J.C. Jackson Makes Uplifting Statement To Prove Value Of Patriots, Even In Loss To Steelers

Undrafted rookie cornerback J.C. Jackson made his third consecutive start Sunday. He was supposed to shadow Steelers wide receiver Juju Smith-Schuster throughout the contest while his teammates Stephon Gilmore, Jason McCourty and Jonathan Jones covered Antonio Brown and the other players on the Pittsburgh receiving corps. Smith-Schuster entered the game ranked fifth in the league in receiving yards, but finished with four catches on 10 target for 40 yards at Heinz Field.

“I felt happy about the matchup with Smith-Schuster. I prepared all week. He’s a great receiver, and I just had to compete,” Jackson said after the team’s loss to the Steelers.

Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger tested tested Jackson. “Even on the first play, they tried to go deep. But I was ready,” he added.

“Playing corner, you find out who you really are when somebody catches balls on you and they keep coming back, and you keep fighting and making plays. That’s what he’s like,” Gilmore said. He helped hold Brown to just four catches on seven targets.

Jackson was a great revelation for the Patriots’ secondary since being engaged as a legitimate defensive contributor two months into the regular season.

He became a starter in Week 13, and Jackson gave up on nine catches on 18 targets for 86 yards.Jackson also has more pass breakups than 20-plus-yard receptions allowed.

“Every week, his role is expanding, and he’s been able to play lights out. Smith-Schuster has been putting on a show all year, and for Jackson to go out there and play the way he did, its peaks volumes about the type of player he is and the type of player he’s going to become,” Harmon said.

The Patriots lost the game to the Steelers, and they did not need this loss at this point of the season.