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A22 sports
Wednesday 17 January 2018
Showdowns set: Jags-Patriots in AFC, Vikings-Eagles in NFC

By DENNIS WASZAK Jr. group of guys.” ball, it’s a good team and “Everyone’s got to feel week,” defensive tackle
AP Sports Writer And, it has all come full cir- we know they’ve got a good physically and men- Fletcher Cox said.
NEW YORK (AP) — Watch cle for Tom Coughlin, who good offense,” Bortles said. tally and go out there and The Eagles used steady
out, New England. Here was Jacksonville’s coach “We knew we had to keep try to cut it loose one more play by Foles and a late
comes Sacksonville. the previous time the fran- scoring.” time in a huge game.” goal-line stand by their de-
Get ready, Philly. The Vi- chise got this far in the post- There’s also this neat nug- The Patriots know how to do fense to beat the Atlanta
kings are sailing into town. season. get: Jacksonville’s first AFC that, and they’re masters Falcons 15-10 on Saturday.
Tom Brady and the big He went on to win two Su- championship game ap- of tuning out distractions. It set up Philadelphia’s first
game-tested Patriots (14- per Bowls with the New pearance came during the Despite a published report conference championship
3) square off against the York Giants — both against 1996 season — against New during the week that raised appearance since the 2008
sack-happy Jacksonville Bill Belichick’s Patriots — England, which went on to questions about the rela- season. And it comes de-
Jaguars (12-6) next Sunday but is now the Jaguars’ play in the Super Bowl un- tionships between Brady, spite the Eagles losing start-
in the AFC championship
game in Foxborough, Mas-
sachusetts — with the win-
ner headed to the Super
Bowl. VS
“It’s been an awesome
year,” Jaguars quarterback
Blake Bortles said, “and we
want to keep it going.”
In the NFC, Nick Foles and
the resilient Philadelphia
Eagles (14-3) host Case
Keenum and the surprising
Minnesota Vikings (14-3) —
in a matchup of teams that Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles (5) throws a New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady celebrates a
overcame losing their start- pass during the first half of an NFL divisional football AFC playoff touchdown by Brandon Bolden during the second half of an NFL
ing quarterbacks. game against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Pittsburgh, Sunday, Jan. divisional playoff football game against the Tennessee Titans,
14, 2018.
Saturday, Jan. 13, 2018, in Foxborough, Mass.
“They count us out all the Associated Press Associated Press
time,” said Minnesota’s Ste-
fon Diggs, whose 61-yard
touchdown catch as time
expired Sunday gave the
Vikings a stunning 29-24 vic- VS
tory. “Nobody thinking we
can do it. This game was
over. I don’t stop playing till
the clock hit zero. That’s it.”
The Vikings open as a 3
½-point favorite against
the Eagles, while the Patri-
ots open favored by 9 1/2
in their game.
Being here is nothing new,
of course, for New England,
which has advanced to Minnesota Vikings quarterback Case Keenum, left, celebrates Philadelphia Eagles’ Nick Foles celebrates after an NFL divisional
the Super Bowl in three of after a 29-24 win over the New Orleans Saints during the second playoff football game against the Atlanta Falcons, Saturday,
the past six seasons. half of an NFL divisional football playoff game in Minneapolis, Jan. 13, 2018, in Philadelphia. Philadelphia won 15-10.
For fresh-faced Jackson- Sunday, Jan. 14, 2018. Associated Press
ville, however, this is all rare Associated Press
territory.
The Jaguars are playing in executive vice president der then-coach Bill Parcells Belichick and team owner ing quarterback Carson
the conference title game of football operations. He and lost to the Brett Favre- Robert Kraft, New England Wentz, a leading MVP con-
for just the third time in fran- helped assemble a squad led Green Bay Packers. was all business on the field tender, to a season-ending
chise history, and first since with coach Doug Marrone The Patriots have made it against the Titans. knee injury last month.
losing to Tennessee during that has been powered by to the AFC championship “It’s pretty incredible to “Our team never wavered,
the 1999 season. Jackson- a tenacious defense that game for seven straight be a part of that,” Brady defense did an amazing
ville is also one of four fran- ranked second in the NFL seasons, clinching this trip said. “I think the thing is job, special teams,” Foles
chises to never play in the during the regular season with a 35-14 drubbing of that we don’t really take it said. “That’s just been the
Super Bowl. “I’m sure there in sacks. the Tennessee Titans on Sat- for granted around here. I story this year is that we just
will still be tons of people After a few ho-hum games, urday night. “The reality of know how hard it is to get all stuck together.”
that are going to disap- Bortles, running back Leon- the NFL is what we did this to this game. We’re very The same can be said of
prove or talk negative or ard Fournette and the Jag- week will have nothing to blessed to do it.” the Vikings, who entered
hate or do whatever they uars offense showed it isn’t do with what happens next Meanwhile, Philadelphia is the season with Sam Brad-
want,” Bortles said. “But too shabby, either, outslug- week,” Brady said. “We’re playing for the NFC title for ford as their quarterback
we get to keep playing. ging Ben Roethlisberger going to have to go repeat the 11th time, but hasn’t and had big playoff hopes.
We get an opportunity to and the Pittsburgh Steelers it, so you’ve got to get right won it since the 2004 sea- But he went down with a
go play in Foxborough for in a stunning 45-42 victory back to work, right back to son — when the Eagles knee injury after the first
another week, so I’m just Sunday. the process of trying to fig- went on to lose to the Patri- week — and it appeared
honored to be able to do “Obviously, with what they ure out how to break down ots in the Super Bowl. Minnesota’s dreams might
this and especially with this have on their side of the our opponent. “We’ll be ready for next be dashed.q