We now know which two teams will face off in Super Bowl 52. The New England Patriots were crowned AFC champions on Sunday, followed soon after by the Philadelphia Eagles winning the NFC Championship.
NFL playoffs 2018: Bracket and schedule update after Jaguars vs. Patriots
This year’s Super Bowl matchup is set.
Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images
The Patriots had never won an AFC Championship when they’ve trailed at any point of the game, according to NFL Research. That changed on Sunday.
The Jaguars jumped out to a 14-3 lead, but a helmet-to-helmet hit that sent Rob Gronkowski to be checked for a concussion swung momentum in the Patriots’ favor. New England finally got into the end zone on a 1-yard rush from James White to narrow the Jaguars’ lead to 14-10 at the half.
Jaguars kicker Josh Lambo added a 54-yarder in the third quarter and a 43-yarder early in the fourth to give the Jaguars a 10-point advantage. Jacksonville got another huge opportunity when Myles Jack literally stole the ball from running back Dion Lewis after a nifty Patriots trick play. But the Jaguars went three-and-out and had to punt back to the Patriots.
That’s a risk teams generally can’t afford to take against New England. Tom Brady made them pay, with an eight-play, 85-yard touchdown drive to shrink the Jags’ lead to just three points with over eight minutes left to play. Another Patriots touchdown pass to Danny Amendola — his second in the fourth quarter — with under three minutes left gave the Patriots the edge they needed for the 24-20 win.
In the NFC, the Eagles thrashed the Vikings, 38-7, to set up a rematch of Super Bowl XXXIX.
Wild Card Round
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
Divisional Round
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
Championship Round
Sunday, Jan. 21
AFC Championship: New England Patriots 24, Jacksonville Jaguars 20
NFC Championship: Philadelphia Eagles 38, Minnesota Vikings 7
Super Bowl 52
Sunday, Feb. 4
New England Patriots vs. Philadelphia Eagles, 6:30 p.m., NBC
The worst Super Bowl ever
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