NFL playoffs 2018: Bracket and schedule update after Jaguars vs. Steelers

The AFC Championship matchup is now set following Sunday’s showdown between the Jacksonville Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers. The Jaguars’ 45-42 win sends them to New England, where they will face the Patriots next week with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line.

It looked like the Jaguars were going to run away with this one early on. They struck early, going up 14-0 with two Leonard Fournette touchdowns in the first quarter. The Steelers trailed 28-14 going into halftime, but they had plenty of ground to make up, and questionable play calling wasn’t helping them get it done.

The Steelers made it a game in the second half. They pulled within a touchdown of the Jags in the third quarter. Fournette — who returned to the game after suffering an ankle injury in the first half — got into the end zone for the third time to give Jacksonville a 35-21 lead. The Steelers answered on the next possession with a gorgeous deep pass on fourth down from Ben Roethlisberger to Antonio Brown to close that gap to 35-28.

But Blake Bortles hit fullback Tommy Bohanon with a 14-yard touchdown with 4:19 to play, making it a two-score game again. Even at home, that was a tall order for the Steelers. Roethlisberger responded with a spectacular play that started as a rush and turned into a backward pass to Le’Veon Bell, who ran it in 8 yards for a score to pull within seven points of the Jaguars again.

Then the Steelers’ subsequent onside kick attempt was laughably bad. The Jaguars recovered and turned it into a field goal. Roethlisberger connected with JuJu Smith-Schuster with a second remaining to get within three of the Jags, but it was too late. The Jaguars won to advance next week.

In the NFC, the Vikings pulled out a miracle win at the last second against the Saints. Minnesota will travel to Philadelphia for the NFC Championship game next Sunday.

Super Bowl 52 kicks off on Sunday, Feb. 4 at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. Here’s where the bracket currently stands.

AFC byes: New England Patriots, Pittsburgh Steelers

NFC byes: Philadelphia Eagles, Minnesota Vikings

Saturday, Jan. 6

GAME 1: Tennessee Titans 22, Kansas City Chiefs 21

GAME 2: Atlanta Falcons 26, Los Angeles Rams 13

Sunday, Jan. 7

GAME 3: Jacksonville Jaguars 10, Buffalo Bills 3

GAME 4: New Orleans Saints 31, Carolina Panthers 26

Saturday, Jan. 13

GAME 5: Philadelphia Eagles 15, Atlanta Falcons 10

GAME 6: New England Patriots 35, Tennessee Titans 14

Sunday, Jan. 14

GAME 7: Jacksonville Jaguars 45, Pittsburgh Steelers 42

GAME 8: Minnesota Vikings 29, New Orleans Saints 24

Sunday, Jan. 21

AFC Championship: Jacksonville Jaguars at New England Patriots, 3:05 p.m., CBS

NFC Championship: Minnesota Vikings at Philadelphia Eagles, 6:40 p.m., FOX

Sunday, Feb. 4

AFC Champion vs. NFC Champion, 6:30 p.m., NBC

All times are Eastern.