The surprise team no one saw coming could win the AFC after a stunning upset Sunday

With the Kansas City Chiefs already eliminated from playoff contention (and now down to their third-string quarterback), a new team will have to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl for the first time since 2022.

With the Kansas City Chiefs already eliminated from playoff contention (and now down to their third-string quarterback), a new team will have to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl for the first time since 2022.

On Sunday, the Jacksonville Jaguars announced themselves as a contender to be that representative.

The Jaguars pulled off one of the best wins of the NFL season in Week 16, upsetting the Denver Broncos on the road 34-20, ending an 11-game winning streak by the Broncos.

“A small-market team like us can come into Mile High and get it done,” Jacksonville head coach Liam Coen said in his postgame news conference, referring to a perceived dig by Denver head coach Sean Payton in the lead-up to the game.

The Jaguars’ win improved them to 11-3, and they are now only one game behind the Broncos in the loss column for the No. 1 seed — and home-field advantage — in the postseason. Jacksonville is one of six teams with a chance to win the conference, and it has done it by putting together a winning streak of its own.