AFC

SUNDAY

New England (9-7) at Jacksonville (10-5)

Time: 9:30 a.m.

TV: Channel 2

* How they got here: New England was one of those AFC East wild-card entries; Jacksonville won the AFC Central.

* 1998 meetings: These teams did not play this season. The Patriots lead the series, 3-0.

* About New England: Among the missing in Sunday’s 31-10 loss to the Jets were quarterback Drew Bledsoe, wide receiver Terry Glenn and inside linebacker Ted Johnson. Without them, the Patriots had little chance. As Coach Pete Carroll said: “We were looking to go into this game playing playoff-caliber football. But we were nowhere near that level of play; we got nothing accomplished.” Bledsoe is the key to this team, so he will have to ignore his broken finger and try to step up among the ranks of big-time quarterbacks. Backup Scott Zolak was 14 for 31 for 127 yards Sunday.

* About Jacksonville: Quarterback Mark Brunell is the question mark. He probably won’t play tonight against Pittsburgh, and the Jaguars, who stumbled badly at the end of the season, desperately need him for any hope to win.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

HOW THEY COMPARE

*--*

CATEGORY NE JAC Scoring offense 21.1 24.7 Scoring defense 20.6 22.3 Rushing offense* 90.0 131.5 Passing offense* 236.1 196.3 Total offense* 326.1 327.8 Rushing defense* 93.2 119.7 Passing defense* 229.7 226.9 Total defense* 322.9 346.5

*--*

*Does not include Sunday’s game

JACKSONVILLE

(10-5)

24 At Chicago 23

21 Kansas City 16

24 Baltimore 10

27 At Tennessee 22

28 Miami 21

16 At Buffalo 17

24 At Denver 37

45 At Baltimore 19

24 Cincinnati 11

29 Tampa Bay 24

15 At Pittsburgh 30

34 At Cincinnati 17

37 Detroit 22

13 Tennessee 16

10 At Minnesota 50

Tonight--xPittsburgh

NEW ENGLAND

(9-7)

21 At Denver 27

29 Indianapolis 6

27 Tennessee 16

30 At New Orleans 27

40 Kansas City 10

14 N.Y. Jets 24

9 At Miami (OT) 12

21 At Indianapolis 16

10 Atlanta 41

10 At Buffalo 13

26 Miami 23

25 Buffalo 21

23 At Pittsburgh 9

18 At St. Louis 32

24 San Francisco 21

10 At N.Y. Jets 31