Patriots put the nail in the coffin the next time they got the ball, as Brady orchestrated another classic drive. He would go on to hit Amendola for his second score of the game, as the veteran wideout made a spectacular play in the back of the end zone. The score put the Patriots up 24-20, and would be the one that would send them to their eight Super Bowl with Brady under center.

Highlights

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Betting Odds

The Patriots were big home favorites coming into this one, as they were giving the Jaguars 7.5 points. The Jaguars certainly came to play, and led for nearly the entire game. However, the Patriots pulled away in the fourth quarter, though they did not cover. The over/under was set at 46.0, and that combined score was on point, as  they went under for the game by two points. This line will change a lot throughout the week, so head on over to OddsShark.com for any changes up until kickoff.

Three Stars

1. Tom Brady, New England Patriots

We have all seen this before right? Down ten points in the fourth quarter, Tom Brady showed the world why he is the best quarterback to ever do it. He led his Patriots to two touchdown drives in the final 15 minutes, sending the Jaguars home for the AFC title game. The win sends him to his eighth Super bowl, and he could be in for his sixth ring.

2. Leonard Fournette, Jacksonville Jaguars

The star rookie running back did everything he could to keep the Jaguars in this one, but they did not utilize him enough  in the second half. Fournette finished with 76 yards and a touchdown against the Patriots, as he was a dominant force early. Jacksonville has serious issues at quarterback, and once the Patriots took Fournette away, the Jaguars offense sputtered.

3. Danny Amendola, New England Patriots

The little wideout for the Patriots played big once again on Sunday, as he got the job done on offense, and special teams. First, his touchdown in the fourth quarter pulled the Patriots within three, and then he had a huge punt return with under five minutes left to go. Amendola capped off his incredible game with a second touchdown catch, this time, putting the Jaguars away for good.

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Next Game

The New England Patriots are headed towards their eighth Super Bowl with Brady as their quarterback, as they look to win back-to-back titles. Like they did in the Super Bowl last year, the Patriots never gave up on Sunday, coming back from a ten-point deficit. They will head to Minnesota to take on the winner of the NFC Championship Game, which features the Minnesota Vikings and Philadelphia Eagles.