Best & Worst
of yesterday’s game
BEST EARLY SIGN THE HAND WAS FINE: Tom Brady, who suffered a hand injury during practice this week, made Patriots fans feel a lot better when he delivered a strike to Brandin Cooks for a 31-yard completion on his second pass of the game. WORST SIGHT: Rob Gronkowski got crushed by Barry Church on a helmet-to-helmet hit late in the first half, resulting in an unnecessary roughness call. Gronkowski wobbled off the field and didn't return to the contest. WORST COMMUNICATION: Jaguars tight end Marcedes Lewis blocked Eric Lee, then sauntered into the end zone uncovered to catch a 4-yard touchdown pass from Blake Bortles to give his team a 7-3 second-quarter lead. WORST CLOCK MANAGEMENT: Rather than running the clock down to the two-minute warning at the end of the half, the Jaguars punted, giving the Patriots possession with 2:02 left in the half. The added timeout helped the Patriots march downfield for a touchdown. WORST DROP: Brandin Cooks had two steps on linebacker Telvin Smith and dropped a perfectly thrown ball by Brady inside the Jaguars 25-yard line. BEST THEFT: Jaguars linebacker Myles Jack ruined a perfectly good razzle-dazzle play by the Patriots. Danny Amendola caught a pass from Brady behind the line of scrimmage and threw a perfect pass to Dion Lewis across the field. Lewis ran 20 yards but Jack stripped the ball out of Lewis' hands to reverse the momentum. BEST TIME TO DUST OFF ANOTHER SET OF HANDS: Seldom-used Phillip Dorsett made the most of his first catch since the season finale, hauling in a 31-yard flea flicker from Brady to set up Amendola's 9-yard touchdown reception to slice the deficit to 20-17. BEST REMINDER OF HIS PLAYOFF PROWESS: Amendola proved his postseason worth is priceless. He caught a pair of touchdown passes in the fourth quarter — including the gamewinner when he somehow got both feet down in the back of the end zone. BEST MONEY PLAY: Stephon Gilmore, who had an up-and-down season after signing a big freeagent contract, made a leaping play to swat away a fourthdown pass to Dede Westbrook and ensure a Patriots victory. WORST LETDOWN: The Jaguars possibly had one more chance if they could stop the Patriots on third-and-9 from their own 44 with 1:38 to play. But the defense, which had been stingy all game long, allowed Lewis to bust through the line for an 18-yard gain. Brady was able to kneel out the clock from there.