Jaguars team, player facts heading into AFC Championship Game

·        The Jaguars have advanced to the AFC Championship Game for the third time in franchise history. Jacksonville previously played in the AFC Championship Game in 1999 (Jan. 23, 2000 against Tennessee) and 1996 (Jan. 12, 1997 against New England).

·        Jacksonville is the second team since the 1970 merger to advance to the Conference Championship Game after winning three or fewer games in the previous season (2006 New Orleans). 

Recommended Videos



·        The Jaguars tied the NFL record for the fewest wins in the previous season (3-13 in 2016) prior to making it to the conference championship (excluding strike seasons), joining the 2006 Saints (3-13 in 2005) and the 1967 Oilers (3-11 in 1966)

·        A win on Sunday would give the Jaguars their first trip to the Super Bowl in franchise history

·        The Jaguars are facing the Patriots for the fifth time in the postseason (1-3)

·        The Jaguars are currently 7-6 in the postseason entering Sunday’s game

·        The Jaguars are 6-0 this season, including the postseason, when they don’t turn the ball over

·        The Jaguars have appeared in the postseason seven times in their 23 seasons (1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2005, 2007 and 2017)

·        The Jaguars totaled 21 INTs during the regular season, their most in a season in franchise history

·        The Jaguars have totaled 24 INTs this year, including the regular season and postseason, the most in the NFL

·        The franchise record for total INTs in a postseason game is three, which occurred in the team’s 31-29 victory over Pittsburgh on Jan. 5, 2008

·        The Jaguars intercepted  Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger six times this season (five in Week 5; once in Divisional weekend), marking the most interceptions against a single player in one season, including the regular season and postseason, franchise history

·        The Jaguars are 6-0 in the postseason when they register a positive turnover margin

·        The Jaguars won the turnover margin 10 times this season, including the regular season and postseason (9-1 // only loss was Week 4 against the Jets when they were +1)

·        The Jaguars are 6-0 in the postseason when they lead after three quarters (led the Steelers, 28-21, entering the fourth quarter of the AFC Divisional game)

·        The Jaguars scored 25-plus points in nine games this season, including the postseason and went 8-1 in those games

·        The Jaguars are 5-0 in the postseason in games decided by seven or fewer points

·        The Jaguars are 8-0 this season (RS + PS) when rushing on at least 55 pct. of their team’s offensive plays

·        The Jaguars are 11-2 when the team rushes for 100-plus yards – rushed for 155 net rushing yards vs. Buffalo in the AFC Wild Card and 164 at Pittsburgh in the AFC Divisional round

·        The Jaguars are 8-2 this season (RS + PS) when QB Blake Bortles is sacked one or fewer times, including 5-0 when he isn’t sacked

·        The Jaguars have converted 8 of 9 attempts on fourth-and-one this season, including the postseason

·        The Jaguars led the NFL in passing defense, allowing 169.9 net passing yards per game in the regular season. This Sunday marks the fourth time that the league’s top passing defense is facing the league’s top passer (QB Tom Brady – 286.1 passing yards per game) in the postseason since 1990 (passing defense is 3-0 against the top passer since 1990).

·        The Jaguars finished second in the NFL with 55 sacks in the regular season, trailing only Pittsburgh’s 56 sacks

·        The franchise record for sacks in a postseason game is six, which occurred in the team’s 31-29 victory over Pittsburgh on Jan. 5, 2008 

·        The Jaguars finished second in the NFL with 33 takeaways in the regular season (Baltimore – 34 takeaways)

·        Their 33 takeaways in the regular season were the most in a season in franchise history

·        The Jaguars finished the 2016 season with just 13 takeaways, the fewest in a season in franchise history

·        The Jaguars scored 137 points off turnovers in 2017, the most in the NFL and the most in a single season in franchise history since 2001

·        The Jaguars finished the season with the league’s best rushing offense, leading the league in rushing yards per game (141.4), as well as rushing attempts per game (32.9).

