Taylor said finally making the Pro Bowl was enjoyable, but it won't help the Jaguars defeat unbeaten New England in the divisional round of the AFC playoffs Saturday night.

"I don't think it's going to do anything for us this week playing a team the caliber of the Patriots," he said. "It's good to see that it's there, but it doesn't change any of the routines."

"We talked all year long and we often said, 'How cool would it be if we met in the playoffs?' " Garrard said. Though Brady joined the Patriots last spring as a free agent, the text messages and phone calls between the enemy tight end and the Jaguars quarterback haven't stopped.

"I texted him after the Jaguars beat the Steelers [31-29 in the AFC wild-card game] to say how happy we were for him, and then Sunday, I asked what he wanted to put on the game," Brady said. "A dinner [bet]? Or maybe if [the Patriots] win, he buys me a fedora. I had to get that in."

The Jaguars blew an 18-point lead against the Pittsburgh Steelers then rallied to win 31-29 on a late field goal to advance to play the Patriots.

Isn't that like living through a bullet to the stomach only to get the guillotine to the neck the next week?

"If they want to use that as bulletin board material, go ahead. You shouldn't need what somebody else said to motivate you. I'm here to play football. I'm not worried about what they did four months ago," Spicer told reporters on Tuesday.

I think the Jags are honestly the most legit team to possibly beat the Pats. I guess you could call them a sleeper. Do you think this is true?

A: I see this Jaguars team as very likeable. While every team is different, this one sort of reminds me of the 2001 Patriots in that you need to watch them closely to appreciate what they're doing. They don't have bona-fide stars, but they play hard, they play together, they limit mistakes and they're tough. Running back Maurice Jones-Drew is one of the league's most exciting players who should probably be talked about more. I think he's overshadowed by playing in a smaller media market. That being said, I will be very surprised if the Jaguars come into Gillette Stadium and win. The weather looks like it won't be a factor and I think the Patriots' offense, specifically in the passing game, can exploit the Jaguars' defensive weaknesses. The Jaguars basically play a 4-3, rush four, and drop seven into zone coverage. I saw the Patriots carve up a Redskins team that played the same way earlier in the season. My main question is whether the Jaguars can control the game when they have the ball through the running game. I think the Patriots will answer the challenge.

Will the Jaguars' injuries on defense catch up to them?

It's hard to think they won't. Jacksonville has played a fair share of this season without three key starters -- including defensive tackle Marcus Stroud and middle linebacker Mike Peterson -- and the Jags lost defensive tackle John Henderson to a strained hamstring early in their AFC wild-card victory over Pittsburgh.

Now it's one thing for the Jaguars to lose Stroud and find a way to succeed. But if Henderson's hamstring injury lingers for another week and Peterson can't find a way back to the field (he has missed seven straight games with a broken right hand), Jacksonville will be incredibly vulnerable in the heart of its defense.