“We are going to the Super Bowl and we are going to win that b—-.” That statement was made by Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Jalen Ramsey after he and his teammates returned to Jacksonville following their 45-42 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers.
These types of bold proclamations are far from original. New York Jets quarterback Joe Namath made his famous guarantee prior to Super Bowl III against the Baltimore Colts. Namath and the Jets would go on to a 16-7 victory, thus making good on the promise.
Others have made similar guarantees, some even as early as prior to the start of the season. Nevertheless, it’s usually not a good idea to give bulletin board material to your opponent, particularly when said opponent is the defending Super Bowl champion New England Patriots.
Head coach Bill Belichick along with quarterback Tom Brady have taken winning and consistency to a level that has never been seen before. This Sunday will mark New England’s seventh consecutive appearance in the AFC Championship game.
While other organizations typically hope to achieve postseason success, the Patriots mantra is to “Do Your Job” with that job being getting to Super Bowls (seven in the Belichick-Brady tenure) and winning them (five). Going to the Super Bowl is the expectation in New England, so getting to this point in the season has become automatic.
Jacksonville, on the other hand, returned to the postseason for the first time since the 2007 season. Perhaps the Jaguars give Ramsey’s proclamation a boost by pulling off the shocker and winning Sunday’s game.
However, the experts and history predict that the Patriots will come out on top. That would send Brady and company to yet another Super Bowl, where they would most likely be favored. Sunday’s game promised to be interesting. Thanks to Ramsey’s promise, it will be.