New England Patriots links 01/03/21 - Pats mojo rising: 50-burger on Jags clinches playoff spot

TEAM TALK

• Post Game Notes: Jaguars at Patriots. Patriots clinch playoff berth; Patriots score 50 in second game in 2021. Third time in team history the team has two 50-point games in a season; More.
• Gamebook: Full Jaguars at Patriots stats.
• Mike Dussault gives us his five key takeaways from the Patriots’ win over Jacksonville. 1. Good start: The Patriots raced out to a 28-3 halftime lead and never look back.
• Erik Scalavino shares his Game Observations: Playoff-bound Patriots pummel Jags.
• Post Game Quotes: Patriots and Jaguars.
• Post Game Pressers: Mac Jones - Matthew Judon - Bill Belichick - Rhamondre Stevenson - Adrian Phillips - Damien Harris - J.C. Jackson - Kristian Wilkerson - Kyle Dugger - David Andrews - Jakobi Meyers.
• What Went Right: Patriots clinch a playoff spot. (1.19 min. video)

LOCAL LINKS

• Karen Guregian writes that ‘if the Patriots play with the same amount of urgency they did during Sunday’s rout, and get the same kind of output from Jones and the offense, more opportunistic play from the defense, and a steady performance from the special teams unit, they’ll have a chance to beat anybody during the postseason.’
• Mike Reiss recaps Sunday’s blowout win over Jacksonville: After shaky outings in back-to-back losses, Mac Jones rebounded with a strong performance as the Patriots clinched a playoff spot.
• Evan Lazar tells us ten things we learned from the Patriots’ blowout victory over the Jaguars. 1. Mac Jones looks swaggy against overmatched Jaguars defense.
• Tom E. Curran writes sure, the Jaguars didn’t provide much of a test for the playoff-bound Patriots at Gillette, but a dominant performance sure can’t hurt the cause.
• Dave D’Onofrio gives us five takeaways from the postseason-clinching win over the Jaguars. 1. Playoff berth is a nice first step.
• Steve Balestrieri (PatsFans) Patriots blow out Jaguars 50-10, secure playoff spot, Observations. Mac Jones was very sharp in this game completing 22-30 passes for 227 yards with 3 TD passes for a passer rating of 128.1.
• Nick Goss presents his Pats-Jags takeaways: It was a “get right” game for the Patriots Sunday against the hapless Jaguars, as all aspects of the operation looked much better than the previous two weeks.
• Mike D’Abate (PatriotMaven) Foxboro bounce-back: Patriots dominate Jaguars 50-10. Patriots entered Sunday’s Week Seventeen matchup not only needing a win, but also to make a statement to themselves, as well as the league. The Patriots are still here.
• Mike D’Abate (PatriotMaven) Lessons-learned from Week 17 victory over the Jaguars. 1. “Look out, ol’ Mac is back.”
• Chad Finn’s unconventional review: Mac Jones landed in a perfect spot with Bill Belichick, but Trevor Lawrence hit rock bottom with the Jaguars.
• Zack Cox offers six thoughts on Mac Jones’ performance in Sundays’ rout of the Jaguars. Jones got his mojo back.
• Alex Barth details the Patriots earning their 10th win with a 50-10 blowout of Jacksonville.
• Bob George (PatsFans) Patriots lock in playoff berth, maul Jaguars.
• Tom Westerholm highlights Adrian Phillips sharing why he wanted to stay in New England, plus more Patriots postgame notes vs. Jaguars.
• Ian Glendon (FullPressCoverage) The Patriots signed safety Adrian Phillips to a three-year extension on Saturday.
• Karen Guregian points out the Patriots defense got back to creating turnovers and making the opposing team pay for mistakes.
• Dakota Randall calls attention to J.C. Jackson making both team and NFL history Sunday afternoon when he intercepted Trevor Lawrence.
• CBS Boston explains Damien Harris is on an absolute touchdown tear for the Patriots.
• Andrew Callahan wonders if Damien Harris could miss time with that hamstring injury, after sitting out the second half in Jacksonville.
• Adam London highlights Mac Jones on how it felt to beat the Jaguars, the team he rooted for growing up.
• Steve Hewitt talks about WR Kristian Wilkerson’s unconventional path that led to a career performance, scoring his first two touchdowns in Sunday’s rout.
• Adam London hears Kristian Wilkerson on the conversation he had with Josh McDaniels before his breakout game.
• Justin Leger notes NFL Twitter was filled with similar reactions after Kristian Wilkerson scored his first career touchdown Sunday vs. the Jaguars and N’Keal Harry was a healthy scratch.
• Zack Cox looks at whether Kristian Wilkerson’s breakout will mean the end for N’Keal Harry.
• Zack Cox highlights Kendrick Bourne as he laughed off the bone-rattling hit he absorbed Sunday from Jaguars LB Jamir Jones. ‘That was deff the hardest I’ve been hit.’
• Hayden Bird notes Bill Belichick praised Mac Jones as a ‘great person to coach’ after the Patriots’ dominant win.
• Michael Hurley relays Bill Belichick explaining the Patriots’ philosophy on signing undrafted free agents.
• Zack Cox reports the Patriots are headed back to the postseason but keeping their focus on next game in Miami.
• Mike D’Abate (PatriotMaven) Patriots playoff picture continues to sharpen as Week 18 approaches.
• Nick Goss updates the NFL playoff picture after a wild Week 17, including where the Patriots fit in the wild card and AFC East title races after dominating the Jaguars on Sunday.
• Dakota Randall says thanks to the Titans, the Patriots are officially back in the playoffs after a year off.
• CBS Boston details how the Patriots still have a shot at the AFC East and the No. 1 seed in the AFC in Week 18.
• Michael Hurley picks his four ups, four downs from the Patriots’ dominant victory over the Jaguars.
• Matt Dolloff’s Patriots-Jaguars ups & downs: Almost all ‘Ups’ after a 40-point blowout.
• Dakota Randall picks his three studs, three duds from Sunday’s win. Mac Jones up, Deatrich Wise down.
• Tom Shaw-Mellors (PatsPropaganda) Patriots ups & downs Week 17.
• Zack Cox reports Bill Belichick tied Don Shula’s record yesterday, which was the 20th time a Belichick-coached team has notched 10-plus wins in a season.
• Darren Hartwell relays Albert Breer explaining his theory why Josh McDaniels isn’t in the running for the Jaguars’ head coaching job:There’s a possibility McDaniels isn’t even interested in the opportunity.
• Mike Reiss shares some quick-hit weekend thoughts: Mac Jones’ handwritten notes to Patriots’ O-linemen a personal holiday touch; More.
• Robert Alvarez (PatsFans) Best of Social Media: The Patriots celebrate the holidays.

