2023 NFL Playoffs: Explaining potential neutral site for AFC Championship game between Bills and Chiefs
What a remarkable season for Trevor Lawrence, Doug Pederson and the Jacksonville Jaguars. With a 20-16 win over the Tennessee Titans in Week 18, Jacksonville finished 9-8 and secured the AFC South title and a playoff berth for the first time since the 2017 season. 4 series of the 2023 NFL Playoffs, the Jaguars picked up a victory from behind against the No. 5 Los Angeles Chargers during Wild Card weekend, and now head to Arrowhead Stadium to face the Chiefs during of the divisional round. Saturday on NBC and Peacock (coverage begins at 3:00 p.m. ET). See the Jaguars’ Super Bowl history below.
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There’s a chance in history for this year’s Jaguars: the team is one of 12 current NFL franchises that has never won a Super Bowl, and also has the unfortunate distinction of being the one of four teams that never even made it to the big game (along with the Browns, Lions and Texans). Of those four teams, the Jaguars were the only ones to qualify for this year’s playoffs, and the only ones that could transform franchise history.
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Jacksonville has a relatively short history as NFL teams. Founded in 1995 as an expansion team alongside the Carolina Panthers, the Jaguars are under 30 and have made 8 playoff appearances in that span, including this season. They reached the AFC Championship game, but the road always ended there. Is this year’s team, led by 2021 first-round pick Lawrence, the one to change that? They’ll have to go through the Chargers and a stacked AFC bracket that includes the Bills, Bengals and Chiefs, to get there.
History of the Jaguars Super Bowl
As mentioned above, Jacksonville has never won a Super Bowl and in fact never reached the Super Bowl. They are among 12 current NFL franchises without Super Bowl wins (Minnesota Vikings, Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals, Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, Arizona Cardinals, Tennessee Titans, Los Angeles Chargers, Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions and Houston Texans) . Including the Jaguars, four non-league championship teams are in the 2023 playoffs: the Vikings, Bills, Bengals and Chargers.
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Jacksonville Jaguars playoff history, most recent appearance
Including this season, the Jaguars have made eight trips to the NFL playoffs, with a streak of four consecutive appearances in their early years to the mid-90s. Prior to the 2022 season, Jacksonville’s last playoff game was a loss against the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship game as part of the 2017 season.
1996 Season: AFC Championship lost to the New England Patriots (20-6) 1997 Season: Wild Card game lost to the Denver Broncos (42-17) 1998 Season: Division Round game lost to the New York Jets (34-24) 1999 Season: Lost AFC Championships to the Tennessee Titans (33-14) 2005 Season: Wild Card game lost to the New England Patriots (28-3) 2007 Season: Wild Card game Divisional Round lost to New England Patriots (31-20) 2017 Season: AFC Championship lost to New England Patriots of England (24-20)
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Best Jaguars finish in playoffs
The Jaguars have reached the AFC Championship three times, losing to the Patriots in the 1996 season, the Titans in the 199 season, and the Patriots again in the 2017 season. With neither the Patriots nor the Titans in the 2023 playoff roster, it may be a sign of historic wins ahead for Jacksonville.
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How to watch the Jacksonville Jaguars vs Kansas City Chiefs: Where: Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri When: Saturday, Jan. 21 Start time: 3:00 p.m. ET; live coverage begins at 4:30 p.m. ET with Football Night In America TV Channel: NBC Live Stream: Watch live on Peacock or with the NBC Sports app
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