FOXBORO — Tom Coughlin is a name that elicits feelings of unease among those in Patriots nation. It’s been three years since he’s been the head coach of the New York Giants and it’s still understandable.
Coughlin, of course, coached the Giants to two Super Bowl victories over the Patriots. His 2007 team squashed the Pats' hope of an undefeated season in Super Bowl XLII. His 2011 squad upset the Patriots again in Super Bowl XLVI.
Each game had their magical moments. Plays like David Tyree’s helmet catch will forever be linked to two of Tom Brady’s Super Bowl losses.
Of course, so will the Giants’ pass rush.
Brady and the Patriots fell in disappointing fashion against two Coughlin-coached teams that were able to bring constant pressure on the Patriots quarterback. Now, as the Patriots prep for the Jacksonville Jaguars and Sunday’s AFC Championship Game, Coughlin is once again a part of the story.
Now the Jaguars executive vice president of football operations, he might not be standing across from Bill Belichick on the sidelines, but his Jaguars do have one big thing in common with those Giants teams — they have an elite pass rush.
“Yeah, I don't know,” Belichick said on Monday when asked if he sees Coughlin’s signature on the Jaguars defense. “I know Dave Caldwell's been down there for quite a while, has put a lot of that team together. Tom came in and exactly how that's worked between Tom, Dave and Doug [Marrone] and the other people there involved down there, I mean, you'd have to really ask them about that.”
The book was written about Brady back in that first Super Bowl loss to the Giants — hit the quarterback early and often and you’ll throw the Patriots offense out of rhythm. The theme has remained the same. The last time the Patriots lost in the playoffs, against Denver in the 2015 AFC championship, Brady was hit 17 times.
Although the 2007 and 2011 Giants teams were different, they both brought a versatile pass rush. The 2007 team had three of the NFL’s best – Osi Umenyiora (13 sacks), Justin Tuck (10 sacks) and Michael Strahan (nine sacks) to go along with Fred Robbins (5.5 sacks) and Mathais Kiwanuka (4.5 sacks). The 2011 team was similar. That year, the Giants were able to bring a pass rush without blitzing thanks to four players – Jason Pierre-Paul (16.5 sacks), Umenyiora (nine sacks), Tuck (five sacks) and Chris Canty (four sacks).
This year’s Jaguars team is similar. Jacksonville has one of the NFL’s best pass rushes, led by Calais Campebll (14.5 sacks), Yannick Ngakoue (12 sacks), Malik Jackson (eight sacks) and Dante Fowler Jr. (eight sacks).
“They're very well balanced and you don't see that a lot,” Belichick said. “You don't see that type of balance with good pass rushers, but as you said, they have a lot of good ones and they do a good job. They have good players that do a good job with their scheme.”
This season, the Jaguars finished with 55 sacks, which was the second most in the NFL. The 2011 Giants team finished third in the NFL with 48 and the 2007 squad finished first with 53 sacks. This Jacksonville defense on paper has a better overall defense when you take into account scoring (16.8 points per game) and pass defense (they’ve allowed 17 touchdowns compared to 21 interceptions).
Of course, the Jags pass rush will only be as good as the Patriots offensive line allows it to be. This year, Brady was sacked 35 times, which is the fourth highest in his career. Regardless of what’s happened in the past, this offensive line hopes to come together this weekend.
“Really, we just got go about our ground work the same way we do every week — prepare the same,” said right guard Shaw Mason. “You know, don’t make it bigger or smaller than what it is. Study up on these guys and go out there and compete with them.”
“I think it’s a mistake if you take anything we’ve ever done in the past and translate it to what we’re doing now,” added left tackle Nate Solder. “I think it’s a different story. We’re writing our own story this year.”