NATIONAL NEWS

• Miles Ruder (PFF) NFL Week 17 Game Recap: New England Patriots 50, Jacksonville Jaguars 10. In a duel between two first-round rookie quarterbacks, Mac Jones got the better of Trevor Lawrence, with Jones tossing three touchdown passes and Lawrence throwing three interceptions.
• NFL Game Center (NFL.com) Jaguars at Patriots: Drives, stats, highlights.
• Josh Alper (ProFootballTalk) Bill Belichick says Patriots “reached the point” where they had to face the music.
• Albert Breer (SI) Monday Morning QB: Bengals and Titans clinch divisions as playoff field takes shape; Plus, Antonio Brown’s latest exit, the NFC West race, Coach of the Year and the rest of Week 17.
• Peter King (ProFootballTalk) FMIA Week 17: The unfortunate irrationality of Antonio Brown and the improbable revival of the Rams.
• Jason La Canfora (CBS Sports) NFL insider notes: Antonio Brown’s disturbing fall from grace a cause for concern, plus more from Week 17. Brown’s football career appears over, but there’s more to his story.
• NFL Nation (ESPN) NFL Week 17 takeaways: What we learned, big questions for every game and future team outlooks. “The Patriots did what they needed to: pounce on an inferior foe early and improve their all-around fundamental play. Showing they could do that was an important step after back-to-back losses in which they didn’t play their best football.”
• Gary Gramling (SI) Week 17 takeaways: Burrow’s Bengals win the North in style, Cards provide the D in big D; Plus, Ja’Marr Chase runs wild, Odell Beckham Jr.’s difference-making day, Wentz and Tua fail to deliver, Russ’s (probable) swan song in Seattle, and much more!
• Around the NFL (NFL.com) Week 17: What we learned from Sunday’s games. 1. Mac Jones’ slump is over.
• John Jastremski (The Ringer) Jets get Brady’d but look competent and Joe Judge sounds delusional.
• Rodger Sherman (The Ringer) The winners and losers of NFL Week 17; We’ve probably seen the last of Antonio Brown in the NFL. Meanwhile, the Giants recorded negative passing yards, Ja’Marr Chase had a performance for the ages, and FedEx Field continues to fall apart.
• Frank Schwab (Yahoo! Sports) NFL winners and losers: After Antonio Brown fiasco, Bucs’ repeat is all on Tom Brady’s shoulders. Winner: Mac Jones.
• John Breech (CBS Sports) NFL Week 17 grades. Patriots: A+, Jaguars: F.
• Judy Battista (NFL.com) Raiders’ victory over Colts helps set up two Week 18 win-and-in scenarios in AFC.
• Grant Gordon (NFL.com) NFL announces Week 18 schedule changes, Saturday games: NE-MIA moved to 4:25.
• Shalise Manza Young (Yahoo! Sports) Bruce Arians lied to himself that Antonio Brown wouldn’t blow up and burn bridges with the Bucs. It’s who he is.

VIEW FROM JACKSONVILLE

• John Oehser (Jaguars.com) Game report: Patriots 50, Jaguars 10. Jaguars rookie quarterback Trevor Lawrence threw three interceptions, and the Patriots scored touchdowns on their first five possessions. In a game that never was close, the Patriots pulled steadily away for a 50-10 victory at Gillette Stadium Sunday afternoon.
• Tyler Nettuno (JagsWire) Instant analysis from the Jags’ embarrassing 50-10 loss to the Patriots.
• Mia O’Brien (FirstCoastNews) Jaguars embarrassed at New England, 50-10.
• Brian Sexton (Jaguars.com) Game that was: “Momentum is huge…”
• John Oehser (Jaguars.com) Five key plays: Patriots 50, Jaguars 10. 1. Methodical. The Patriots needed no dramatics to gain momentum Sunday; instead, they were methodical and consistent – taking a 7-0 lead on a 70-yard, 11-play drive on their first possession.
• Demetrius Harvey (BigCatCountry) Jaguars can’t do anything in 50-10 loss to Patriots. It wasn’t even close.
• Tyler Nettuno (JagsWire) Reactions from Jags’ 50-10 loss to the New England Patriots.
• Tyler Nettuno (JagsWire) QB Trevor Lawrence says he has faith in the Jags being in a better place in 2022.
• Ryan Day (BigCatCountry) Stats don’t lie: Jacksonville Jaguars fans back to 0% confidence in team. /And that was before the game.