Four of the five teams that gave up the fewest points during the regular season are the last four left with a shot at the Super Bowl [url=http://www.chargersauthorizedshops.com/authentic-derwin-james-jersey]http://www.chargersauthorizedshops.com/authentic-derwin-james-jersey[/url] , something that had never happened since the NFL-AFL merger nearly a half-century ago.

And three of the four toughest to gain yards against are still around, too.

Still think that all a team needs to succeed in the modern game is an elite QB? Go ahead and take a close look at Sunday’s matchups for the conference championship games.

Sure, Tom Brady (assuming his injured right hand is good to go) and the New England Patriots will be playing for the AFC title, just like they always do, but they’ll be going up against Blake Bortles and the Jacksonville Jaguars. Over in the NFC, the Philadelphia Eagles will send Nick Foles out to face the Minnesota Vikings and Case Keenum, hardly a marquee matchup between quarterbacks, and one set up by injuries to other signal-callers.

What this quartet of teams does have in common is solid defense, showing once again that while everyone is paying so much attention to one side of the ball, it’s the other that might truly matter the most. The more league rules and officiating tend to favor offenses, the more figuring out ways to slow that down is imperative.

”When you have a defense that can shut that type of firepower down,” said Brian Robison, a linebacker on the Vikings defense that ranked No. 1 in yards and points allowed, ”it allows you to win ballgames.”

Minnesota gave up 15.8 points per game. Jacksonville was No. 2 at 16.8, followed by No. 4 Philadelphia’s 18.4 and No. 5 New England’s 18.5.

”There’s teams that have really good defenses that aren’t talked about,” Patriots linebacker Kyle Van Noy said. ”We’re one of them.”

It’s the first time since the 1970 merger there has been that sort of defensive dominance among the NFL’s final four. The closest was at the end of the 2010 season [url=http://www.pantherscheapshop.com/cheap-authentic-devin-funchess-jersey]Devin Funchess Jersey[/url] , when teams that ranked No. 1 (Steelers), No. 2 (Packers), No. 4 (Bears) and No. 6 (Jets) in points allowed reached the conference title games.

”The most heralded guys on the field are the quarterbacks. So I would say, nine times out of 10, your detail goes into your offensive planning and things like that,” said Jacksonville’s leading tackler, Telvin Smith, who returned a fumble 50 yards for a touchdown last weekend. ”Offense sells tickets, and defense wins championships. I’m happy I’m on the defensive side.”

He is part of a young, talented and speedy D that rose to prominence quickly via a combination of shrewd drafting (linebackers Smith and Myles Jack, defensive ends Yannick Ngakoue and Dante Fowler Jr., cornerback Jalen Ramsey) and free-agent signings that panned out (defensive lineman Calais Campbell, cornerback A.J. Bouye, safeties Barry Church and Tashaun Gipson).

Take a look at the regular-season rankings in various defensive categories, and you can’t miss the Jaguars. That helps explain how they made it this far with Bortles, whose 84.7 rating ranked 22nd among QBs with at least 100 pass attempts and whose 13 interceptions were exceeded by only six players.

Campbell tied for second in NFL with 14.5 sacks [url=http://www.officialhockeypanthersshop.com/authentic-adidas-vincent-trocheck-jersey]Vincent Trocheck Jersey[/url] , while Ngakoue added 12 and led the league by forcing six fumbles. Bouye tied for third with six interceptions, while Ramsey, Gipson and Church each had four. As a unit, the Jaguars were No. 2 in yards allowed at 286.1, trailing the No. 1 Vikings (275.9), with the Eagles (306.5) at No. 4. The Jaguars were also second in sacks and total takeaways, while they topped the NFL with seven defensive TDs.

Exceptional defense can carry a team far: In nine of the last 10 seasons, the No. 1 or No. 2 team in points allowed participated in a conference championship game. The exception was 2015, when the Seahawks led the league in that category but lost in the divisional round, and the Bengals ranked second but lost in the wild-card round.

”Now it’s down to, `May the best defense win,”’ Eagles linebacker Nigel Bradham said. ”We each get to showcase what we can do.”

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AP Sports Writers Dave Campbell in Eden Prairie, Minnesota; Kyle Hightower in Foxborough, Massachusetts; Mark Long in Jacksonville, Florida; and Rob Maaddi in Philadelphia contributed to this report.

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Miami Dolphins offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains is two weeks into a new job, and with his family back in Chicago he has been working late.

The head coach works later.

”When I leave the office every night [url=http://www.steelersfootballauthentics.com/james-washington-jersey-authentic]Youth James Washington Jersey[/url] , the only person left is Adam Gase,” Loggains said Friday. ”When you’re sitting in your office at 10:30 at night in the offseason, trying to figure out corrections you need to make when the season didn’t go the way you wanted it to, I have tremendous respect for that. Those are the type of people I want to be around.”

The Dolphins announced the hiring of Loggains and other changes in the coaching staff as Gase begins the process of trying to rebound from a 6-10 season.

Three assistants changed titles. Shawn Jefferson will become assistant head coach/offense, Ben Johnson will become wide receivers coach, and Clyde Christensen will become director of football and player development.

Jeremiah Washburn was hired as offensive line coach. Defensive backs coach Lou Anarumo, running backs coach Danny Barrett and defensive line coach Terrell Williams were not retained.

Gase will continue to call plays. Loggains was the Bears’ offensive coordinator the past two years, and he and Gase were on the Chicago staff together in 2015.

”We’ve had a really good working relationship,” Loggains said. ”We see football the same way – offensive football and quarterback play. So for me it was a no-brainer when I had a chance to come here and join up with him.”

Loggains, 37, made the team at Arkansas as a quarterback even though he’s 5-foot-6, and said he overcame any size disadvantage with his work ethic.

”It’s the same way in coaching,” he said. ”You might not be the smartest guy. You’ve got to know your limitations and try to work harder than the next guy. That’s how you stay in this league – try to outwork as many people as you can.”

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