New England's hopes of regaining the AFC East crown took a huge hit on Sunday following a 12-point loss to division rivals Buffalo at home in Week 16. The Patriots will look to tighten their grip on a playoff spot in Week 17 when they host the Jacksonville Jaguars. Here's a preview of this important Jaguars vs Patriots showdown.
Jacksonville Jaguars installed as +15.5 underdogs
The losses are piling up for the struggling Jaguars. Jacksonville crashed to its seventh consecutive defeat on Sunday, absorbing a 26-21 loss at the hands of the New York Jets. It was another gut-wrenching defeat for the Jaguars, who have now lost in 13 of their last 15 games.
The Jaguars will look to get their season back on track this Sunday when they travel to Foxborough to face the New England Patriots. The Jaguars have struggled on the road this season, losing all of their seven away games in 2021. The Pats have fared badly at home this campaign, though, with New England winning just three of its eight games at Gillette Stadium.
For Jacksonville to grab its third win of the season against New England, the Jaguars will need to get a solid showing from Trevor Lawrence. He completed 26 of 39 passes for 280 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions in the loss to New York.
The Jaguars have the worst scoring offense in their franchise history with Lawrence on pace for the fewest touchdowns from a full-season starter. This year's No. 1 overall pick has just passed for nine touchdowns in 15 games this season. That gives Lawrence one of the lowest touchdown percentages in the modern era of any rookie quarterback.
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New England Patriots enter Week 17 as -15.5 favorites
The New England Patriots wasted a huge opportunity to build a commanding two-game lead at the top of the AFC East, losing 33-21 to the Buffalo Bills in Week 16. The Pats had no answer for Josh Allen, who threw for 314 yards and three touchdowns in the key divisional matchup.
It was a costly result for the Patriots, who dropped to second place in the AFC East with the defeat. They share the same record as the Bills at 9-6 but Buffalo holds the tiebreaker based on best win percentage in conference games.
The good news for the Patriots is that they are still inside the playoff picture. They are currently in sixth place in the AFC standings with just two weeks remaining in the regular season. The Patriots will look to return to the win column this Sunday when they host the lowly Jaguars.
For New England to snap its two-game losing skid against Jacksonville, the Patriots will need to get a much-improved performance from rookie quarterback Mac Jones. He struggled mightily in the loss to the Bills, completing just 14 of 32 passes for 145 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions.
Writer's Prediction
New England wins and covers the spread.
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