Patriots rivals face off in AFC Championship Game
Josh McDaniels is returning to New England for his third stint with the Patriots organization to reprise in his role as offensive coordinator. He was first with the team from 2001 to 2008, serving as offensive coordinator from 2006 to 2008 in addition to his role as quarterbacks coach, which he began in 2004. Under his leadership, the Patriots designed their 2007 offense that led to Tom Brady and Randy Moss’s record-breaking performances and a perfect regular season.
After unsuccessful stints in Denver and St. Louis, he returned to New England as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2012. With McDaniels calling the plays, the Patriots won three Super Bowls and appeared in seven consecutive AFC Championship Games.
After the departure of Tom Brady, McDaniels designed a QB-run-heavy offense for Cam Newton in 2020 and built an offense around rookie Mac Jones in 2021 that got him selected to the Pro Bowl.
McDaniels left for Las Vegas to be the head coach of the Raiders in 2022, but he was fired before the end of the 2023 season. Running back Josh Jacobs set a career high with 1,653 rushing yards and earned First Team All-Pro honors in 2022.
Is he the right man for the Patriots’ offensive coordinator job, though?
While they may be looking forward to next year, this season is not quite over. On Sunday, we’ll find out who will play in Super Bowl LIX.
First up, the Washington Commanders visit the Philadelphia Eagles for the NFC Championship. The two NFC East division rivals split the season series, each taking the home games.
The Patriots and Eagles are familiar foes, meeting two times in the Super Bowl since the turn of the century. New England has never played Washington in the postseason, and the Commanders broke a five-game losing streak against the Patriots last season.
Later Sunday night, the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs will face off for the ninth time in the last five seasons and the fourth time in the playoffs in that span.
New England and Buffalo are longtime division rivals, with the Patriots holding a 78-50-1 record in the series. The teams are tied in the playoffs, with the Bills taking the most recent meeting after the 2021 season and the Patriots taking one all the way back in 1963. New England is 2-0 against Kansas City in the playoffs including an overtime thriller in the 2018 AFC Championship Game. The other win was in the 2015 Divisional Round.
The Patriots have rivalries with both AFC teams. With the Bills, it’s the hate that comes with playing a team twice a year for so long. With the Chiefs, it’s about Tom Brady’s legacy against the one Patrick Mahomes is building.
Which teams are you rooting for to play in the Super Bowl?
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