FOXBORO, Mass.--Out of the fog, then out of the dark, the New England Patriots have found their way to the Super Bowl.

Shrugging off an 11-minute power failure at Foxboro Stadium, the Patriots won the AFC Championship 20-6 last night, making the Jacksonville Jaguars look like the second-year team they are.

New England did it with defense, coming up with three turnovers in the final four minutes to halt Jacksonville's attempt at a comeback.

Willie Clay intercepted a pass in the end zone with 3:43 to go after the Jaguars finally got moving. Then Otis Smith grabbed a fumble and went 47 yards for the clinching touchdown with 2:24 remaining. Tedy Bruschi picked off another pass with 1:52 to go.

A week ago, the Patriots played through a heavy fog to rout the Pittsburgh Steelers. In two weeks, they get a chance to snap the AFC's 12-year losing streak in the Super Bowl when they face the Green Bay Packers in New Orleans.

"I'm just very excited for the opportunity," said coach Bill Parcells, who gets a shot at a third NFL title. "These players have given me everything."

The Packers, 30-13 winners over Carolina in the NFC title game and 13-point favorites for the Super Bowl, can't be too intimidated about that prospect, because the Patriots were nearly as inconsistent on offense as the Jaguars. But New England's defense, which has allowed one touchdown in the last four games, was superb.

"We just had to be poised and patient," said Smith, signed during the season after being cut by the New York Jets. "The plays started coming to us in the fourth quarter."

The Patriots kept constant pressure on Mark Brunell. The Jacksonville quarterback led the league in yards passing this season, but he rarely had time to set up and look downfield.

When the Jaguars tried to run, Natrone Means usually found nothing but blue jerseys in his way.

And when Brunell guided the Jaguars 58 yards to the Patriots 5 late in the game, Clay stepped in front of Derek Brown in the end zone for the big interception.

The Jaguars got the ball back at their 42 with 2:36 remaining, but Otis Smith came up with a fumble from James Stewart and went 47 yards for the clinching touchdown.

For further defensive emphasis, there was Bruschi's interception.

"The things that have not plagued us hurt us today," Jaguars coach Tom Coughlin said of the turnovers.

It was the first conference crown for New England since 1985, when the Patriots went on to lose 46-10 to Chicago in the Super Bowl.

New England's scoring came on Curtis Martin's 1-yard run after an aborted Jacksonville punt, and field goals by rookie Adam Vinatieri of 29 and 20 yards.