Taking a closer look via video at three key Patriots sequences from Sunday's win over the Jaguars, which include:
- Jakobi Meyers making a key post-snap adjustment to convert the first big third down;
- The Patriots' secondary making an adjustment from the Buffalo game to key an interception;
- Mac Jones dropping a pass in a bucket with timing and touch.
3-5-JAX 38 (8:08) (Shotgun) M.Jones pass short left to J.Meyers to JAX 24 for 14 yards (A.Cisco).
At first blush, this just looked like Jakobi Meyers finding a simple soft spot against a zone defense, but there's more than meets the eyes and shows you Meyers' value, even if he is limited athletically, simply for his mind and experience.
The Jaguars are showing pressure before the snap, and it could be an all-out blitz. Meyers, who is great before the snap, recognizes this and prepares to convert to a quick slant to make himself available to Jones quickly. But, after the snap, the Jaguars are actually in a completely different defense. Both linebackers drop out into coverage and instead of man coverage with pressure, the Jaguars are only rushing four with zone behind it — a version of Cover 2.
As he starts to run his slant, Meyers sees the linebacker drop into the anticipated void, so he converts his route to a up and out. On the outside, the Patriots had an in route (Kristian Wilkerson), and Kendrick Bourne was going to run a wheel-ish vertical route if it was man coverage. Because it was zone, Wilkerson converted to a go route, and Bourne stayed in the flat to put the cornerback in conflict, and hold him.
That allowed Meyers to have space. Jones, who wanted Hunter Henry initially but was bracketed in the zone, quickly went to Meyers and did a nice job putting the ball on him and instead of sending him into the cornerback. If Meyers wasn't available, Jones had the checkdown to Brandon Bolden.
2-6-JAX 40 (2:02) (Shotgun) T.Lawrence pass short left intended for T.Austin INTERCEPTED by J.Jackson at JAX 43. J.Jackson to JAX 43 for no gain (T.Austin). NE 27-Jackson 25th career interception, 9th in franchise history and ties NFL record for most in 1st 4 seasons (Hayes & Walls).
To me, the biggest development on this play was the physicality shown by all coverage players in the 5-yard box. This was such a departure from the Bills game that it appears it was a correction point in practice this week and thank goodness for that. It gives me a least a little comfort that should the Patriots face the Bills or someone like them (even the Dolphins this week), they are not going to devolve into playing flag football defense again.
On the interception itself, Trevor Lawrence made a poor pass not just putting it on the chronically underachieving Tavon Austin, but JC Jackson does a nice job baiting Lawrence into it. He initially shows inside leverage, but reads Lawrence and jumps outside to pick it off. Really good play by Jackson.
1-4-JAX 4 (:52) (Shotgun) M.Jones pass short left to J.Meyers for 4 yards, TOUCHDOWN. NE 10-Jones 20th TD pass of season, new franchise record for TD passes by a rookie (Plunkett 19, 1971).
Nothing really fancy here to basically end the game before halftime. Henry pre-snap motion reveals the Jags are in man coverage. Provided the Jags don't change their coverage postsnap — which Jones looks for — the Patriots are going to have the smash concept (Wilkerson on a short in-breaking route, Meyers on the corner/flag route).
The only question is, will Jones throw the ball on time, and will the touch be correct? Both have been an issue in recent weeks.
Jones is aces here. Perfect timing, perfect touch. Great throw.