J-Speaks: NFL Championship Sunday: AFC, NFC Championship Game Previews

On Championship Sunday in the National Football League (NFL), we will see a familiar face, and a familiar team trying to build on its legendary resume. The other three participants will be led by quarterbacks who started this season as backups, but will be entering the American Football Conference (AFC), and National Football Conference (NFC) title games with a solid supporting cast around them. That supporting cast will play a big role in determining who will be on the precipice of the Vince Lombardi trophy, with one team hoping to be the first to compete for the NFL’s ultimate prize in their home stadium in two weeks. Here is my NFC, and AFC Championship Game preview. 

In the first game, the AFC Championship will feature Tom Brady, and the AFC East Champion New England (14-3) hosting the upstart AFC South Champion Jacksonville Jaguars (12-6), and their young signal caller Blake Bortles. 

In this matchup for the right to represent the AFC in Super Bowl LII, we have a future Hall of Fame signal caller in Brady, who is looking to lead the Pats to their eighth Super Bowl trophy in two weeks, while the Jags led by Bortles are trying to earn their first Super Bowl appearance in franchise history. 

Both teams have had different roads in getting to this point, but both have major stakes in this meeting for the Lamar Hunt trophy. 

With their 35-14 victory versus the Tennessee Titans (10-8) last Saturday night at Gillette Stadium, the Patriots earned their seventh straight appearance in the AFC Championship Game, improving on the longest streak in the Super Bowl era of the NFL. Sunday will also mark their 12th appearance in the AFC title game in franchise history, which is also an NFL record. On top of that, the Pats are trying to become the first team in league history to reach their 10th Super Bowl.  

Enter that contest, Brady was 17-3 at home as the Patriots starting quarterback, with a 62.9 completion percentage; 263.1 passing yard average in those contest with 40 touchdown passes, and just 18 interceptions. 

Against the Titans, he was magnificent going 35 for 53 passing, with 337 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions, which gave him in his last seven matchups with the boys from the land of country music 19 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions. 

With those three touchdown passes, Brady also set an NFL record with his 10^th game in the postseason with three touchdown passes. This was also the third time in his postseason career that he has had 35 completions. 

One of those touchdown passes was to Pro Bowl tight end Rob Gronkowski, who had six receptions for 81 yards in all. That scoring catch from Brady to the guy who is referred to as “Gronk,” tied for second all-time with 10. That ranks behind the record 12 scoring connections of Hall of Famers Joe Montana, and Jerry Rice.

“It definitely sounds crazy, but you got to keep it ignoring the noise on the outside. Just keep working every time you walk in the building, and just keep grinding,” Gronkowski, who has scored a touchdown in six straight postseason games said to CBS’ Tracy Wolfson about an ESPN story that came out about that this might be the last season that Brady, head coach Bill Belichick, and owner Robert Kraft are together.   

Brady with the victory also became at 40 years, 163 days old the oldest starting signal caller to win a postseason game, surpassing Hall of Famer Brett Favre, who led the Minnesota Vikings to a victory in the 2009 Divisional Playoff contest versus the Dallas Cowboys, who were led by Tony Romo, who was in the both calling the game on Saturday night for CBS. 

For the Patriots, being within one game of the Super Bowl is nothing new for them. Throughout their run of excellence over the last decade-plus winning five Super Bowls under Coach Belichick, Mr. Kraft and Brady has always been about a one game at a time approach. Never leaving a stone unturned, and always understanding that under no circumstances do you disrespect your opponent, and bring you’re A+ game when the lights come on. 

That was especially the case for the Pats defense, who after giving up a 15-yard touchdown pass by Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota to rookie wideout Corey Davis that capped an 11-play 95-yard scoring drive, held the Titans to 252 total yards the rest of the game. The Titans were also just 5 for 15 on third down. After having 202 rushing yards in their 22-21 comeback win at the Kansas City Chiefs in the Wild Card contest the week prior, had just 65 yards on the ground at the Pats, while also committing 10 penalties for 62 yards. The Patriots also sacked Mariota eight times, setting a new franchise postseason record.  

“I know how hard it is to get to this game, and we’re very blessed to do it, Brady, who injured his right hand in a minor collision with a teammate in practice on Thursday said to reporters after the game. “It takes a lot of things. A lot of good fortune. A lot of hard work.” 

“The reality of the NFL is what we did this week, will have nothing to do with what happens next week, and we’re going to have to go, and repeat it. So, you got to get right back to work.”

Brady, according to the Boston Herald did not practice on Thursday because of that hand injury.

