Locked on target

Brady (26 of 28), Patriots advance to AFC title game

January 13, 2008|Christopher L. Gasper, Globe Staff

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If you want to beat the Patriots in the playoffs you can't make mistakes, and Garrard, who was 12 of 14 for 149 yards and two scores in the first half, made a big one, fumbling on a sack by Ty Warren. Vrabel recovered at the Patriots' 29.

On the first play of the second quarter, the Patriots cashed in to take a 14-7 lead, as Maroney plowed in from the 1.

It seemed as if the Jaguars might unravel when Jones-Drew boxed around the ensuing kickoff, diving on it at the 5. Instead, Jacksonville marched 95 yards in 11 plays in 7:11 to tie the score on Garrard's second touchdown pass, a 6-yarder to Ernest Wilford.

At that point, if the Patriots' game plan was to make Garrard beat them, it was having mixed results, as he was 11 for 12 for 141 yards and two scores.

But Belichick read the Patriots' defense the riot act at halftime. The players responded, holding Jacksonville to just 6 points the rest of the way.

"It keeps getting tougher every step of the way," said Belichick. "We know that whoever we play we'll have to play our best football. We'll have to play better. I'm just happy to be playing next week."

Christopher L. Gasper can be reached at cgasper@globe.com.