ITPV » Whichever one wins the next game could do wonders to his image.

Benched earlier this season and questioned for years http://www.thelionsfootballauthentic.com/jahlani-tavai-jersey-authentic , Tyrod Taylor and Blake Bortles have a chance to change public perception on the NFL’s playoff stage.

Taylor helped Buffalo end the longest, current postseason drought in North American pro sports (17 years) while Bortles led Jacksonville to its first playoff berth since the 2007 season.



The Jaguars (10-6) host the Bills (9-7) in an AFC wild-card game Sunday, a win-or-go-home matchup that means as much to the quarterbacks as anyone.

The Bills were in talks with free agent Brian Hoyer in March and ready to part ways with Taylor until he agreed to restructure his contract extension and make it a two-year deal worth $30.5 million. He has one year remaining, but the team could save $10 million by moving on after this season.

No one would be surprised to see it happen, especially after coach Sean McDermott benched Taylor in favor of rookie Nathan Peterman in November. Peterman threw five first-half interceptions in a 54-24 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, and Taylor has been the team’s starter since .

”I don’t focus on things that I can’t control, and I’m going to continue to be that way,” said Taylor, who has 14 touchdown passes and four interceptions this season. ”All I can control right now is my preparation, my focus, my work ethic to putting it all in for this week. It’s a one-game season right now, and that’s for everyone.

”I can’t allow distractions or thinking too far ahead.”

Bortles has taken a similar approach despite constant bashing – and not just the typical criticism from fans and media.

Tennessee defensive end Jurrell Casey told a Nashville radio station this week, ”As long as Bortles is back there, if the ballgame is in his hands, he’s going to choke.”

Casey tried to clarify his comments two days later, writing on Twitter T.J. Hockenson Jersey , ”Chill, y’all. I was just hyping our defense. If we put the pressure, some QBs will choke.”

Hearing talk such as that is nothing new for Bortles, who’s been publicly ripped by Houston defensive end Jadeveon Clowney, Seattle safety Earl Thomas and Cincinnati linebacker Vontaze Burfict in the past two months.

”Players or peers talking about you is a little new,” said Bortles, who is a big reason Jacksonville is hosting its first playoff game since 1999.

”I’ve never been somebody that felt that is the way you should handle things, but guys are different. I had the chance, was fortunate enough to play for George O’Leary in college and playing for Coach O’Leary, you learned very quickly how to take criticism. I had four years of practice doing that, so there’s nobody that can say anything worse to me than he did.

”I got benched every other day.”

Jaguars coach Doug Marrone actually benched Bortles in the preseason, stirring speculation that his days in Jacksonville were numbered.

But Bortles regained the starting job a week later and has been better than expected since , although five interceptions in the past two games – both losses – have some questioning him again.

His first playoff game – Taylor went to the 2013 Super Bowl as Baltimore’s backup – could leave outsiders looking at him differently.

”Playing a playoff game in Jacksonville hasn’t happened in a while, so having that opportunity to play in front of our fans and our city and our stadium, I think, is awesome http://www.thebroncosfootballauthentic.com/dre_mont-jones-jersey-authentic ,” Bortles said. ”I think everyone realizes it’s your last chance. If you lose, you go home, it’s over.”

Here are some other things to know about Buffalo and Jacksonville:

STAR STATUS: Bills running back LeSean McCoy is questionable with a right ankle injury. McCoy said he was feeling ”a lot better” Thursday, but declined to make any guarantees about playing. McCoy accounts for nearly a third of Buffalo’s offense.

OLD FACE, NEW PLACE: Jaguars defensive tackle Marcell Dareus insists he harbors no ill will toward his former team. His actions might say otherwise. The 340-pound run-stopper will face the Bills for the first time since they traded him in October for a late-round draft pick.

MARRONE’S MAKEOVER: Jaguars coach Doug Marrone bolted on Buffalo in 2014, opting out of his contract and getting $4 million to walk away. Marrone landed in Jacksonville and will face Buffalo in his first playoff game as a head coach.

