Professor

http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-onlin...36393789.shtml

Rushing offense: D
The effective ground game needed to wear down the Patriots' defensive front and eat up clock never materialized. Fred Taylor and Maurice Drew averaged just 3.5 yards per carry, and didn't get much second-effort yardage because the Patriots did a good job of tackling. New England put a priority on not letting the Jaguars' rushing attack control the game, preferring to gamble on letting their passing game try to out-do Tom Brady.

Passing offense: B
Except for a costly second-quarter fumble, David Garrard had a solid game and was the main reason the Jaguars hung in there as long as they did. The same can't said of his receivers. Dennis Northcutt dropped a perfect throw near the goal line as he peeked to see if one of the Patriots' safeties might be primed for a highlight hit. Then Matt Jones, with a seven-inch height advantage on cornerback Randall Gay, failed to hold on to Garrard's well-thrown jump ball pass in the end zone, forcing the Jaguars to settle for another field goal. Under a big-time spotlight, the receiving corps showed why this area has to be addressed somehow in the offseason.

Rushing defense: D
Knowing the explosiveness of the Patriots' passing game, it was an absolute must for the Jaguars to shut down the run and they didn't come close. Laurence Maroney (22 carries, 122 yards) was over the century mark before the end of the third quarter. New England's offensive line controlled the game in every manner possible, showing the Jaguars that any notion of the Patriots being mostly a finesse team is a complete myth.

Passing defense: F
Everything remotely connected to defending Brady was a colossal bust. Sure, All-Pro receiver Randy Moss only had one catch, but what does that matter when Brady has all day to throw and there's poor tackling on top of suspect coverage? Cornerback Rashean Mathis had one of his worst all-around days in a Jaguar uniform, allowing Donte Stallworth to get loose for a critical 53-yard gain. He also missed a ton of tackles in the first half. Whether it was falling for Brady's fake on a Statue of Liberty touchdown pass or not finding a way to pressure him, the pass defense was exposed as the team's weak link that everybody thought it'd be going into the game. Had it not been for a chop-block penalty or a dropped third-down pass by Wes Welker, the Patriots likely would have scored touchdowns on their first six possessions (excluding the kneel-down at end of first half).

Special teams: C
Neither team did much of anything in the kicking game or return game. The Patriots didn't give Drew, who had a 96-yard kick return at Pittsburgh, much room to do anything. Drew even botched one kick, managing only to reach the 5-yard line.

Coaching: C
A pretty decent game plan by the offensive staff because, except for a couple of big dropped passes, the Jaguars might have been in a 28-28 game in the fourth quarter. However, the defense is another story. As good as Brady is against the blitz, you can't be so gun-shy about sending extra pass rushers when he's dinking and dunking your defense to death. Defensive coordinator Mike Smith and head coach Jack Del Rio undoubtedly faced a huge challenge with the Patriots' offense, but it would have been nice to see them mix things up a little bit more.

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