When asked about the level of concern about whether Brady will be limited in any way on Sunday because of that hand, Coach Belichick said, "we'll see." 

ESPN's Suzy Kolber said during Friday's edition of "NFL Live," on ESPN said that during a conversation with NFL Nation's Mike Reiss, who reports on the Patriots watched Brady during the early portion of practice on Friday, where he was warming up wearing gloves on both hands. 

The question was, did the future Hall of Famer, who is 8-1 in his last nine playoff appearances under center with 23 touchdowns, and just nine interceptions participate the rest of practice because Brady was out of camera view. 

In typical Belichick fashion, when asked about the player, who has not missed a playoff game in his career on Friday morning said, "We're going to continue to get ready for Jacksonville, all the way through until game time." 

"We're going to get ready for Jacksonville. Do the best that we can. Make the best decisions we can for the team to do that. So, that's what we're going to do."

Jaguars head coach Doug Marrone did not take the cheese at all saying in his presser on Friday, "Tommy will play. We know that." 

Reiss did report that Brady's absence from practice on Thursday was of significance because it was an important in part because the entire team was in full pads, and teams have limited opportunities to work in full pads at this point in the season. On top of that, it is getting the entire team on offense, defense, and special teams to play at the same tempo. 

Hard work is the perfect to describe the Pats opponent the Jacksonville Jaguars, who earned their first playoff appearance in a decade this regular season, and will look to hand the Patriots their first loss at home in their last eight chances. Since their last home playoff loss in the 2012 AFC Championship Game 28-13 versus the Baltimore Ravens, who went on to win Super Bowl XLVII.  

They did it behind a defense that was second in the league in points allowed at 15.8; No. 1 in passing yards allowed at 169.9; second in sacks with 55, and interceptions with 21. 

That defense led by Pro Bowlers in defensive end Calais Campbell, defensive tackle Malik Jackson; linebackers Myles Jack, Telvin Smith, and a secondary unit of corners A.J. Bouye, and Jalen Ramsey were remarkable in their Wild Card matchup versus the Buffalo Bills. 

That defense was on full display in the Jags 10-3 win two Sundays ago in their Wild Card home playoff game versus the Buffalo Bills (9-8). 

They forced two turnovers, via two interceptions of quarterback Tyrod Taylor, and held the Bills to 7 for 18 on third down. 

The question was, could the Jaguars go into Pittsburgh, and take care of the Steelers the next week, like they did winning 30-9 back in Week 5 on Oct. 8, 2017? 

They not only went into the Heinz Field, and beat the AFC North Champion Steelers (13-4) in the Divisional Round last Sunday afternoon 45-42, they did behind an offense which was incredible compared to the anemic performance the week prior. 

Led by rookie running back Leonard Fournette, who had 25 carries for 109 yards, and three rushing touchdowns, becoming just the second rookie in postseason history with three-plus rushing scores in a game, the Jags compiled 22 first downs; 378 total yards; went 8 for 14 on third down; and scored touchdowns on all five of their trips in the red zone.

“We kept pushing each, and every play, in spite of [if] we lost yards, we knew we had to get it back, because they was going to score, and we have to score, and it was going to be back, and fourth likely,” Fournette, who overcame an ankle injury, thanks to a scripture he got from his mother at intermission said to FOX Sports’ Kristina Pink after the game in the locker room.  

“In spite of the ankle injury, I knew my team needed me. I wasn’t going to sit out the game. Just kept playing.”

As great as Fournette was for Coach Marrone squad, the much-maligned starting signal caller of the Jaguars Blake Bortles, was 14 for 26 passing, for 214 yards, a touchdown pass, and no interceptions. 

“I think the last couple of weeks, its been a lack of execution. We’re kind of just been having some mental errors,” Bortles said to CBS’ Evan Washburn after the game about his team’s offensive explosion. “Not being able to figure things out. It hasn’t been scheme or calls, or anything like that. So, I think we kind of put it all together today. Guys came out, and played their tails off.”

That offensive output neutralized the Steelers’ production of 545 yards of offense, which included a postseason franchise record 469 passing yards on 37 for 58 from two-time Super Bowl champion Ben Roethlisberger, who also threw five passing touchdowns. All-Pro running back Le’Veon Bell had 155 scrimmage yards, scoring twice, and wideout Antonio Brown had seven receptions, 132 yards, and two touchdown receptions. 

“The guys played with confidence all day long,” Bortles, whose team including the playoffs is 10-0 this season when he does not turn the ball over said to Washburn. “Obviously what they have on their side of the ball, it’s a good team. We know that they got a good offense. So, we knew we had to keep scoring. That we were going to have to be efficient. Hold onto the ball for a little bit. So, we did it. They kept making plays at the end, but we were able to find a way to pull it out. It was incredible.” 

