New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick has studied the Jaguars throughout the week as his team prepares to host the AFC Championship Game at Gillette Stadium on Sunday.
The five-time Super Bowl-winning head coach likes what he has seen from the Jacksonville squad.
"They're pretty much at the top of the league in every category," Belichick said during a Wednesday conference call with Jacksonville media. "They're very well-coached [and] they're sound in everything they do."
While there are a lot of mixed opinions about the Jaguars' quarterback position, Belichick has been impressed by Blake Bortles' work throughout the season.
Bortles has raised his completion percentage, minimized his mistakes and produced some of the best games of his career during the current campaign.
"He's been good all year, he's been great in the playoffs," Belichick said. "He's a good passer, takes care of the ball, good runner, he's tough and he's got a lot of things going for him."
Jaguars running back Leonard Fournette produced 109 rushing yards and three touchdowns against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the divisional round of the playoffs.
Belichick said Fournette's toughness is among his key traits.
"He's a strong runner," Belichick said. "He's got good vision, good body lean and makes a lot of yards after contact. He's tough. He runs hard."
The Jaguars' defense produces headlines with its play on a weekly basis. The unit has produced a league-high 37 takeaways during the regular season and postseason.
Belichick believes the group is talented at all levels.
"They're very good defensively across the board," Belichick said. "It's not one or two guys. It's the front, it's the coverage, it's the linebackers, it's the secondary and they get a lot of production out of everybody."
Jaguars cornerbacks Jalen Ramsey and A.J. Bouye will be spotlighted throughout the week. Ramsey and Bouye will need to make plays against Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and his plethora of weapons.
However, Belichick said the Patriots will have several obstacles to overcome in the passing game.
"The corners are good players, [nickel cornerback Aaron Colvin] is a good player," Belichick said.
"The safeties are good, [Barry] Church and [Tashaun] Gipson are good. The linebackers are good in coverage. It's a solid defense all across the board. It's not a one-man band. They can rush, they can cover. They play zone and play some man [coverage] when they want to or need to. They're good at everything."
Follow Mike Kaye on Twitter at @Mike_E_Kaye.