PITTSBURGH - The mood in the visiting locker room at Heinz Field late Saturday night was palpable. Instead of relief, it was more about belief, the Jaguars feeling as if their football journey has them bound for bigger things.
Next stop: Gillette Stadium.
"It's a special group," quarterback David Garrard said after Jacksonville blew an 18-point second-half lead before recovering to beat the Steelers, 31-29, in the wild-card round of the AFC playoffs. "I've said all year long, this has been a team of destiny."
Destiny and dynasty will collide when the Jaguars visit the Patriots Saturday night, and while there is sure to be debate this week as to whether Jacksonville can pull off the upset, one indisputable fact is that the team is brimming with confidence.
That, in and of itself, adds a different dynamic to the third matchup between the clubs over the last three seasons.
The Jaguars are also a more mature club, as evidenced by their comments Saturday night. Dressing down the hall from where Steelers safety Anthony Smith guaranteed a win over the Patriots in December, they presented a different type of guarantee.
"This team is not going to back down," promised defensive lineman John Henderson. "That's not to disrespect the Patriots, because our hats are off to them. They have a great bunch of guys over there and they play hard. But I think that's what we have in here, a great bunch of guys who compete."
Henderson, a rock on the interior of the Jaguars' 4-3 defense, left Saturday night's game late in the first quarter after straining his hamstring. He returned for one series before departing for good. Coach Jack Del Rio indicated Henderson is "really the only concern going forward" while adding that he didn't "think he did anything real bad, but we'll just see how it responds."
The Jaguars responded with authority when they had to against the Steelers, in an effort that Garrard deemed character-building.
Impressive running back Maurice Jones-Drew's 96-yard kickoff return that led to a touchdown came immediately after the Steelers opened a 7-0 lead by marching down the field on their opening drive. And after Jacksonville's 18-point second-half lead slipped away, Garrard led them on a game-winning march, with no play more important than his 32-yard designed keeper on fourth and 2.
Such resilience has defined the Jaguars' season. It's a trait that wasn't as apparent the last two times they've faced the Patriots.
Defensive lineman Bobby McCray remembers how the Jaguars limped into Gillette Stadium in the wild-card round of the 2005 playoffs, the game getting away from them in the second half as the Patriots recorded a 28-3 victory.
Then last Dec. 24, the Patriots traveled to Jacksonville and turned to an impressive aerial attack to post a 24-21 win to clinch the AFC East championship.
Each time, the Patriots punched first and punched harder over four quarters. The Jaguars sound like a team more equipped to battle this time around.
"That was a young team and not quite experienced in the playoffs," said McCray, now in his fourth season out of the University of Florida. "I look at it now and I see a bunch of guys ready to take on that challenge. We don't really care who we play, or that it's a big game. We just dig in."
Offensively, the Jaguars don't hide their intentions. They want to run opponents over and ride the terrific tandem of running backs Fred Taylor and Jones-Drew. Of the team's 54 plays against the Steelers, 68 percent came as part of "heavy" personnel groupings that featured either multiple tight ends or a tight end/fullback combination.
So if the Patriots are known for spreading the field offensively with three and four receivers with Tom Brady running the show, the Jaguars are at the opposite end of the spectrum. They run tighter formations and look to plow through foes behind the size and strength of their offensive line and tight ends.
"We work really hard to establish the run, that's a big part of who we are," eighth-year center Brad Meester said.
Defensively, the Jaguars generally keep it simple in their 4-3 under coordinator Mike Smith, most often rushing four players and dropping seven into coverage. Much like on offense, they want to bang.
"Smash-mouth football, that's the way we play," said nose tackle Grady Jackson.
Exiting Heinz Field Saturday night, with assistant coach Mike Tice lighting a victory cigar in front of the team's buses, the confident Jaguars briefly allowed themselves to look ahead.
"They don't look unstoppable," defensive end Paul Spicer said of the Patriots. "I think the bottom line is that the offense has to sustain and keep drives going, keeping the ball out of Brady's hands. It's going to take everybody."
Mike Reiss can be reached at mreiss@globe.com.
