Second effort from defense saves season
FOXBORO — Halftime adjustments from an X’s and O’s standpoint are important, but schematic changes are meaningless unless players come with the focus to execute them.
As the Patriots turned their fortunes around in a 24-20 comeback win against the Jacksonville Jaguars in yesterday’s AFC Championship Game, the defense did so with a change in attitude.
According to cornerback Eric Rowe, the Pats were more pillows than pile-drivers in the first half, when the Jaguars converted 4-of-6 third downs and gained 209 yards — 155 coming on Blake Bortles’ 13 completions in 15 pass attempts — en route to a 14-10 lead.
“We knew that we were just playing soft,” Rowe said. “We just knew it, and that’s something that’s easily changeable. It wasn’t like a scheme thing or (the Jaguars) schematically just beating us. It was just a mindset. We came out of halftime fired up, ready to go.”
In the latter 30 minutes, the Jaguars went 2-of-9 on third downs and Bortles was just 10of-21 passing for 138 yards. Most importantly, after Jacksonville scored touchdowns on two redzone trips in the first half, the Jaguars did not make another foray that deep into Pats territory.
Josh Lambo booted field goals from 54 and 43 yards, but the Patriots defense stiffened when it needed to.
Defensive lineman Ricky Jean Francois reiterated a familiar refrain for the message at the break.
“Line up and win,” Jean Francois said. “Line up and beat the guy in front of you. Line up and do your job. That’s all it came down to . . . . You ain’t gotta do nothing extra. You ain’t gotta be a superhero or anything.
“If you do your job, everything can come together. You see it did.”
Especially in the fourth quarter. Rowe and safety Devin McCourty tackled Allen Hurns a yard short of the sticks on a third-and-8 from the Jacksonville 35-yard line, which forced a punt with 12:11 to play. The Patriots scored a touchdown on their next possession to pull within 20-17.
Aided by corner Stephon Gilmore pass breakup, the defense forced another punt with 6:30 to play, but the offense didn’t do anything with it. The defense gave them yet another chance: Rowe broke up a pass to Hurns on the ensuing second down, setting up another three-and-out, excellent field position and, ultimately, another trip to the Super Bowl after one final Jaguars drive stalled at the Pats 43.
“We needed to get humble and just play Patriot football,” linebacker Kyle Van Noy said. “And we did that.”
Asked by a reporter what Patriot football is, Van Noy responded, “What you just saw. A win.”