·        The Jaguars led the NFL in rushing this season for the first time in franchise history

·        The Jaguars won by at least 20 points on six occasions in the regular season in 2017, their most wins by 20-plus points in franchise history, and the most in the NFL this season

QB Blake Bortles

·        With a win on Sunday, Bortles would become the first player since Carolina’s Jake Delhomme in 2003 to win each of his first three career postseason starts

·        With a win on Sunday, Bortles would join Peyton Manning (2015) as the only QBs to defeat Ben Roethlisberger and Tom Brady in the same postseason

·        With a win on Sunday, Bortles would be the only player making their first, second or third career postseason start to defeat the Patriots in the postseason since 2001 (the following nine QBs making their first, second or third career postseason start also lost to the Patriots in the postseason since 2001: Ben Roethlisberger, Byron Leftwich, Philip Rivers, David Garrard, Tim Tebow, Matt Schaub, Andrew Luck, Brock Osweiler, Marcus Mariota)

·        The Jaguars are 7-0 this season (RS +PS) when Bortles registers a passer rating of 90-plus – Bortles had a 94.1 rating against Pittsburgh in the AFC Divisional round

·        The Jaguars are 10-0 this season (RS + PS) when Bortles does not throw an INT, including the postseason

·        The Jaguars are 6-0 in Bortles’ career when he doesn’t get sacked and doesn’t register a turnover

·        The Jaguars are 8-2 this season (RS + PS) when Bortles is sacked one or fewer times

·        If he leads the Jaguars to a fourth quarter comeback, he will join David Garrard (Jan. 5, 2008 at Pittsburgh) and Mark Brunell (Dec. 28, 1996 at Buffalo) as the only quarterbacks in franchise history to lead the Jaguars to a fourth quarter comeback in the postseason in franchise history

·        If he leads the Jaguars on a game-winning drive, he will join David Garrard (Jan. 5, 2008 at Pittsburgh) and Mark Brunell (Dec. 28, 1996 at Buffalo) as the only quarterbacks in franchise history to lead the Jaguars on a game-winning drive in the postseason in franchise history

·        Needs 279 passing yards in the AFC Championship game at New England to set the team’s single game postseason record for passing yards:

·        Needs three passing TDs in the AFC Championship game at New England to set the team’s single game postseason record for passing TDs:

·        If he rushes for at least 35 yards against New England, he will be the first quarterback since Steve McNair in the 1999 season to rush for 35-plus yards in three consecutive games in a single postseason

·        Fourth-year QB Blake Bortles has totaled 1,410 career rushing yards on 223 carries (6.32 rush avg.) in his 62-game regular season career. Bortles’ 6.32 rush avg. is the highest among active QBs with at least 200 rush attempts and the fourth-highest in NFL history among QBs with at least 200 rush attempts.

CB A.J. Bouye

·        Was named a second-team All-Pro CB on Friday, Jan. 5

·        Was named a Pro Bowl starter on Tuesday, Dec. 20

·        Has appeared in five career postseason games with four starts

·        Has registered multiple passes defensed in two of his last four postseason games entering Sunday’s game against New England

·        Has registered an INT in two of his last four postseason games

·        Needs one INT to become the 10th Jaguars player to intercept a pass in a postseason game

DE Calais Campbell

·        Was named the PFWA Defensive Player of the Year on Thursday, Jan. 17

·        Was named a first-team All-Pro EDGE defender on Friday, Jan. 5

·        Was named to his third Pro Bowl and was designated as a starter for the 2018 Pro Bowl on Tuesday, Dec. 19

·        Has appeared in 11 career postseason games with six starts

·        Has yet to register a sack in the postseason

·        Set the Jaguars’ single-season sack record with 14.5 sacks in 2017, the most in the AFC

SS Barry Church

·        Has appeared in five career postseason games with five starts

·        Has registered at least four tackles in every postseason game he’s played

·        Registered a sack in a postseason game on Jan. 15, 2017

·        Has registered two forced fumbles in his five playoff games

·        Needs one INT to become the 10th Jaguars player to intercept a pass in a postseason game

WR Keelan Cole

·        Needs seven receptions to have the most by a rookie in a postseason game in franchise history

·        Needs 95 receiving yards to have the most by a rookie in a postseason game in franchise history

·        Needs one receiving TD to become the first rookie in franchise history to catch a TD pass in the postseason

