It was the matchup everyone was calling David vs. Goliath. The Jacksonville Jaguars, coming off an abysmal 3-13 season, pushed all the right buttons on the offseason and drafted a powerhouse young running back in Leonard Fournette. Blake Bortles held his own under centre and the Jags’ defence quickly became one of the most feared in the league. With the expectations still stacked up against them, the organization battled their way to the AFC Championship where Goliath, also known as the New England Patriots, awaited.
The Patriots, who have been to the 12 AFC Championships since the Brady-Belichick era began in 2001, were ready to compete in their 7th consecutive AFC title match and were unanimously thought of as the heavy favourite. Against all odds, the Jaguars found themselves up by 10 in the fourth quarter, but Patriots quarterback Tom Brady did what he does and led a dramatic comeback topped off by two touchdowns thrown to Danny Amendola.
It’s one thing to lose such a high-stakes elimination game, it’s another to lose after you could almost taste a trip to the Super Bowl that would have spelled an upset against one of the greatest dynasties of all time.
That is what stings the most.
As the clock ticked down, long time Jaguar quarterback Blake Bortles was spotted on the sidelines with tears streaming down his face.
The heartbreak didn’t end there, as rookie superstar Leonard Fournette was seen overcome with emotion after the clock had hit 0:00.
Sports are a place where heroes are discovered and triumphs are had, but on the flip side it comes with heartbreak of huge magnitude – particularly when a Cinderella story was so close to happening.
