The New England Patriots preserved their unbeaten record this season with an impressive 40-32 victory over Buffalo on Sunday. The defending champions will look to keep their hot start going this coming Sunday when they take on the Jacksonville Jaguars in an intriguing matchup at Gillette Stadium.
Who will grab the edge in this AFC showdown? Read on below for a preview of this NFL clash and while you’re at it, you can check out our Week 3 previews of Steelers vs. Rams and Redskins vs. Giants.
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Jacksonville Jaguars vs. New England Patriots Preview
Where: Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts
When: Sunday, September 27, 1:00 PM ET
Line: Jacksonville Jaguars (+14) at New England Patriots (-14); total: 47.5 – view all NFL lines
TV Broadcast: CBS
Betting on the Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville finally barged into the win column with a thrilling 23-20 victory over the Miami Dolphins on Sunday. It was a huge win for the Jaguars, who bounced back strongly from their disappointing season-opening loss to the Carolina Panthers. With the victory, the Jaguars avoided their fourth consecutive 0-2 start.
[sc:NFL240banner ]Leading the way for Jacksonville in this game was Blake Bortles. He completed 18 of 33 passes for 273 yards and two touchdowns. He was clutch in Jacksonville’s final drive, recording pass plays of 18, 19 and nine yards to put the Jaguars in field goal range. Rookie Jason Myers did the rest, kicking the game-winning 28-yard field goal with 40 seconds remaining in the clock. Myers hit a total of three field goals in this contest, including a mammoth 58-yarder just before the first half ended.
That excellent performance will serve them in good stead ahead of their weekend showdown with New England. They will have their work cut out for them against the Patriots, though, as they have struggled against them of late. Jacksonville has lost nine of its last 10 games against New England.
For the Jaguars to reverse the trend this coming Sunday, they will need to find a way to stop New England ‘s steamrolling offense. The Patriots are third in the NFL in total offense, averaging 434.0 yards per game this season. That won’t faze the Jaguars, though, as they have been playing some excellent defense as well to start the season. They are fifth in the NFL in total defense, surrendering just 263.0 yards per contest this campaign.
The onus is on the Jacksonville defensive line to apply pressure on Tom Brady right from the get-go. The Jaguars did just that against the Dolphins’ Ryan Tannehill, pressuring him on 37 percent of his drop backs. That’s Jacksonville’s second-highest pressure percentage in the last three seasons. The Jaguars even stepped up their defensive pressure late in the game, blitzing on 41 percent of Tannehill’s drop backs in the fourth quarter.
The Jaguars are 1-9 SU and 4-5-1 ATS in their last 10 road games.
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Betting on the New England Patriots
The New England Patriots will head to their showdown against Jacksonville with momentum on their side after trouncing the Buffalo Bills, 40-32, on Sunday. It was another impressive victory for the defending champions, who improved their season-record to 2-0. With the win, the Patriots have now beaten their AFC East rivals in 27 of their past 30 meetings.
Key to New England’s hot start has been their incredible offense. The Patriots are averaging 34 points per game this season, second-best in the entire NFL. Just like in their opening game against Pittsburgh, it was Tom Brady who stole the headlines for the Patriots against the Bills. He threw three touchdowns and combined for 466 yards passing – the second-most of his career and most by any player against Buffalo.
Rob Gronkowski was Brady’s favorite target once again, catching seven passes for 113 yards, including a two-yard touchdown on the night. It was his fourth touchdown in two games this season and 10th in eight games against Buffalo. Julian Edelman also benefited from Brady’s masterful performance, scoring twice on 8- and 22-yard touchdown catches.
It’s important for the Patriots that their receivers step up again for them to preserve their unbeaten record against Jacksonville this coming Sunday. The Patriots are averaging an NFL-best 366.0 passing yards per game this season.
The Patriots are 9-1 SU and 6-3-1 ATS in their last 10 home games.
Writer’s Prediction
New England (-14) wins, 38-17.
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