Blueprint for an upset: How the Jaguars can shock the Patriots

This season's AFC Championship Game between the Jaguars and the Patriots isn't quite David versus Goliath; that framing does a disservice to a Jacksonville squad that's as talented - especially on defense - as any team in the league and has more than earned its place.

But the Jaguars are still rightfully the underdogs against a Patriots juggernaut that's appeared in this game for an NFL-record seven years in a row.

Related: Save your jokes - the Jaguars are a legit threat to Patriots' throne

This might not be the best New England team we've seen over that stretch, but they're still, well, the Patriots - supremely coached and a lock to engineer a great game plan, with more than enough X-factors on offense to make any defense's life hell.

The Jaguars need to play a near-perfect game if they're to advance to Super Bowl LII. Here's a blueprint for what they must achieve.

Don't assign 1 defender to Gronkowski all game

Stopping Rob Gronkowski is impossible; you can only hope to limit his impact.

Jaguars head coach Doug Marrone put it best Wednesday when he jokingly discussed his team's approach to countering the tight end.

"Hope they do not throw him the football," Marrone said, according to Ryan Hannable of WEEI.com. "Hope he drops it. There is no secret formula. I'd like to watch a game where someone has been able to do it. He is going to make his plays and you hope those plays don't end up killing you."

But Jacksonville isn't without options - far from it. Safeties Barry Church and Tashaun Gipson and linebackers Telvin Smith and Myles Jack could all be tasked with stopping the pass-catcher. Even star cornerback Jalen Ramsey wants in on the action.

A Ramsey-Gronkowski slugfest would be must-see TV, but it's likely too bold a move for the Jaguars, since it would require a dramatic alteration to their scheme. However, Jacksonville should mix in Ramsey with the other defenders.

By switching the man on Gronkowski, and therefore subtly adjusting the challenge he and Tom Brady face from drive to drive or play to play, the Jaguars could disrupt the timing between the two future Hall of Famers and force the veteran pivot to look elsewhere in critical moments.

Rely even more on Bortles' legs

Blake Bortles will never be mistaken for Michael Vick, but the fourth-year quarterback's scrambling ability was an underrated part of his game until he rushed for more yards (88) than he threw (87) against the Buffalo Bills in the wild-card round. This followed a regular season in which he ran for 322 yards and two touchdowns.

Bortles used his legs to good effect against the Pittsburgh Steelers, too. He extended drives with well-timed scrambles, finishing with 35 yards on five carries.

It's a weapon the Jaguars must continue to deploy, though the Patriots are likely expecting it and will play with more discipline than Buffalo or Pittsburgh.

Jacksonville should throw in some designed QB runs, as well some read-option looks, to keep the Patriots guessing. This will also allow Bortles to gain confidence without forcing him into too many throws.

Use run game to control clock, help sustain 4-man rush

Running the ball to control the clock and limit the Patriots' offensive drives is easier said than done. It's a game plan many teams have attempted to execute against New England, and most have failed spectacularly.

But the Jaguars have the elite tools to succeed where others have faltered. Jacksonville owns the No. 1 rushing attack, topping just over 140 yards per game in the regular season. Their success on the ground has continued in the playoffs, as an even heavier dose of Leonard Fournette has pushed that number to over 150 yards per game.

And New England's run defense is vulnerable. The Patriots were 20th in yards allowed per game, but, more importantly, they gave up 4.7 yards per carry (tied for 31st) and allowed opponents to run for a first down 25.1 percent of the time (29th).

The Jaguars' defense is more than capable of standing toe to toe with Brady and Co., but the unit's scheme hinges on getting pressure with a four-man rush. If the offense can't sustain drives, Jacksonville's defense will inevitably either get too tired to be effective with just four rushers, or will be forced to sacrifice coverage players to create more pressure, moving away from what makes the unit so good.

Riding Fournette (and Bortles) is the best way for the Jaguars to both put points on the board and give their defense the best shot at limiting Brady.

Hit on big plays using play action

To beat the Patriots, you need to put up points - and a lot of them.

The Jaguars stunned the NFL world when they not only beat the Steelers, but dropped 45 points on them. That kind of offensive output was rarely seen from the Jaguars this season despite their success.

Usually, the Jaguars' scoring is limited by their methodical, ground-based attack. But the upside of being a run-first team is that it opens up the play-action portion of the playbook. In the wild-card win over the Bills, Jacksonville used play action to perfection on multiple occasions, manipulating the linebackers into crashing down too close to the line of scrimmage and creating holes to exploit downfield.

By utilizing play action, the Jaguars will give Bortles better looks on the deep shots they'll need to produce to keep up with New England's high-flying offense.

Bortles ranked eighth in passer rating (106.8) when throwing out of play action during the regular season, according to Pro Football Focus, so he's proven himself capable of taking advantage of these easier looks.

(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)