Patriots Spared From London Game Against Jaguars In 2018 Season
By Michael Hurley, CBS Boston
BOSTON (CBS) -- The rematch of this year's AFC Championship Game will take place on U.S. soil.
OK, OK, OK: The potential rematch of this year's AFC title game will take place in Jacksonville and will not take place in London. That news was taken away from the NFL's announcement that the Jaguars will be "hosting" the Eagles in London next year.
As ESPN's Mike Reiss noted, the Patriots' road game to the Jaguars had previously been under consideration for the London game. Instead, it will be the Eagles making the trip.
Means Patriots' road game next season vs. Jaguars — which was a candidate to be played in London — will be in Jacksonville. https://t.co/WxwR70f31h
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) January 11, 2018
The Patriots will be playing against the four AFC South teams next year, making trips to Jacksonville and Tennessee and hosting Houston and Indianapolis.
That trip to Tennessee is certain to be a playoff rematch, while the Jacksonville trip could be a playoff rematch. The Jaguars will be in Pittsburgh this week as underdogs against the 13-3 Steelers. But the Jaguars -- along with the Patriots -- were one of just two teams to win in Pittsburgh this season, and so it remains possible that the Jaguars disrupt the Steelers' AFC Championship Game plans and win this weekend.
In addition to the AFC South and the AFC East, the Patriots in 2018 will face the NFC North (hosting Green Bay and Minnesota) and the other AFC divisional winners -- at home against Kansas City and at Pittsburgh.