While the defense was not up to par compared to a week ago, the Jaguars defense had some big moments, which included two key stops on fourth down, and forcing two turnovers, where one of them was a 50-yard fumble recovery for a score by Smith in the second quarter. 

Besides having the better quarterback, and all the experience of being in the AFC title game, the Patriots also come into this game with the second-best scoring defense, giving up just 16.8 points during the regular season. 

To illustrate the mismatch between Brady and Bortles entering Sunday’s contest, the Pats’ signal caller has 26 postseason wins in his career, and Bortles has 23 wins, and has a record of 23-42 in his career. 

The thing the Jags have in their favor in entering their tilt with the Patriots on Sunday is the disrespect card. No one outside of Florida believes that they have a chance of betting the Pats, especially in their house this weekend. That was the same feeling about them doing what they did in Western Pennsylvania, but they found a way to win, and they will have to play even bigger if they want to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl in two weeks. 

For them to become the first team in NFL history to win games at Pittsburgh, and New England in the same postseason, and to be the first team to reach the Super Bowl following a three-win season, they will need a big game from Bortles, who had just 87 passing yards on 12 for 23, and a touchdown, but had 88 yards on the ground in win versus the Bills before his out of this world contest versus the Steelers to start this week. 

“I’m sure they’ll be tons of people that are going to disapprove, or talk negative, or hate, or do whatever they want, but we get to keep playing, and we get an opportunity to go play in Foxboro, [MA] next week for another week,” Bortles said to Washburn. 

“So, just honored to [do] this, especially with this group of guys. It’s been an awesome year, and want to keep it going.” 

Along with Bortles putting together another A++ performance, that Jaguars defense needs to show up. If they play below their potential like they did at the Steelers, the game will be decided before they new what hit them. 

In the NFC Championship Game, the winner between the NFC North champion Minnesota Vikings (14-3) and the NFC East champion Philadelphia Eagles (14-3) their respective signal callers, who began this season as backups will make history with their first appearance on Super Sunday, and will lead their squad one step closer to the Vince Lombardi Trophy in quite some time. 

The Eagles were rolling behind MVP candidate Carson Wentz, who was completing 60.2 percent of his passes with 33 touchdowns, and just seven interceptions. They lost their signal caller to a season ending knee injury in their victory at the NFC West champion Los Angeles Rams 43-35 in Week 14, on Dec. 10, 2017. 

In his stead was backup Nick Foles, who four years prior as the Eagles starter had 27 touchdowns, and just two interceptions. 

This time around though, the team struggled to close the season scoring just 34, 19, and six points in their final three games, despite winning two of those three final contests. 

In their 15-10 win in the Divisional Round versus the Atlanta Falcons (11-7), Foles played okay going 23 for 30 passing for 246 yards. While he had no passing touchdowns, he did not throw an interception. 

The Eagles, and head coach Doug Pedersen won the game thanks to their defense, which has been one of the best in the NFL all season long. 

The running back combination of Devonta Freeman, and Tevin Coleman combined for just 86 yards rushing. Last season’s league MVP Matt Ryan was just 22 for 36 passing for 201 yards, a touchdown, and was sacked three times. They also held the Falcons to just 4 for 13 on third down. 

That defense, which has allowed 10 points or less in their last four games at home masked an Eagles offensive attack that despite totaling 334 of offense, committed two turnovers, and managed just two field goals off the leg of rookie place kicker Jake Elliott in the second half. 

For the Minnesota Vikings, their season started with Sam Bradford under center, but a knee injury after just two games shelved him, and the preverbal keys to the car went to journeyman Case Keenum, who for the past two years was with the Rams as a backup, as well as a starter. 

In his 15 starts in the regular season, Keenum was 12-3; threw for 22 touchdowns, and just seven interceptions in leading the Vikings to the mountain top of the NFC North, and earned a First-Round bye. 

In their Divisional matchup versus the New Orleans Saints, the Vikings dominated early leading 17-0 at intermission. 

A 14-yard touchdown pass from Saints All-Pro QB Drew Brees to Michael Thomas that capped a 12-play 80-yard scoring drive that cut the deficit to 17-7. 

In the final period, the Saints mounted two touchdown scoring drives early, and late in the fourth quarter that gave them a 21-20 lead. 

The Vikings on their two scoring drives in the fourth managed just field goals, with the last one off the foot of veteran place kicker Kai Forbath to give them a 23-21 advantage. 

