Dec 24 2006 10:50AM
Hello and welcome to Alltel Stadium. How big is today's game? In my opinion, this will be the defining game of the season. This is a statement game for the Jaguars. Are they or are they not a playoff team?

Dec 24 2006 11:13AM
The Patriots have already declared Ryan O'Callaghan, Vince Wilfork and Ben Watson inactive for today's game. The Patriots have signed punter Todd Sauerbrun and he will be active for today's game.

Dec 24 2006 11:24AM
Other than for the hamstring injury that'll keep Fred Taylor out of today's game, the Jaguars are in good health. The Patriots are banged up. Rodney Harrison and Laurence Maroney are also nursing injuries.

Dec 24 2006 11:48AM
The Jaguars inactives are: Charles Sharon, Montell Owens, Ahmad Carroll, Fred Taylor, Richard Collier, James Wyche, Jeremy Mincey and Tony McDaniel.

Dec 24 2006 11:49AM
The Patriots inactives are: Vinny Testaverde (third QB), Antwain Spann, Rashad Baker, Gene Mruczkowski, Ryan O'Callaghan, Vince Wilfork, Ben Watson and Marquise Hill.

Dec 24 2006 1:02PM
The Jaguars won the coin toss and will receive.

Dec 24 2006 1:03PM
The temperature is 65 degrees with winds out of the northeast at seven mph. There's a light sprinkle at kickoff.

Dec 24 2006 1:06PM
David Garrard throws to Maurice Jones-Drew for a first down at the Jaguars 42. Jones-Drew made a guy miss.

Dec 24 2006 1:09PM
The Jags will have to punt. Chris Hanson is standing at his 35 and he'll punt into the wind.

Dec 24 2006 1:09PM
The punt went out of bounds at the Patriots 14. He got a favorable roll.

Dec 24 2006 1:12PM
The Pats start with a pass out of an empty backfield. They have every confidence in Tom Brady.

Dec 24 2006 1:13PM
Brady sneaked for the first down. He caught the Jags off guard and goosed the center for a quick snap.

Dec 24 2006 1:14PM
Brady throws to Troy Brown for a first down at the Pats 38. The Jaguars are playing "cover two."

Dec 24 2006 1:16PM
He did it again. Brady sneaked for the first down. It looks like the Pats got off the ball more quickly.

Dec 24 2006 1:17PM
We have a third and four at the Jaguars 45.

Dec 24 2006 1:19PM
The pass was caught at the Jaguars 23. It's being challenged. The replay makes it appear as though the second foot may not have been down, but it's going to be a tough call.

Dec 24 2006 1:21PM
Conclusive? I don't know. The foot may have been up but it's going to be difficult to overturn the catch based on what I saw.

Dec 24 2006 1:22PM
The play is overturned. He did not gain possession until the second foot was up. It's fourth and four. The Pats are punting.

Dec 24 2006 1:23PM
Fair catch at the 23. Todd Sauerbrun kicked a pop up. Sauerbrun was just signed yesterday.

Dec 24 2006 1:27PM
Jones-Drew ran hard for the first down. He's a real impressive young running back.

Dec 24 2006 1:27PM
Jones-Drew has done it all so far. He's got five rushes and two catches. He's the offense today.

Dec 24 2006 1:32PM
Hanson just booted a really bad punt. It was blown dead at the Pats 30 for 27 yards. The hamstring has to be bothering him. This is a problem.

Dec 24 2006 1:33PM
Jones-Drew has touched the ball on nine of the Jaguars' 11 plays. Can he hold up?

Dec 24 2006 1:37PM
Facemask on John Henderson. It's the big one. The ball is at the Jags 35. First down for the Pats, who are starting to get some rushing yardage.

Dec 24 2006 1:38PM
Brady is nibbling. The Jags are playing a soft zone and he's throwing a lot of underneath stuff toward the sideline. Beware of the deep pass. At some point, a receiver will go down, out and up.

