Patriots' McCourty: Bortles is a winner

The New England Patriots are opting for the opposite approach.

Rather than insult and demean Blake Bortles, their opponent on Sunday in the AFC Championship Game, the Patriots are building him up before they attempt to break him down on the field.

Bortles has been called "trash" and a choker by previous rivals, and he's responded by taking the Jacksonville Jaguars to the conference title game.

"It's kind of crazy, you know, the guy is still playing football. All those guys that said that, I'm sure they want to be in his spot right now playing in the championship game," Patriots cornerback Devin McCourty said on Wednesday.

"The guy is a winner. ... To me, you see a winner. A quarterback that is smart and makes all the right plays. When he is out there, he's trying to put the team in the best situation, and it shows up."

Bortles probably hasn't heard such praise since his college days. It's clear the Patriots are doing their best not to overlook their underdog opponent.

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