7 years agoThe New England Patriots and quarterback Tom Brady are likely to attack the middle of the field with tight end Rob Gronkowski and their running backs in the AFC title game. Jaguars linebackers Telvin Smith and Myles Jack are the primary pass defenders in the second level, and they allowed a combined 949 yards in coverage during the regular season, with both ranking in the top 12 in yards allowed in coverage among linebackers who played 300-plus snaps. Smith allowed 12 catches for a touchdown on 13 targets against the Steelers last week. Brady has thrown seven of his eight interceptions in 2017 on plays where he holds the ball for 2.6 seconds or longer, so look for him to get the ball out of his hands quickly in this game to eliminate Jacksonville's fierce pass rush and excellent cornerbacks on the outside. The Patriots usually always expose another team's weakness, so expect them to lean heavily on Gronk and their running backs on short passing routes.--Keith Hernandez - RotoBaller
Source: NFL.com - Matt Harmon