New England Patriots vs Jacksonville Jaguars: AFC Championship Game preview and prediction
By Hal Bent
The New England Patriots defeated the Tennessee Titans last Saturday night in the AFC Divisional round 35-14, punching their ticket to the AFC Championship game for an NFL record seventh consecutive season. Quarterback Tom Brady led the way 337 yards passing and three touchdowns against the over-matched Titans.
They will face the Jacksonville Jaguars who wiped out the Pittsburgh Steelers on last Sunday afternoon in the AFC Divisional round. The opportunistic defense led the way with a pair of crucial turnovers accounting for 14 points. In addition, quarterback Blake Bortles was efficient on offense passing for 214 yards and a touchdown while Leonard Fournette led the way with 109 yards on the ground.
Most analysts were sure it would be Pittsburgh coming to Foxboro, MA on Sunday afternoon in the AFC Championship game. Instead, it is the young, athletic, brash and talented Jacksonville Jaguars who are taking on the defending Super Bowl champions for the right to play in Super Bowl 52. The Jaguars are opportunistic, fearless, and have a deep and talented defense. They will be a tough test for the Patriots on Sunday.
There are a number of factors that will go into whether the New England Patriots will win, whether the Jacksonville Jaguars will pull the upset, who needs to step up for New England on Sunday, what one of the hidden factors that could impact the game, and what will actually happen on Sunday.
(all statistics from Pro-Football-Reference.com unless otherwise noted)