LONG TIME COMING: Jacksonville’s first home playoff game since January 2000 will be a packed house. The Jaguars sold every ticket available and even received permission to remove tarps covering four upper-deck sections to help satisfy demand.

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Doug Pederson is one win away from bringing Philadelphia the elusive Super Bowl title his mentor couldn’t deliver.

If the Eagles (15-3) beat New England (15-3) on Sunday, Pederson will hoist the Vince Lombardi Trophy and Philadelphia will celebrate its first NFL title since beating Lombardi’s Green Bay Packers in 1960.

No one saw this coming two years ago.

After abruptly firing Chip Kelly, Eagles owner Jeffery Lurie longed for a coach more like the one he used to have: Andy Reid. Even though Reid failed to win the big game during his 14-year tenure in Philadelphia, he won more games than any coach in franchise history and led the Eagles to nine playoff appearances, five NFC title games and a Super Bowl loss to the Patriots.

Reid also had a close relationship with Lurie, was well-liked by the players and instilled a family atmosphere. That culture was an important element for Lurie. The environment had changed under Kelly, who was 26-21 in three seasons. Though he was an innovative coach, Kelly didn’t connect well with all his players and members of the organization.

So Lurie went back to what he knew and hired Pederson, Reid’s protege.

Lurie was quite familiar with Pederson, who was a quarterback for Reid with the Eagles in 1999 and then an assistant coach on his staff in Philadelphia and Kansas City.

Other coaches had more impressive resumes, but Lurie liked Pederson’s intangibles.

”I spent a lot of time with players at the end of that (2015) season and I thought what was really needed was a kind of leadership that leads with a genuineness http://www.cardinalscheapstore.com/byron-murphy-jersey-cheap , a real genuineness,” Lurie said. ”And people laughed when I used the term `emotional intelligence,’ but that’s probably a really good way to describe it.

”There’s a lot of great coaches. They all have their different styles, but the one common ground among them all is absolute consistency and genuineness. And Doug Pederson is just himself. And at times that’s very humble, and at times it’s just very real. At times that’s very bright. At times it’s tough. But he does it in a true, genuine way and I think players really respond to that in today’s world.”

Naturally, Pederson learned from Reid.

”Being around him, he’s the same day in and day out,” Pederson said. ”Same consistency. Same work ethic.”

Like Reid, Pederson had his share of critics. He wasn’t the people’s choice in Philly when he got the job and ESPN ranked him the worst hire of his coaching class at the time. Three of the six other coaches already have been fired.

”I don’t pay any attention to that, quite honestly,” Pederson said. ”I drive home at night knowing I put in a full day’s work. I get up in the morning to come in here, and however I can serve this organization and serve these players, that’s all I know. I love football. I love coaching football. I love teaching it. I love being around these guys, and I’m going to pour my life into these players. If it’s good enough, great Dre'Mont Jones Jersey , because that’s all I know I can do and I’ve given it my best effort. So I don’t care about what’s written.”

Pederson cares about his players, improving their game and making them better men off the field. He gets what they’re going through because he played, although mostly as a backup. They trust in him and his coaching philosophy.

”Coach Pederson is an unbelievable coach to play for,” said Nick Foles, who went from backup quarterback to hero of the NFC championship game. ”He just has such a great feel for the game.”

Pederson’s steady demeanor and positive approach helped the team overcome numerous injuries to key players, including Carson Wentz, Jason Peters and Jordan Hicks.

Seeing their coach never waver gave guys confidence they can beat anyone. It helps that Pederson has devised masterful game plans. He outcoached Mike Zimmer in the NFC championship game as Foles picked apart the top-ranked defense en route to Philadelphia’s 38-7 win over Minnesota .

”I played for some amazing coaches, and Doug is an unbelievable play caller,” Foles said. ”He does a great job of deciding when to call each thing, but our staff is unbelievable at game planning and putting us in position, no matter if it’s the run game, the pass game, the screen game, whatever it may be. The attention to detail is unbelievable and we go into a game feeling 100 percent confident because of our staff and the work and long hours that they put in to get the game plan to us so that we can go out and execute. That’s big for an athlete when you can go out there and trust everything.”

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