FOXBORO -- Even though Jacksonville's defense was ranked No. 1 in football when it came to defending the pass, it did have a hard time covering opposing tight ends.
According to Football Outsiders, the Jaguars ranked 20th in the NFL when it came to defending opposing tight ends through the air. Their strength is on the outside with cornerbacks Jalen Ramsey and A.J. Bouye, but there's a huge drop off in coverage with their linebackers.
So, how does Jaguars coach Doug Marrone plan on stopping Rob Gronkowski?
"Hope they do not throw him the football," he told reporters on Wednesday. "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."
Gronkowski is coming off of catching six passes for 81 yards and a touchdown in the divisional round win over the Titans, while he finished with 69 catches for 1,084 yards and eight touchdowns in the regular season and was named a first-team All-Pro.
The tight end isn't taking the Jacksonville defense for granted.
"That is a big challenge," he said. "They have very talented players on both sides of the ball. Especially on defense, they have many, many great players. It is going to be a big challenge. It is the best team we are facing all year coming up in the AFC championship game this weekend. We have to be ready. We have to be prepared. It is going to be a big, tough challenge, for sure."
