The Jaguars went from being a bottom dweller in the AFC to one of four teams left vying for a Super Bowl title this season. That fact is not lost on Marcedes Lewis.

The Jacksonville tight end penned a letter to Jaguars fans in The Player's Tribune, where he detailed how this season is vastly different than his past 10 with the franchise.

Lewis said the years of turning over coaches and front office personnel created a sense of distrust among the team, since it was nearly impossible for players to get to know each other and their superiors. However, Lewis said the vibe was different from the first day of training camp this season.

"It wasn’t just that the talent level was higher, but the culture was different. That all starts with Tom Coughlin. When he came in there was an immediate trust in what he was trying to do simply because his credentials are unquestionable," Lewis wrote.

"He’s a future Hall of Famer who’s two Super Bowls and he’s proven over and over again that he knows how to beat the best. Out of the gate, he didn’t hit us with a bunch of philosophy about winning or anything like that. His message was simple: Be a pro"

That rubbed off in Week 1 of the season, when the Jags traveled to Houston as underdogs to face the Texans. They left with an easy 29-7 victory.

"And like that, expectations changed. We weren’t the team everybody in the league viewed as an easy W. Now we were a team nobody wanted to play," Lewis said. "That was a feeling I could get used to."

The Jaguars finished the regular season with a 10-6 record and have won their past two playoff games to secure a spot in the AFC championship. But their hardest test is yet to come as they travel to New England to face the Patriots.

"Now we’re facing our toughest challenge of the season, and maybe the biggest game in franchise history. Definitely the biggest game I’ve ever played in," Lewis said. "When we play the type of football we’ve prepared to play, we know we can beat anybody. Anybody."

The Jaguars and Patriots will face off Sunday at 3:05 ET.