New England Patriots headed to third Super Bowl in four years after late rally to edge Jacksonville Jaguars

Jacksonville linebacker Myles Jack put his thumb and forefinger about an inch apart as it sank in for him that the Jaguars had fallen just short – just like the Falcons and the Seahawks and the Rams and so many other Patriots opponents had before.

“Close, man. We were almost there,” he said after New England came back to beat Jacksonville 24-20 on Sunday for the franchise’s 10th AFC championship.

“On the one hand, we could have won the game. But on the other, Tom Brady is Tom Brady,” Jack said. “We got Tom Bradyed again.”

But then, no team has Bill Belichick on the sideline, Brady lining up behind the centre and a resume full of big-game comebacks going back to their first Super Bowl win 16 years ago.

“That’s what those guys do, and they do it very well,” Jaguars coach Doug Marrone said. “And that’s why they’re moving on.”