{"id":94660,"date":"2021-12-13T21:49:46","date_gmt":"2021-12-14T02:49:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.clnsmedia.com\/?p=94660"},"modified":"2021-12-13T21:49:46","modified_gmt":"2021-12-14T02:49:46","slug":"lazars-notebook-is-patriots-cb-j-c-jackson-playing-his-best-football-yet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.clnsmedia.com\/?p=94660","title":{"rendered":"Lazar’s Notebook: Is Patriots CB J.C. Jackson Playing His Best Football Yet?"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Patriots sat with their feet up during their bye week, knowing they\u2019d hold the top seed in the AFC; the question was how far ahead in the standings would they be after Week 14?<\/span><\/p>\n

Bucs quarterback Tom Brady wasn\u2019t finished helping his old team by outlasting the Bills in overtime to give New England a two-game lead in the division with one in hand over Buffalo.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Pats also got some help from Cleveland with an upset win over the Ravens following an ankle injury that forced Lamar Jackson out of the game.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Bucs and Browns did the Patriots solids, and they now find themselves in a three-way tie with the red-hot Chiefs and pesky Titans at 9-4.<\/span><\/p>\n

New England currently has the edge in the tiebreaker due to their 7-1 conference record, and they\u2019d edge out Tennessee in the head-to-head tiebreaker if KC drops a game.<\/span><\/p>\n

However, there\u2019s no room for error moving forward despite the Pats having great odds to win the AFC East and even the Super Bowl based on projections from Football Outsiders.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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According to Football Outsiders, the Patriots have the hardest remaining schedule (15th) among the three teams tied at the top of the conference. In fact, with three of their last four games at home, Tennessee has the easiest future schedule in the NFL.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Due to their strong positioning in playoff tiebreakers, the Pats can earn a first-round bye and home-field advantage in the postseason by holding serve with the Chiefs and Titans down the stretch.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But it\u2019s important to keep in perspective as we head into the last month of the season that things can change in a hurry, and the AFC currently has five teams in the hunt at 7-6; losses to the Colts and Bills in the next two weeks could flip the Patriots’ progress upside down.<\/span><\/p>\n

Although it\u2019s exciting that the Pats are leading the conference right now, there\u2019s still a long way to go.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Let\u2019s empty the notebook with some leftover thoughts on the Pats coming out of the bye week:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

1. Is Pats CB J.C. Jackson Playing His Best Football Yet?<\/span><\/strong><\/h4>\n

The targets-based metrics have always loved Jackson, but from this vantage point, he\u2019s having his best season yet in the NFL, and consistency is the main reason why.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Although Jackson finished second with nine interceptions a year ago, he also surrendered five touchdowns in coverage and allowed 7.9 yards per target. In plays without Stephon Gilmore, Jackson\u2019s yards per target ballooned to 9.9 in 2020.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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As the Pats\u2019 number one corner this season, Jackson has cut down on the explosive plays into his coverage while his interception rate is still among the league leaders. In other words, he\u2019s less volatile, which is a real indicator that he\u2019s taking the next step as a shutdown corner.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

On film, Jackson\u2019s biggest improvements are in route anticipations based on the situation, likely stemming from a more concerted effort this season to study tape of his opponents.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n