Dec 24 2006 1:39PM
That's the end of the first quarter. Maybe I'm just in need of some excitement, but I'm getting the feeling that this is going to be a great game.

Dec 24 2006 1:41PM
He didn't make it. It's going to be fourth and one. They're going for it.

Dec 24 2006 1:42PM
They called Brady for a false start. He was moving forward when he took the snap and sneaked for what would've been a first down. That's a different call.

Dec 24 2006 1:43PM
Field goal! Stephen Gostkowski nailed it from 48 yards.

Dec 24 2006 1:44PM
I don't think I have ever seen the false-start penalty called that they called on Brady. I think it was the right call.

Dec 24 2006 1:46PM
Whatever rain we had at kickoff was light and has since stopped.

Dec 24 2006 1:48PM
Touchdown! Wow! Jones-Drew was stopped. Everyone thought the play was over. Then he popped out of nowhere and ran 74 yards.

Dec 24 2006 1:49PM
Bill Belickick is challenging. He's claiming Jones-Drew was down, which he was. The issue is did a Patriots player knock him down or touch him while he was down?

Dec 24 2006 1:51PM
The touchdown stands. No one touched him while he was on the ground. The Patriots quit. They anticipated a whistle.

Dec 24 2006 1:55PM
Brady goes back to work. He passes to Brown for 19 to the Pats 42.

Dec 24 2006 2:00PM
Sacked by Paul Spicer.

Dec 24 2006 2:02PM
The Jags have great field position after that punt. They'll start at their 39-yard line with 10:12 to play in the first half.

Dec 24 2006 2:03PM
The Patriots have just loaded the box. They had a single-high safety on that play. They're daring Garrard to pass.

Dec 24 2006 2:05PM
Garrard's pass hit the umpire right in the face. He's down. The Jaguars will have to punt. The umpire is Garth DeFelice.

Dec 24 2006 2:06PM
Garrard was throwing for Reggie Williams over the middle. Williams appeared to have been open.

Dec 24 2006 2:08PM
Hanson's punt is out of bounds at the Patriots 18. With 8:38 to play in the first half, this is an important series for the Pats. They've been moving the ball, but they haven't done anything big.

Dec 24 2006 2:09PM
The Patriots have the same problem the Jaguars have. Neither team has a big-play wide receiver. They both need a speed receiver.

Dec 24 2006 2:10PM
Nibble, nibble, nibble. When is he going to take a shot downfield?

Dec 24 2006 2:11PM
Laurence Maroney goes straight ahead for eight yards and a first down at the Jaguars 46.

Dec 24 2006 2:13PM
Kevin Faulk plows straight ahead for a first down at the Jaguars 34. The Patriots are gaining yardage on the ground.

Dec 24 2006 2:14PM
Brady is a little short on the scramble. Third and one at the 25. This is big.

Dec 24 2006 2:15PM
Brady throws for a first down. Clint Ingram is called for roughing the passer. Put the ball at the 10.

Dec 24 2006 2:16PM
We're at the two-minute warning and the ball is at the six-yard line. The Patriots can get a first down at the foot line.

Dec 24 2006 2:18PM
Brady sneaked all the way to the foot line. It's third down.

Dec 24 2006 2:20PM
Touchdown! Corey Dillon scored without being touched over the right side. The Patriots continue to run the ball. That's surprising. The drive went 82 yards in 14 plays. Hmmm.

Dec 24 2006 2:21PM
The Jaguars have it at their 25. What do they do here? Risk an interception?

Dec 24 2006 2:23PM
Jones-Drew is over 2,000 all-purpose yards, the first Jaguars player to ever achieve that milestone. He's got 96 yards rushing and 33 yards receiving today.

Dec 24 2006 2:24PM
That's two screens in a row. Clearly, Jack Del Rio doesn't want to risk an interception. I can understand that. Discretion is often the better part of valor.

Dec 24 2006 2:24PM
That was close; a pass to the sideline. It had a pick-six look to it when it was thrown.

Dec 24 2006 2:27PM
The half is over. The Jags just ran the ball and headed to the locker room, which I think was a good idea. The offense is sputtering. They need to re-think their strategy.

