Patriots to face giant-killing Jaguars in clash for AFC title
NEW YORK: There are new challengers standing in the way of the New England Patriots’ path to another Super Bowl.
The Jacksonville Jaguars beat the Patriot’s traditional rivals Pittsburgh 45-42 on Sunday to set up a meeting with New England in Massachusetts for the American Football Conference (AFC) championship on Sunday.
The winners go on the Super Bowl on Feb 4 in Minneapolis where they will meet either the Philadelphia Eagles or the Minnesota Vikings.
The Eagles and the Vikings will decide the National Football Conference (NFC) title in Philadelphia, also on Sunday.
The Patriots, who will be appearing in their seventh consecutive AFC title game, made it out of the divisional round with a 35-14 rout of the Tennessee Titans.
The reigning Super Bowl champions, led by quarterback Tom Brady, have had little trouble with the Jaguars in the past, winning seven consecutive meetings for a 10-1 edge.
They last met in 2015, a 51-17 New England victory.
This will be Jacksonville’s first AFC championship appearance since the 1999 season.
Philadelphia and Minnesota also have not appeared in conference championships recently.
The Eagles last played for an NFC title in the 2008 season and the Vikings in the 2009 season. Both lost. Philadelphia advanced over the weekend with a 15-10 divisional round win over the Atlanta Falcons and the Vikings outlasted the New Orleans Saints 29-24, scoring a touchdown as time expired.
Philadelphia and Minnesota are dead even i n all-time games, each winning 13.
The Eagles took the last one, 21-10 in Philadelphia in 2016, but the Vikings have a special incentive. A victory over the Eagles would enable Minnesota to become the first team to play the Super Bowl in their home stadium.
SCHEDULE Sunday, Jan 21 AFC championship: Jaguars at Patriots (3.05am, Mon, Thai time) NFC championship: Vikings at Eagles (6.40am, Mon, Thai time)
(The winners meet in Super Bowl at Minneapolis on Feb 4)