The Devastating Loss of the Jacksonville Jaguars to the New England Patriots in AFC Championship

Simple phrases like ‘The Ice Bowl’, ‘The Miracle in the Meadows’, ‘The Drive’, and ‘The Immaculate Reception’ have been invented to emphasize on the intensity of the loss recorded in some NFL games. Interestingly, some losses are even identified through a simple mention of scores like 28-3. 

Such loss is not strange to the Jacksonville Jaguars, as witnessed in the AFC Championship Game between the Jaguars and the New England Patriots, on January 21, 2018. The 24-20 loss can be casually titled ‘The Suspect Whistle’ considering that the Jaguars generous chance to take the lead was cancelled by an inadvertent whistle.

The game was the most important in that year since it was the AFC championship round that would have shovelled the Jaguars to a Super Bowl appearance. Before the tough-pill-to-swallow loss occurred, Jacksonville Jaguars had maintained a 20-10 fourth-quarter lead. At that point, the Jaguars were on the doorstep of the most coveted stage in NFL. 

Shortly before the meltdown, the Jaguars had kicked a field goal that awarded them a 20-10 lead in the fourth quarter. In the three-plus quarters, the Jaguars had religiously played by the rule book. The Jaguars had done just about everything right to outmatch the defending Super Bowl Champions. 

The defense had managed to sack Tom Brady three times, while the offense controlled the clock to keep the three-time league MVP on the sideline. Together, these dynamics had helped the Jaguars pull a 10-point lead. 

The ‘Suspect Whistle’ Call 

Chris Hogan is pushed out of bounds by Jalen Ramsey//Getty Images

The dramatic call that overturned the trajectory of the game outcome was triggered by a Myles Jack vs. Dion Lewis moment. The Patriots employed a subtle trick that all began when Danny Amendola made a pass to Dion Lewis, which triggered Myles Jack to ran down after him. Jack stripped the ball off Lewis’ grip and headed to the end zone. Just before he could make a touchdown, officials blew the play dead, which barred the score-altering moment. 

After a play review, the officials ruled that the Jaguars, precisely Jack, had recovered the fumble and that Jack was down by contact. Hence, the call was upheld and the Jaguars retreated to their own 33-yard line. Unfortunately, the Jaguars failed to score that possession. 

When the Patriots got the ball back, Tom Brady converted a third-and-18 with a 21-yard pass to Danny Amendola, who scored on an eight-play, 85-yard. Amendola’s redeeming dive into the endzone made a touchdown, converting the score to 20-17 and giving the Jaguars a mere three-point lead. 

The renewed momentum of the Patriots at that moment became the franchise’s saving grace. The 8:44 minute-deficit-score drove pressure out of proportion for the Jaguars and their offense became numb. The two teams exchanged punts on three possessions, but Jacksonville couldn’t find an outlet to make a score that would guarantee a lead extension. 

Amidst the pressure, the Patriots managed to force a punt from the endzone and made a drive at the 30-yard line of the Jaguars. This created another Brady-Amendola moment that rewarded the Patriots with a touchdown, giving them a 24-20 lead at the close of the game as it was only 2:48 minutes short of the end. 

The Jaguars fate was a stinging loss that was sealed within the last ten minutes of the game. A promising 10-point lead became a legacy of heartbreak that cannot be wished away. The unanticipated loss cost the Jaguars a trip to the Super Bowl. Evidently, this is among the NFL losses that will be forever etched in the memories of the Jaguars’ fraternity.