One year ago, these teams couldn’t have been any more different. The New England Patriots (13-3) had clinched their sixth straight conference championship game, while the Jacksonville Jaguars (10-6) rued their second 3-13 season in three years, and their sixth consecutive double-digit loss season.
A lot can change in a year. For New England, that meant losing seven starters from their Super Bowl LI roster, including wide receiver Julian Edelman, linebacker Dont’a Hightower, and tight end Martellus Bennett. For Jacksonville, it meant going from the league’s 27th ranked defense in 2016 to the league’s second-best defense this season.