A late field goal by Saints kicker Will Lutz put them up 24-23 with just 25 seconds separating them from a trip to the NFC Championship Game. 

Down to their last shot with :10 seconds remaining and 61 yards from the end zone, Keenum threw an impossible hail marry pass to the sideline, which wideout Stefon Diggs somehow caught as rookie safety Marcus Williams was coming right at him. Diggs not only caught the pass, he kept his feet inbounds raced to the end zone for the game-winning touchdown, that ended the game 29-24, and guided the Vikings to the NFC title game for the 10^th time in franchise history, and their first since 2009. 

“I can’t even explain it man,” Keenum, who was 25 for 40, for 318 passing yards, the game-winning TD, and an interception said to FOX Sports’ Chris Myers on the field after the win. “We we’re definitely in desperation mode. Just had to give my guy a chance, and Diggs made a heck of a play.”

“We made a lot of plays today. Got to give our guys credit. We fought to the very end, and that’s special. That’s one of the most special times of my life.”

That walk-off score by Diggs, who finished with six receptions for 137 yards was the first in NFL postseason history, and a special moment for a player who said after the game that this was the reason he has worked his tail off in practice was to capitalize on that one shining moment. 

“Since I first got here, I never stopped working. Today was when all that hard work paid off,” the three-year veteran said while fighting back tears after the game to ESPN’s Josina Anderson. “God put me in a position, and I just tried to take advantage of the opportunity.” 

It is an opportunity that the Vikings defense is especially grateful for because this was one of the rare times all season that head coach Mike Zimmer’s team could not close out the game with their best unit, as Brees as mentioned three second half touchdowns. 

No one was happier for what Keenum did to keep the Vikings season alive than defensive end Everson Griffen, the team leader in sacks during the regular season with 13. 

“Oh my God!!!,” is how he described his quarterbacks’ game-winning touchdown throw to Anderson. “It’s unbelievable. I’m happy. I was sad, now I’m, … WOW!!!”

To put how great Keenum has been in terms of handling some situations this season, he is fourth in the NFL in terms of Total Quarterback Rating (QBR) on the road, as well as in his play outside of the pocket; No. 1 in one-score games, being pressured, and versus the blitz; and third versus five-plus defensive backs. Only Wentz of the Eagles had a higher Total QBR of the 69.5 of Keenum during the regular season. 

The NFC Championship Game essentially will come down to Keenum of the Vikings, and Foles of the Eagles, who were teammates with the Rams in 2015, their last season in St. Louis, MO where Keenum replaced Foles midway through that season as the starter. Who can make key throws on a particular scoring drive against the opposing defense, which each is one of the very best in the NFL. Whose running game will make the difference, and whose will be kept in check? Also, whose special teams will do their part to not make the glaring blunder that could swing the game in either direction?

If were talking about which QB has the most to work with, it is Foles. He was a plethora of options at wideout with Alshon Jeffery, Nelson Agholor, and Torrey Smith, and tight ends Zach Ertz, Trey Burton, and Brent Celek. Not to mention two bruising running backs in LeGarrette Blount, and Jay Ajayi. 

The Vikings have solid skill position players of their own in the previously mentioned Diggs, Adam Thielen, who is questionable to play because of back issue, and Kyle Rudolph, along with running backs Latavius Murray, and Jerick McKinnon. 

The Vikings strength however is as mentioned at the defensive end, and if they have any plans on being the first team to play a Super Bowl in their own stadium, their defense must show up at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday night. 

They need Griffen, and his defensive line teammates Danielle Hunter, Brian Robison, and Linval Joseph; linebackers Anthony Barr, Eric Kendricks, Eric Wilson; and the secondary of corners Terence Newman, Xavier Rhodes, Trae Waynes, Harrison Smith, and Andrew Sendejo, who is still in concussion protocol to show up, and show out. Coach Zimmer though expects Sendejo to be cleared come game time, according to tweet from Ben Goessling @GoesslingStrib on Friday.   

The Vikings can also take this into account that road teams are 7-2 in non-Super Bowl playoff matchups of 13-win teams. 

The other thing that the Vikings can take into account is the fact that making it to this point is not always promised, and they can look no further than their head coach to understand that feeling. 

In his first stint with the Dallas Cowboys as the defensive backs coach from 1994 to 1999, the Cowboys made it the NFC title game in back-to-back seasons in 1994, and 1995. They made it to the Super Bowl in both of those seasons, winning one, and then losing the other. Since then, Zimmer has not been back, and the Vikings win last Sunday ended a personal 10-game postseason losing streak. 

