Jaguars don’t fear Patriots’ history

FOXBOROUGH, MASS. » The week started with a little trash talk from the underdog. The rest of it was dominated by speculation about a certain 40-year-old quarterback’s injured throwing hand.

Plenty of intrigue for when the Jaguars and Patriots meet in Sunday’s AFC championship game?

New England (14-3), the defending Super Bowl champion, is favored heading into its seventh straight conference title game. But the polished veneer it normally displays at this time of year is showing flecks of imperfection after Tom Brady injured his right hand during practice.

The injury kept Brady limited in workouts to begin the week and caused him to sit out practice entirely on Thursday.

Brady has never missed a playoff start during his 18-year career that includes four Super Bowl MVP honors. He said a bit contentiously only “We’ll see” on Friday when asked if he would play Sunday.

He wore red gloves and responded to other questions about the hand’s status by saying “I’m not talking about that.”

The Patriots’ top-ranked offense will need another signature performance from Brady against the Jaguars’ second-ranked defense.

Jacksonville (12-6), trying to earn a trip to its first Super Bowl, has scored eight defensive touchdowns this season, three more than any other team. That’s the most defensive touchdowns in a season by one team since the 2012 Bears.

Brady has faced a top-2 scoring defense in the playoffs three times, going 3-0 with a passer rating of 100plus in each game.

Jaguars defensive end Calais Campbell said their respect for Brady is high. Then he dismissed the notion that anyone in Jacksonville felt like the Jags were body, but overall I feel good.”

Bulletin board material?

All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey caused a stir when he told thousands of fans awaiting the team’s return after their win over the Steelers that the Jaguars “are going to the Super Bowl and we are going to win that (expletive).”

Asked about Ramsey’s comment, Patriots special teams captain Matt Slater said Ramsey has reason to show confidence.

“He should be confident, because he is very, very good,” Slater said. “The good Lord made that guy, and he said, ‘Let there be corner.’ And there he is. I’d be confident if I were him as well.”

Containing Gronk

Coach Doug Marrone has seen plenty of Rob Gronkowski dating back to his stint as Buffalo’s head coach. His approach to trying to slow down a tight end he calls a “nightmare” of a matchup hasn’t changed much.

“Hope they do not throw him the football. Hope he drops it,” Marrone said. “There is no secret formula. I’d like to watch a game where someone has been able to do it. He is going to make his plays and you hope those plays don’t end up killing you.”

In his past six postseason games, Gronk has 512 yards receiving and seven touchdowns. He is looking for his seventh playoff game in a row with a TD catch.

Sizing them up

Brandin Cooks is used to being underestimated because of his size. So the 5-foot-10 Patriots receiver isn’t worried about matching up against the taller players in Jacksonville’s secondary.

Both Jaguars starting cornerbacks, Ramsey and A.J. Bouye, are listed at 6-foot-1 and 6-0 respectively.

“I mean, you go and play,” Cooks said. “We’re not talking measurements at this point in the season, you know?”