The Jaguars meet the Patriots in the AFC championship game Sunday at Gillette Stadium in the fifth postseason matchup between the teams.
New England is 3-1 in the previous matchups, and this marks the second AFC championship matchup between the teams. For the other, you have to look all the way back to Jan. 12, 1997, which was the Jaguars' second season in the NFL.
The Patriots won that matchup 20-6 before advancing to Super XXXI, and 21 years later, there are striking similarities. Here's a look at the then (and now) heading into Sunday's matchup.
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Bill Belichick is still here
Then: Belichick was an assistant head coach who worked with the secondary under Bill Parcells in 1996, and it was safety Otis Smith's 47-yard return for a TD that helped seal the victory.
Now: Belichick has won five Super Bowls as New England's head coach, and the Patriots are seeking an eighth Super Bowl appearance under him and 10th overall.
Tom Coughlin is still here, too
Then: Coughlin was a second-year coach with the expansion Jaguars making the first of four playoff runs from 1995-2002.
Now: Coughlin won two Super Bowls against the Patriots as the Giants' coach, and he's now the executive VP of football operations for the Jaguars.
Jacksonville is Cinderella
Then: The Jaguars were an upstart franchise that surprised in the playoffs with victories against Buffalo and Denver, teams led by Hall of Fame quarterbacks Jim Kelly and John Elway, before traveling to New England for the AFC championship.
Now: After six straight seasons with double-digit losses, second-year coach Doug Marrone led Jacksonville back to the playoffs, and the Jaguars knocked off Buffalo in the wild-card round before an upset victory against Pittsburgh and two-time Super Bowl winner Ben Roethlisberger in the divisional playoffs. This team features young stars such as Leonard Fournette and Jalen Ramsey.
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Turnovers will be the difference
Then: Jacksonville committed four turnovers, including three in the final three possessions, with Smith's scoop-and-score the final blow in a one-score game.
Now: The Jaguars forced 33 turnovers this season while the Patriots forced just 18, but New England committed just 12 turnovers while Jacksonville had 23. It's two different styles, but the turnover battle will be huge in this game.
Expect the unexpected
Then: A snowstorm hit the area the day before the game, and a brief power outage delayed the game for 11 minutes, causing the lights to dim in the stadium.
Now: Given the Patriots' history since — Spygate and Deflategate and everything in between — an event like a power outage would fuel social media controversy.
Five more fun facts
— Adam Vinatieri was a rookie who kicked two field goals against the Jaguars in the 1996 AFC championship game. The 45 year old is still at it today with the Colts.
— Drew Bledsoe led the Patriots to the Super Bowl in 1996 with that victory against the Jaguars. He finished with 178 yards and an interception against Jacksonville.
— Patriots star tight end Ben Coates was limited to one catch for five yards. Rob Gronkowski will have to be better than that.
— Mark Brunell, much like Blake Bortles, was an effective runner. Brunell had 34 yards rushing against the Pats, but it was the two costly interceptions that made the difference. Bortles has 301 passing yards, 123 rushing yards and no turnovers the last two weeks.
— Tony Boselli and Ty Law were on the field for that last AFC championship game. Both are finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame this year.
