Jones-Drew will provide a unique challenge for his former teammate’s new team, and how well the Patriots tackle him will help decide Sunday’s game. His low center of gravity makes him difficult to knock off his feet, his quickness helps him squirm out of a tackler’s grasp, and his power pushes piles forward at the end of runs. Tackling a bull might be easier.
“There’s no doubt, he’s definitely one of the top backs we’ve seen,’’ Patriots coach Bill Belichick said. “And we’ve seen a lot of good ones. He can do it all. He’s returned kicks. He’s good in pass protection. He catches the ball very well. He has a good feel in the passing game. He can run inside, he can run outside, he can run with power, he can run with speed.’’
Jones-Drew’s ability convinced the Jaguars to cut ties with Taylor, the franchise’s all-time greatest player. After the Jaguars signed Jones-Drew to a four-year contract extension worth more than $30 million, they couldn’t afford both in the same backfield.
“It was never in any way meant as a type of disrespect or anything like that toward Fred,’’ Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio said. “I think the organization felt great about the contributions he made here for the time that he was here. But it was time for more of Maurice, so that’s what we elected to do.’’
Immediately, Jones-Drew vindicated Jacksonville’s decision to hand over its running game to him. Jones-Drew is tied for the league lead with 15 rushing touchdowns and has gained more rushing yards than anyone except Chris Johnson and Steven Jackson. He’s also caught 49 passes, sixth among running backs, for 333 yards. Since Jones-Drew entered the league, he has scored 56 touchdowns - only LaDainian Tomlinson, with 71, has more.
While Jones-Drew has excelled in his first year without Taylor, the news of Taylor’s release initially stung. Coming to the Jaguars out of UCLA in 2006, Jones-Drew heard stories about veterans acting coldly toward rookies out of fear they would usurp them on the roster. Jones-Drew worried about how Taylor would receive him.
