No Easy Route to Playoffs

The Jacksonville Jaguars are in the playoffs, and in the long run, that’s the important part. Years from now, nobody will ask how difficult it was to get there.

Mark Brunell threw for 317 yards and ran for a 13-yard touchdown as Jacksonville clinched a playoff berth with a 20-14 victory over the Buffalo Bills on Sunday.

“The season hasn’t always been pretty,” said Brunell, who completed 24 of 32 passes and matched his season best in yardage. “Anything can happen in the playoffs. It’s a brand-new season. We’ll be ready.”

The Jaguars (10-5) appeared to be in playoff form for the first three quarters before suffering a near collapse in the fourth.

Jacksonville had a 17-6 lead before Buffalo (6-9) closed to 17-14 in the fourth quarter when backup quarterback Alex Van Pelt led the Bills on an 80-yard touchdown drive. Antowain Smith ran for a one-yard touchdown with 8:03 remaining, and Van Pelt passed to Eric Moulds on the two-point conversion to make it interesting.

After Jaguar kicker Mike Hollis answered with a 47-yard field goal, Buffalo drove to the Jacksonville 21 on its final possession before Deon Figures intercepted a pass with 53 seconds left.

Natrone Means had 74 yards rushing and scored a touchdown, and Hollis also had a 19-yard field goal for the Jaguars, who reached the playoffs for the second time in their three-year history.

They lost to New England in the AFC championship game last season after finishing the season with five victories to make the playoffs.

In the final regular-season game last season, Atlanta’s Morten Andersen missed a 30-yard field goal with no time left that would have knocked Jacksonville out of the playoffs.