DECADE OF DOMINANCE
NFL – NEW ENGLAND 24, BUFFALO 12
FOXBORO — Sunday’s 24-12 win over Buffalo marked the clinching of the Patriots’ 10th straight AFC East championship.
Julian Edelman is in his 10th season with New England. Rob Gronkowski is now in his ninth campaign as a Patriot. You never want to take the feat for granted, but it’s incredible to think that neither player has yet to experience an NFL season where the Pats are looking up in the standings and either the Bills, Dolphins or Jets are the beasts of the east.
Not everybody inside the home team’s locker room at Gillette Stadium has celebrating the AFC East down to an exact science … a few fist bumps and high fives but not overdoing it to the point where champagne is being sprayed all over the place. In New England, they only hang banners for Super Bowl titles. Division titles are merely footnotes.
“It’s exciting, but for us, it’s about playing in the last game of the year,” said Edelman.
In Jason McCourty and J.C. Jackson, you have two members of the Patriots’ secondary who happen to be on opposite ends of the career spectrum. On Sunday, each one became a first-time member of the AFC East-clinching fraternity. As an added bonus on a day when hats and T-shirts that read “Reppin’ The East” were distributed, McCourty and Jackson each nabbed an interception at the expense of Bills quarterback Josh Allen.
McCourty is a 10-year veteran who’s had to listen of plenty of stories of pro football success from Devin, his twin brother. Like Gronkowski, Devin McCourty joined the Patriots in 2010 is 9-for-9 when it comes to winning the AFC East. Finally, Jason has a division title to call his own after years of suiting up for two teams (Tennessee, Cleveland) that never came close to sniffing the playoffs. Last year, McCourty suited up for a Browns squad that didn’t win a single game.
“(Patriots special teams captain) Matthew Slater said right after the game that there’s a lot more to our story but you do not take any moment for granted,” said Jason McCourty. “It took me 10 years to be able to say that I have won my division and put a hat and shirt on. Ten years … you know how hard the journey is. I will enjoy the rest of (Sunday), then get ready for playing the New York Jets.”
Just like McCourty, Jackson wore his AFC East hat as he fielded questions. Unlike his veteran secondary mate who had been chasing the elusive prize for his entire career, the 23-year-old Jackson seems to have a good handle on division titles and the springboard it offers.
“It feels good, but it’s only just the beginning,” said Jackson, who joined the 2018 Patriots as an undrafted free agent following a col- lege career that featured stops at two FBS programs (Florida, Maryland) and a community college located in Riverside, Calif.
Jackson’s pick came at 9:53 of the second quarter and right after the Patriots built a 14-0 lead. Had Buffalo wideout Deonte Thompson been able to break a little bit more to his left, maybe he would have connected with Allen. Instead, Jonathan Jones didn’t allow Thompson to finish his route. That allowed Jackson to come away with the turnover.
The Bills clearly respected Jackson, who was targeted just once. On the interception, Jackson said his initial assignment was Buffalo tight end Jason Croom.
“I want to make quarterbacks pay when they throw my way,” said Jackson. “I didn’t think (Allen) was going to throw in the flat, but I jumped on it and came away with a pick.”
As a follow-up question, Jackson was asked if he expects all to be forgiven on a play that saw him pro- duce a positive result after deviating from his original assignment.
“I’ll find out during meetings on Wednesday,” he said with a smile.
Bill Belichick had a perfect view of Jason McCourty’s interception, which came in front of the Patriots bench and with 4:07 left in the contest. The pass was intended for Buffalo wideout Isaiah McKenzie but McCourty perfectly timed his leap along the sidelines.
“That was a great play. He made a great play on the ball and got his feet down. It was a wide-receiver-type-of-catch,” said Belichick. “J.C.’s played well for us. Jason’s played well. Those guys have been in a lot of different roles. Both are well prepared and they’re very adaptable to handle different things.”
Now, for the first time in their careers, they’re part of a New England squad that once again proudly stands atop the AFC East.
NFL – NEW ENGLAND 24, BUFFALO 12