2017 NFL SEASON: CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP SUNDAY

1-3 last weekend pushes my overall playoff record to 3-5

Remember the kickoff times are MOUNTAIN time so adjust the clocks accordingly.

AFC CHAMPIONSHIP, 1PM CBS

JAGUARS AT PATRIOTS

Not a surprise that the Patriots are in another AFC Championship Game. What is surprising is that the Jacksonville Jaguars have made it this far.

This is the Jaguars first appearance on Conference Championship Sunday. Their previous appearances were part of 4 consecutive playoff appearances in the late 1990s starting with the franchise’s second season in 1996 and ending in 1999 when the Jaguars went 14-2 as the AFC’s 1-seed. In both instances, the Jaguars missed out on opportunities to go the Super Bowl.

The 1996 season has some parallels to their current playoff run. Jacksonville, as the 5-seed, defeated the Bills in Buffalo, went on the road and upset a heavily favored Broncos team in Denver, and hung tough with the Patriots in Foxboro until a fumble returned for a touchdown in the fourth quarter ended their run.

The coach of that Jaguars team was Tom Coughlin who would later coach the Giants and go 2-0 in Super Bowls against the Patriots. Coughlin is currently in the Jaguars front office.

In 7 regular season meetings, the Patriots have never lost to the Jaguars. Their most recent matchup was a 51-17 win in New England in 2015. Their next matchup will be next season in Jacksonville. This is the 5th playoff meeting between these teams. The other matchups besides the previously mentioned 1996 AFC Championship game were the 1998 Wild Card, 2005 Wild Card, and the 2007 Divisional. The home team has won when these teams faced each other in the playoffs.

The 2007 playoff matchup featured the Patriots who were looking to becoming the first team to have a perfect season while the Jaguars were coming off of a playoff win at Pittsburgh.

So, yeah, there is a lot of history between these two teams, but this is about the present.

Could Jacksonville pull off another playoff stunner?

It is likely since the Jaguars jumped on the Steelers early and never trailed. Yes, the defense gave up 462 passing yards and 42 points, but 2 turnovers as well some poor decisions at key moments sealed the Steelers fate.

Again, Blake Bortles played just good enough as the Jaguars running game came to life with Leonard Fournette rushing for 109 yards and 3 touchdowns.

Bortles is also in some good company should the Jaguars win

Despite this, I cannot convince myself to go against Brady and Bellichik.

I don’t expect this to be another Patriots blowout like it was last weekend but New England will advance to another Super Bowl.

PATRIOTS 24, JAGUARS 19

NFC CHAMPIONSHIP, 4:30PM FOX

VIKINGS AT EAGLES

Meanwhile the Eagles made a 4th down stand against the Falcons to preserve their 15-10 win and advance to the NFC Championship game.

The Vikings are 13-10 in 23 regular season meetings and will meet next season in Philadelphia. However, the Eagles have the upper hand in the playoffs having won 3 out of 3 meetings

Once again, the Eagles are home underdogs like last weekend. The last time the Vikings were the road favorite in a NFC Championship Game was in 2000 against the Giants.

It did not go well for them.

I doubt that either team will score 41 points nor this game will be a blowout. Even though the Vikings have offensive playmakers, I see this game as a defensive struggle. These are two of the top five defenses; Eagles at 4 and the Vikings at 1.

Remember that the Vikings had a 17-point lead over the Saints before the Minneapolis Miracle.

No team has ever played the Super Bowl in their home stadium, but it looks like the Vikings will do that

VIKINGS 16, EAGLES 12