·        Needs eight receptions in the Jaguars’ Championship round matchup against New England to set the team’s single game postseason record for receptions

·        Needs six receptions against the Patriots to surpass Matt Jones for the most postseason receptions by a Jaguars rookie in franchise history

·        Needs 137 receiving yards in the Jaguars’ Championship round matchup against New England to set the team’s single game postseason record for receiving yards:

CB Aaron Colvin

·        Registered an INT in his postseason debut in the Wild Card round against Buffalo

·        Became the eighth Jaguars player in team history to intercept a pass in a postseason game when he intercepted Tyrod Taylor in the second quarter (CB Jalen Ramsey became the ninth with his fourth quarter INT).

RB Leonard Fournette

·        Is the only rookie in NFL history to rush for at least 100 yards and three TDs in a postseason game

·        With one rushing TD on Sunday at New England, Fournette would have 10 rushing TDs this season, including the regular season and postseason, which would be the most by a Jaguars player since Maurice Jones-Drew (10) in 2009.

·        After rushing for 109 yards and three TDs in the Divisional round at Pittsburgh, he became the youngest player (22 years, 361 days old) in the Super Bowl era to rush for at least 100 yards and three touchdowns in a playoff game.

·        Became the fourth player in the Super Bowl era with at least three rushing TDs on the road in Pittsburgh in a regular season or postseason game, joining Arlen Harris (2003), Fred Taylor (2000) and Earl Campbell (1978)

·        His three rushing TDs in the postseason are the fifth-most by a player during his rookie season in NFL history. With one rushing TD against New England, Fournette would join Norm Standlee (1941), Tony Dorsett (1977), William Floyd (1994) and Jamal Lewis (2000) as the only rookies to register four or more rushing TDs in a single season. With two rushing TDs against New England, he would have the most rushing TDs by a rookie in a single postseason in league history.

·        The Jaguars are 7-2 this season (regular season and postseason) when he gets at least 20 carries – Jacksonville is 2-4 when he has fewer than 20 carries

·        The Jaguars are 5-1 this year when Fournette rushes for 100-plus yards, including his 109-yard performance on Sunday at Pittsburgh

·        Fournette joins Ezekiel Elliott (vs. Green Bay, 2016) and Ickey Woods (vs. Buffalo, 1988) as the only three rookies in the Super Bowl era to  rush for at least 100 yards against an opponent in both the regular season and the postseason  -- Fournette posted 181 yards in Week 5 at Pittsburgh and 109 yards in the Divisional round at Pittsburgh

·        With 57 rushing yards on Sunday, Fournette will have rushed for the most yards in a postseason game by a rookie against the Patriots under Belichick (currently Joseph Addai’s 56 rushing yards for the Colts in the 2006 AFC Championship)

·        With 100 rushing yards on Sunday, Fournette would be just the sixth rookie RB to rush for 100-plus yards against Bill Belichick and the Patriots since 2000, joining Kareem Hunt (148 in 2017), Maurice Jones-Drew (131 in 2006), Roy Helu (126 in 2011), Arian Foster (119 in 2009) and Clinton Portis (111 in 2002

DE Dante Fowler Jr. 

·        Needs 1.5 sacks to join Gary Walker (2.0 on Jan. 15, 2000) and Clyde Simmons (2.0 on Dec. 28, 1996) as the only Jaguars players to register a multiple-sack game in the postseason

·        Tallied a pass defensed in the Jaguars’ Divisional round matchup against Pittsburgh. Is one of 12 defensive lineman in team history to break up a pass in postseason play and can set a franchise record for passes defensed by a defensive lineman in postseason play with one more pass breakup.

