Getty J.C. Jackson
Former New England Patriots safety and current NFL analyst Rodney Harrison didn’t like recent comments that came from his old team’s top cornerback ahead of Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Chargers. J.C. Jackson broke traditional Patriots form during pre-game pressers and seemed to dismiss the threat of his upcoming opponent.
When asked about the challenge ahead of him facing second-year quarterback Justin Herbert and his dynamic passing weapons in Keenan Allen and Mike Williams, Jackson sounded unimpressed. He told reporters: “I mean, it’s not really a big challenge. I mean, we’ve just gotta do what we do best: Play our football and trust each other, trust our teammates.”
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Harrison took umbrage with Jackson’s words and shared his feelings on WEEI’s Merloni and Fauria on Friday. Harrison said: “It’s not smart. J.C. should know better. You always respect your opponent. I don’t care how good or how bad your opponent is. You always show a level of respect to your opponent. J.C. probably got caught up in the emotions of the game, but at the end of the day he’s going to have to back it up in front of a national audience. We’ll see what happens.”
Later in his spiel, Harrison added: “I wouldn’t have said anything like that because when you watch these guys on tape — Keenan Allen and Mike Williams — you could tell the incredible level of talent that they have. These are veteran players. They are going to take that personally. Keenan Allen is one of the most competitive guys. You watch him on tape, he’s definitely going to take that personally. J.C., you’ve got to be careful, man. You can’t get caught up in the emotion of the game. You’ve got to be careful because those boys can play. Those are big, big time players. You go back and watch that tape you’ll see Mike Williams catching passes all over the place, and he’s huge — 6’3, 6’4”. We’ll see if you can back it up, J.C.”
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Harrison’ words have merit, but after the way the Patriots handled the Chargers last year, it’s easy to see how Jackson might be getting a little full of himself.
What Happened in the Patriots and Chargers’ Last Meeting?
The Patriots destroyed the Chargers 45-0 last season in their Week 13 meeting. Bill Belichick’s defense held Herbert to 209 yards passing, no TDs and 2 interceptions. Jackson had one of those picks.
The Patriots’ defense held Allen and Williams to a combined 9 catches for 91 yards on 20 total targets. The pass rush sacked Herbert 3 times in what equated to the then-rookie’s worst game of his young career.
That was last year, and through the first seven weeks of the 2021 season, the Chargers look like a different team.
What Might Be Different in This Year’s Version of Patriots vs. Chargers?
Herbert is a year older and even better than he was last year when he won Rookie of the Year. Last season, Herbert averaged 289 passing yards per game, this season he’s up to 295. He should be in the MVP conversation all year as long as the Chargers remain in the postseason picture.
At 4-2, the Bolts are firmly in the conversation. Also, let’s not forget, the Patriots defense still had a guy by the name of Stephon Gilmore in coverage. The Patriots traded him away for a sixth-round pick earlier in the month, and it wouldn’t be a shock if his absence was felt on Sunday.
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