"I want them to understand this is an unbelievable moment. A great opportunity, and we need to take advantage of it now, because it may never happen again for 22 more years," Zimmer said to ESPN's Hannah Storm about winning in Philadelphia on Sunday, and reaching the Super Bowl. 

"For a lot of these players, they've never been to an NFC Championship Game. They've never been to a Super Bowl, and we need to cherish the moment, but we also need to take advantage of this opportunity." 

Zimmer also said that the fans of the Vikings deserve to win, and win big because of the many playoff failures they have endured in past seasons, which has saw them lose their last five Conference Championship games in succession and seeing their Division, and cross state rival the Green Bay Packers have had long playoff runs, and have a Super Bowl to their credit, one of many in their history. 

Zimmer, whose squad will be looking for their first Conference title game victory since 1976 was especially proud of the fans, and the energy they brought to U.S. Bank Stadium last Sunday. He referred to it as, "electric."

"They were so good, and they've been like that all year long. For them, to be able to say that they're World Champions, that would be the greatest feeling in the world for me."

For that to happen though, The Vikings will have to win at the Eagles this Sunday night, and they will need their entire team to play well.

For both quarterbacks entering the biggest game to date of their careers, both took a different approach to how they are dealing with it. 

“I know this is what all you guys predicted. A Foles versus Keenum NFC Championship. Good job to guys who predicted that,” Keenum said in a mocking kind of way earlier in the week. 

Foles, who contemplated retirement before his second chance with the Eagles took a more reflective approach saying in his presser, “I think the biggest message there is no matter what happens you just got to keep believing in yourself. Keep working hard. Just never give up.”

This Sunday’s Conference title game matchups gives us in the first game one team with a future Hall of Famer signal caller in Tom Brady, and one of the best teams of all-time in the New England Patriots trying to build on their historic resume hosting an opponent in the Jacksonville Jaguars trying to make their own mark, and their signal caller in Blake Bortles hoping to quiet all the doubters one more time, and lead the Jags to their first Super Bowl appearance in franchise history. 

In the other, we have the Minnesota Vikings led their understudy Case Keenum trying to reach the Super Bowl for the first time since losing Super Bowl IV against the then AFL champion Kansas City Chiefs on Jan. 11, 1970, at the Philadelphia Eagles, who are hoping led by their backup quarterback Nick Foles to reach the Super Bowl for the first time since losing to Brady, and the Patriots 24-21 in Super Bowl XXXIX. 

Championship Sunday, gets underway with the AFC Championship Game at 3 p.m. on CBS, while the NFC Championship Game will begin at 6:30 p.m. on FOX. 

Information, statistics, and quotations are courtesy of 1/13/18 4:30 p.m. NFC Divisional Playoff Game Atlanta Falcons versus Philadelphia Eagles on NBC with Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth, and Michelle Tafoya; 1/13/18 8 p.m. AFC Divisional Playoff Game Tennessee Titans versus New England Patriots on CBS with Jim Nantz, Tony Romo, and Tracy Wolfson; 1/14/18 1 p.m. AFC Divisional Playoff Game Jacksonville Jaguars versus Pittsburgh Steelers on CBS with Ian Eagle Dan Fouts, and Evan Washburn; 1/14/18 State Farm Postgame Show on CBS with James Brown, Phil Simms, Nate Burleson, and Boomer Esiason; 1/14/18 NFC Divisional Playoff Game New Orleans Saints versus Minnesota Vikings on FOX with Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Erin Andrews, and Chris Myers-State Farm Halftime Report with Curt Menefee, Terry Bradshaw, Howie Long, Jimmy Johnson, and Michael Strahan, with report from Kristina Pink; 1/18/18 6 a.m. edition of CNN’s Headline News Network’s “Morning Express with Robin Meade,” with the Bleacher Report, courtesy of the new 2018 Ford F-150 with Andy Scholes; 1/19/18 1:30 p.m. edition of ESPN's "NFL Live," with Suzy Kolber, Darren Woodson, and Tedy Bruschi; 1/19/18 ESPN Bottom Line news crawl; www.espn.com/nfl/standings; www.espn.com/nfl/statistics; www.espn.com/nfl/team/schedule/_/name/jax/jacksonville-jaguars; www.espn.com/nfl/team/schedule/_/name/phi/philadelphia-eagles; www.espn.com/nfl/player/stats/_/id/15168/case-keenum; https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Philadelphia_Eagles_seasons;
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2012-13_NFL_playoffs;  https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Bowl_XXXIX; https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philadlephia_Eagles; https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minnesota_Vikings; https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Minnesota_Vikings_seasons; https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Bowl_IV; and https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_England_Patriots.