Jaguars (12-6) at Patriots (14-3), 3:05 p.m. Sunday (CBS)

Outlook: I wanted to be the one, I really did. The one NFL prognosticator other than the obligatory Homer From The 904 who predicted the mighty Patriots would fall at home to Jacksonville in the AFC championship game.

And it could happen. Right?

The Jaguars’ defense is good (although last week’s 45-42 blitzkrieg over Pittsburgh did not feather the opinion), and having Tom Coughlin in a front office role gives Jacksonville a wise old head who knows a little bit about beating Bill Belichick.

The thing is, you can’t talk yourself into a gut feeling that isn’t there. The gut instead tells me it isn’t time yet for the New England epoch to unravel.

The Pats are 6-1 in conference title games in Foxborough, a tough place to play even when it isn’t January and 35 degrees.

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Tom Brady’s right hand got banged up in practice this week but this pick assumes he’ll be good to go, which is to say, great to go. You see what Ben Roethlisberger did to the Jaguars’ pass defense last week?

Jacksonville cornerback Jalen Ramsey has gumption to all but guarantee a win after his unit gave up almost 500 yards to Roethlisberger.

The Patriots’ own defense is unheralded-good, and the gulf between Brady and Blake Bortles is Grand Canyon-esque. Also, give me Belichick over Doug Marrone, please.

Watch Belichick erase Leonard Fournette and force deep balls by Bortles, and watch Brady say nope-sorry to Ramsey’s boast.

Jacksonville is only the second team since the 1970 merger to reach a conference title game after having three or fewer wins the year before.

Spread: Patriots -81/2

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Prediction: Patriots 27-17.

Vikings (14-3) at Eagles (14-3), 6:40 p.m. Sunday (FOX)

Outlook: Yet again the top-seeded Eagles are home underdogs, which explains all the fans wearing dog masks in Philadelphia on Sunday.

This could so easily be Saints-Falcons for the NFC crown. The Vikings needed that Minnesota Miracle to beat New Orleans – the first final-play, walk-off TD in NFL postseason history in regulation. And the Eagles needed a goal-line stand, including a 4th-down stop from the 2 in the final seconds, to survive Atlanta.

And so we have Minnesota in its first conference title game since 2009, trying to become the first team to play at home in a Super Bowl.

And Philly is this close to a Super Bowl for the first time since ’08. Case Keenum vs. Nick Foles might not scream epic duel, but this matchup could be one of those thanks mostly to two terrific defenses.

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Foles is capable, I think the Eagles’ defense is as good as Minnesota’s, and I also think home field will be an advantage.

Spread: Vikings -3.

Prediction: Eagles 23-20.

Last week: 1-3 overall; 2-1-1 vs. spread

Playoffs: 4-4, 4-3-1 (.563).

Final 2017: 156-100, 102-137-17

– By Greg Cote, Miami Herald


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