Dec 24 2006 2:28PM
Brady is 14 of 19 for 99 yards and an 85.2 passer rating. It's the best 99-yard passing performance I have ever seen. Brady's efficiency is sensational. He has no receivers.

Dec 24 2006 2:30PM
Garrard is eight of 10 for 44 yards and 85.0. He's been OK but he's going to have to do more in the second half. I think that's obvious. The Jaguars are fortunate to only be trailing by three points. Their only score of the game came on a weird play.

Dec 24 2006 2:43PM
The Jaguars are playing "cover two," which is for stopping the pass, not the run. The problem is they're not doing either. The Pats have a first down at their 36.

Dec 24 2006 2:44PM
Brady just threw to tight end David Thomas for 36 yards to the Jaguars 27.

Dec 24 2006 2:45PM
Brady has now used 10 receivers.

Dec 24 2006 2:46PM
Touchdown! Brady to Thomas for 22 yards. Thomas made a diving catch. Let's look at the replay.

Dec 24 2006 2:47PM
Jack Del Rio has the challenge flag in his hands. He's looking at the scoreboard, trying to decide. He just threw it.

Dec 24 2006 2:48PM
Based on what I've seen so far, I don't think the Jaguars will win this challenge. It appears Thomas has his right arm under the ball when he hits the ground.

Dec 24 2006 2:50PM
The ruling stands. It's a touchdown. Brady is now, officially, on fire.

Dec 24 2006 2:51PM
Brady is now 18 of 24 for 167 yards, one touchdown and a 107.5 passer rating. The Jaguars have to open up the offense now.

Dec 24 2006 2:54PM
The Bud Zone is packed.

Dec 24 2006 2:57PM
Garrard has thrown a couple of passes to Matt Jones and George Wrighster to move the Jaguars to the Pats 38.

Dec 24 2006 2:58PM
They should've called a personal foul on that hit on Garrard. He slid feet first and took a hit to the head.

Dec 24 2006 3:00PM
Josh Scobee misses wide to the right from 53 yards. The Pats take over at their 43. That's a big swing and puts the Jaguars defense at a terrible disadvantage.

Dec 24 2006 3:03PM
Brady to Daniel Graham for 19 at the Jaguars 35. He's going to be tough to stop now.

Dec 24 2006 3:03PM
Brady has thrown it to everyone but Belichick.

Dec 24 2006 3:04PM
I just saw Brady make a mistake. He didn't see Troy Brown wide open in the right flat.

Dec 24 2006 3:05PM
The Pats have called time out with 4:52 to play. They're facing a third and one at the Jags 26.

Dec 24 2006 3:07PM
False start on the Pats.

Dec 24 2006 3:08PM
I just saw Brady make another mistake. He could've scrambled up the middle for a first down. It's fourth down.

Dec 24 2006 3:09PM
Gostkowski misses wide to the left from 49 yards. Brady's going to shake his head when he watches the video and sees that open lane up the middle on third down.

Dec 24 2006 3:12PM
Intercepted by the Patriots but there's a roughing the passer on Richard Seymour. The Jaguars get it back, plus the penalty. The ball is at the Pats 43.

Dec 24 2006 3:13PM
Garrard throws deep to Ernest Wilford at the Pats two. The game is on if the Jags score here.

Dec 24 2006 3:15PM
Touchdown! Jones-Drew scores from a yard out. The game is on with 3:06 left in the third quarter.

Dec 24 2006 3:16PM
Mistakes will almost always come back to haunt a team. In the Patriots' case, Brady's mistake at not seeing the open lane on third down and Seymour's roughing-the-passer penalty have allowed the Jaguars to get back into this game.

Dec 24 2006 3:18PM
Garrard is having a good day statistically; 11 of 15 for 126 yards and a 98.2 passer rating. He may only need a big-play receiver.

Dec 24 2006 3:20PM
What a great pass by Brady. It was a second and 16 and he has the Pats facing a third and one. This is big.

