Divisional round: 2-2 Playoffs: 4-4
AFC
Jaguars (12-6) at Patriots (14-3), 3:05 p.m CBS
Jacksonville put the league on notice last week by once again upending the Steelers on the road, this time 45-42 to reach the AFC title game. The defense wasn't as dominant this time around, and Pittsburgh QB Ben Roethlisberger had five touchdown passes, but he also threw a pick and fumbled, a turnover Telvin Smith scooped up and scored on. Now the Jaguars get their shot at Tom Brady, who has stitches on his throwing hand. Can they be disruptive enough and be adequate on offense to get the job done in New England? The Patriots, as expected, had no issues cruising past the Titans last week. Jacksonville, which was an incredible 3-13 last year, is certainly a fun story, and the team is kind of quirky, the way the defense came together via the draft and with some big free agents. There are some colorful personalities on the team that have proven doubters wrong all season. The team and city are often looked down upon, sometimes for good reason, but it finds itself in the AFC championship for the third time. Rookie Leonard Fournette has been a load for teams to handle out of the backfield. And Blake Bortles has been ... decent enough. A Jaguars fan started a Twitter account in 2015 called @BortlesFacts, which is a sarcastic take on some of Bortles' "accomplishments." He started it out of frustration, but the account has taken on a persona all its own this year with the success of the team. A couple Bortles Facts examples: "Blake Bortles has never faked a hand injury," and "Super Bowl losses: Tom Brady - 2, Blake Bortles - 0." I'm not going to be one of those people who goes out on a limb and picks the Jaguars, but I think they can keep it close.
Patriots 24, Jaguars 16
NFC
Vikings (14-3) at Eagles (14-3), 6:40 p.m. Fox
There aren't many words to describe what happened last week in Minnesota. "Wow" will have to suffice. With 10 seconds left, Case Keenum let fly on a throw down the sideline. Stefon Diggs jumped up and caught the ball with a few seconds remaining. Everyone was thinking, OK get out of bounds and try for a game-winning field goal. But instead, he kept his balance, stayed inbounds, both Saints defenders who were nearby crashed into each other, and Diggs sprinted toward the end zone to set off a delirious celebration as Minnesota erased some of its poor playoff history with a miraculous victory. The Vikings, of all teams, are now one win away from being the first team to play in a Super Bowl in their own stadium. First, though, they have to go on the road to face the Eagles, who, like Jacksonville, felt a little disrespected as an underdog last week to the Falcons. The Eagles won, 15-10, and, after the game, several players donned dog masks to show off their underdog mentality. One of the most interesting storylines in this game is the Keenum vs. Nick Foles matchup. Both were on the Rams in 2015 and both got demoted. The joke has been they have flourished without former Rams coach Jeff Fisher holding them down. These teams are mirror images of one another. They both bring strong defense, solid running attacks, and iffy passing games into the NFC championship. It should be pretty low scoring, but I like Minnesota to prevail because Keenum has been better than Foles overall, and the Vikings' defense is just a slight step above the Eagles'. Given these teams' mostly bad-luck playoff histories, perhaps it'll end in a tie, though.
Vikings 20, Eagles 17
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