Week one of the 2018 NFL season is officially in the books. Last Sunday the New England Patriots defeated the Houston Texans 27-20 in the friendly confines of Gillette Stadium. The Patriots looked as good as ever despite an offseason filled with questions about the future of the team. The team’s “Blitz for Six” marches on this week as they travel to Duval County, Florida to take on the Jacksonville Jaguars. Last season’s meeting was a classic in which a Tom Brady comeback propelled the Patriots to Super Bowl LII with the 24-20 victory. In honor of this week’s game, it’s time to make some bold predictions for Patriots-Jaguars round two.
Week Two: New England Patriots vs Jacksonville Jaguars Bold Predictions
Jalen Ramsey Will Struggle With Rob Gronkowski
Jaguars star cornerback Jalen Ramsey was a hot take machine during the offseason. Ramsey has produced hot takes such as Joe Flacco is a terrible quarterback along with taking shots at Buffalo Bills rookie Josh Allen among others. He produced a hot take that hit straight into the hearts of Patriots fans across the nation. Ramsey said that Patriots star tight end Rob Gronkowski was overrated. Ramsey stated that Tom Brady did all of the work on the offensive side of the ball and that he made Gronkowski look good.
Now it’s my turn for a hot take Mr. Ramsey. Ramsey was matched up on New York Giants star wide receiver Odell Beckahm Jr. during week one. Beckham Jr. caught six passes for 87 yards when matched up with Ramsey. I do not deny that Jalen Ramsey is a great football player. He’s one of the best in the league. Week one against Beckham was one of his worst performances. This will carry over into week two against the Patriots. Rob Gronkowski will physically overmatch Ramsey in one on one situations and dominate him all game long. Ramsey’s struggles will result in a big day for the Patriots offense.
Rex Burkhead Will Shine
Coming into the 2018 season, Patriots rookie Sony Michel was projected to be the team’s feature running back. As a result of Michel’s injury issues, Rex Burkhead was thrown into the feature running back position during the Patriots week one victory over the Texans. Burkhead carried the ball 18 times for 64 yards on the ground. In the air, Burkhead caught one pass for five yards.
Burkhead will build on his solid week one against the Jaguars. He will contribute heavily to the Patriots offense by gaining over 100 yards of total offense and two touchdowns. As a result of his performance, the Patriots offense will flourish and they will come out of week two with a huge victory in the rematch of last year’s AFC Championship Game.
The Jaguars Defense Will Be Outshined
The Jaguars have one of the NFL’s most dominant defenses. In week one they surrendered 324 yards of total offense and forced two turnovers in their 20-15 win over the Giants. In last year’s AFC Championship Game, they held the Patriots offense in check until the Patriots pulled away in the fourth quarter.
This Sunday will be different compared to the playoffs. The Patriots offense will flourish with a limited amount of wide receivers. The Patriots running backs will be utilized heavily in the passing game and Rob Gronkowski will go off as stated in prediction number one. The Jaguars defense surrenders at least 30 points and will lose the game by at least ten points. Expect a huge day from Tom Brady and the Patriots offense on Sunday.
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