Dec 24 2006 3:21PM
They gashed 'em for the first down; off the left side. The Pats continue to run the ball.

Dec 24 2006 3:23PM
That's the end of the third quarter. The Pats have rushed for 84 yards and a 4.0 average. The Pats will be facing a third and three from the Jaguars 43 when the fourth quarter begins.

Dec 24 2006 3:25PM
Gerald Sensabaugh makes the stop on the short pass. It's fourth down. The Pats must punt. That's a big, big stop.

Dec 24 2006 3:33PM
The Jags are facing third and three at their 30 with 11:08 to play.

Dec 24 2006 3:34PM
Jones-Drew was stopped in his tracks. The Jags have to punt.

Dec 24 2006 3:35PM
The Pats have it at their 31. Other than for Jones-Drew's 74-yard pop-up run, the Jags haven't been able to run it with much success.

Dec 24 2006 3:37PM
Brady to Jabar Gaffney for a first down.

Dec 24 2006 3:38PM
Brady has now completed passes to 11 receivers.

Dec 24 2006 3:40PM
The Pats have to punt. There's 9:27 to play. That was a nice three-pass stop by the Jags after the Pats got the initial first down. Rashean Mathis is back to receive.

Dec 24 2006 3:40PM
The Jaguars will start at their 18-yard line. The playoffs would seem to be on the line with this drive.

Dec 24 2006 3:41PM
The Texans have beaten the Colts. Imagine that.

Dec 24 2006 3:44PM
What was that? On third and 10 Garrard threw a seven-yard pass. That made no sense. It's punt time.

Dec 24 2006 3:44PM
I expect the Pats to run the ball here. The Jags are playing pass real hard.

Dec 24 2006 3:46PM
Brady scrambled for the first down. He's hurt.

Dec 24 2006 3:47PM
Clint Ingram hit him in the back of the head. Brady went head first. It was legal.

Dec 24 2006 3:47PM
Brady is back up but he must stay out a play.

Dec 24 2006 3:48PM
The Jaguars just got caught with too many men on the field. Jorge Cordova was trying to run off but didn't make it.

Dec 24 2006 3:49PM
Brady throws to Graham for a first down at the Jaguars 33. What a tough guy.

Dec 24 2006 3:51PM
Maroney just scored from 27 yards out. Nobody touched him. I was afraid of that.

Dec 24 2006 3:57PM
Garrard's moving the Jaguars down the field. They're in Patriots territory with 3:12 to play.

Dec 24 2006 3:59PM
Touchdown! Garrard hit Matt Jones with a pass and Jones side-stepped his defender to score. The play covered 33 yards. Why does it always happen this way at the end, causing us to wonder why didn't they do this earlier?

Dec 24 2006 3:59PM
The Jags only have one time out remaining. Will they try the onside kick?

Dec 24 2006 4:01PM
They kicked it away and the Pats only returned it to their 15. It's all up to Brady for the Pats, and up to the defense for the Jags.

Dec 24 2006 4:04PM
Brady throws incomplete. He had Brown open and overthrew him.

Dec 24 2006 4:04PM
Mathis makes a fair catch at the Jaguars 46. We're at the two-minute warning. It's all up to Garrard now.

Dec 24 2006 4:07PM
Garrard is hit. He fumbles. The Pats recover. We'll undoubtedly have a review.

Dec 24 2006 4:08PM
They may use the tuck rule. Let's see.

Dec 24 2006 4:08PM
I think they're going to overturn this call. I think his arm was coming forward.

Dec 24 2006 4:09PM
I'll be shocked if they don't give it back to the Jags, but what do I know, huh?

Dec 24 2006 4:10PM
What do I know? I know nothing. The play stands. It's a fumble. I'm really, really surprised. This is a play we'll undoubtedly deal with in "Ask Vic" this week.

Dec 24 2006 4:11PM
The Pats are AFC East champs and the Jaguars' playoff hopes have just suffered a hit. How much a hit? I'll try to provide that information in my game story.