·        Needs 2.5 sacks in the Jaguars’ Championship round matchup against New England to set the franchise record for sacks in a postseason game

LB Myles Jack

·        Became the first Jaguars player to register multiple passes defensed in a postseason game since Rashean Mathis on Jan. 5, 2008 at Pittsburgh

·        Has registered three passes defensed in two career postseason games

·        Became the 10th Jaguars player to intercept a pass in a postseason game when he registered an INT against Pittsburgh in the AFC Divisional round

DT Malik Jackson

·        Registered his second career postseason sack in the Jaguars’ victory over Buffalo – his first postseason sack since Jan. 12, 2014

·        Was named to his first Pro Bowl on Tuesday, Dec. 19

·        Will appear in his 11th postseason game on Sunday against New England

K Josh Lambo

·        Including the regular season and postseason, has made 13 consecutive field goals entering Sunday’s game

·        His field goal of 45 yards in the Divisional round against Pittsburgh was the tied for the second-longest in the postseason in franchise history and his 44 yard field goal in the Wild Card round against Buffalo was the fifth-longest in the postseason in franchise history

·        His FG pct. of 95.0 (19 of 20) in the regular season was the highest in franchise history among kickers with at least 10 FG attempts

TE Marcedes Lewis

·        His nine receptions in the postseason are the most by a TE in franchise history

·        His nine receptions are tied for the fourth-most in the postseason in franchise history

DE Yannick Ngakoue

·        Needs two forced fumbles against the Patriots to become the first player in franchise history to register at least two forced fumbles in a postseason game

·        Posted his first career postseason sack-fumble against Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger in the AFC Divisional round – this was his ninth overall sack-fumble and 11th overall forced fumble

·        Needs 1.5 sacks to join Gary Walker (2.0 on Jan. 15, 2000) and Clyde Simmons (2.0 on Dec. 28, 1996) as the only Jaguars players to register a multiple-sack game in the postseason

P Brad Nortman

·        His nine punts against the Bills were the most in a postseason game in franchise history
His nine punts against the Bills were tied for the third-most in a game in Jaguars regular season and postseason history combined

·        His three punts inside the 20 against the Bills and against the Steelers mark the most in a postseason game in franchise history

CB Jalen Ramsey

·        Was named a first-team All-Pro selection on Friday, Jan. 5

·        Was named to his first Pro Bowl on Tuesday, Dec. 19 – named a Pro Bowl starter

·        Registered an INT in his postseason debut in the Wild Card round against Buffalo

·        Became the ninth Jaguars player to intercept a pass in a postseason game when he registered an INT in the fourth quarter of the AFC Wild Card round (CB Aaron Colvin became the eighth when he intercepted Tyrod Taylor in the second quarter).

WR Dede Westbrook

·        Needs one receiving TD to become the first rookie in franchise history to catch a TD pass in the postseason

·        Needs one reception against the Patriots to surpass Matt Jones for the most receptions by a Jaguars rookie in franchise history

·        Needs 137 receiving yards in the Jaguars’ Championship round game against New England to set the team’s single game postseason record for receiving yards:

Head Coach Doug Marrone

·        With a win Sunday, would be one postseason win shy of tying Tom Coughlin (four wins) for the most postseason victories in franchise history

·        The Jaguars and the Philadelphia Eagles both advanced to the Championship games of the playoffs after completing a “worst-to-first” turnaround this season. At least one team has won its division the season after finishing in or tied for last place in 14 of the past 15 seasons.

·        In the previous 14 seasons, four teams that went from “worst-to-first” in their divisions have advanced to the conference championship game

·        The last two teams that went from “worst-to-first” in their divisions to earn a Super Bowl berth were the 2003 Carolina Panthers (Super Bowl XXXVIII) and the 2009 New Orleans Saints, who won Super Bowl XLIV.

·        The Jaguars tied the NFL record for the fewest wins in the previous season prior to making it to a conference championship game (Jags were 3-13 in 2016; Saints were 3-13 in 2005 and Houston Oilers were 3-11 in 1966 season), excluding the strike seasons

·        If the Jaguars win on Sunday, they would be the first team to make the Super Bowl after finishing with three or fewer wins the previous season – current record is the 4-12 Rams in 1998 that won Super Bowl XXXIV in the 1999 season

·        Only seven coaches in NFL history have won the Super Bowl in their first season as the coach with a new team: Don McCafferty (Baltimore – 1970), Red Miller (Denver -- 1977), George Seifert (San Francisco – 1989) Jon Gruden (Tampa Bay – 2002), Bill Callahan (Oakland – 2002), Jim Caldwell (Indianapolis – 2009), Gary Kubiak (Denver – 2015)