Patriots Will Play Jaguars In AFC Championship Game
BOSTON (CBS) -- The stage is now officially set for the New England Patriots.
The Patriots will be hosting the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, Jan. 21 at 3 p.m., in the AFC Championship Game, after the Jaguars earned an upset victory in Pittsburgh in the divisional round. The 45-42 win was the Jaguars' second victory in Pittsburgh this season, and this one led to the No. 3-seeded Jaguars punching their ticket to Foxboro to face the top-seeded Patriots.
The Patriots themselves secured their spot in the AFC title game with a 35-14 win over the Titans on Saturday night. They spent Sunday afternoon waiting to learn their next opponent.
The Patriots went 13-3 this season, while the Jaguars went 10-6.
On Sunday, Blake Bortles threw for 214 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions on 14-of-26 passing. Leonard Fournette worked through a first-half ankle injury to compile 109 yards and three touchdowns on 25 carries. Linebacker Myles Jack intercepted Ben Roethlisberger, and Telvin Smith returned a fumble 50 yards for another touchdown.
In franchise history, the Patriots are 10-1 against the Jaguars, including playoffs.
The two teams most recently met in September of 2015, with the Patriots winning at home 51-17. Previously, they met in 2012, with the Patriots winning 23-16 in Jacksonville.
Interestingly, the two teams have faced off four times in the playoffs. The 2007 Patriots beat the Jaguars in the divisional round in Foxboro, 30-21, and the 2005 Patriots beat the Jaguars in Foxboro in the wild card round by a 28-3 final score. The 1998 Jaguars beat the Patriots in Jacksonville in the postseason, while the 1996 Patriots defeated the Jaguars in Foxboro to earn a trip to Super Bowl XXXI.
The Patriots will be looking to advance to their eighth Super Bowl since 2001 and their 10th Super Bowl appearance in franchise history. The Jaguars are 7-6 all time in the postseason.
This year, the Jaguars led the league on defense in passing yards allowed while allowing the third-fewest passing touchdowns and ranking in second interceptions with 21. They also ranked second in the NFL with 55 sacks and second in points allowed.
Including the postseason, the Patriots and Jaguars shared six common opponents (the Bills, Titans, Steelers, Jets, Chargers, and Texans). The Jaguars went 6-3 against those teams; the Patriots went 8-0.
The Jaguars toppling the Steelers was certainly quite a shock in Pittsburgh. Mike Tomlin discussed midseason that he expected to see the Patriots in the AFC title game, and running back Le'Veon Bell echoed that belief just this weekend, and safety Mike Mitchell went so far as to guarantee a win over the Patriots in a rematch that will now never happen.
Instead it will be the Jaguars, looking to punch their ticket to Super Bowl LII, in the home of the most successful franchise of the 21st century.