AFC CHAMPIONSHIP
NEW YORK JETS 20, PITTSBURGH STEELERS 17
Throw out conventional wisdom, throw out the stats and throw out everything else. I’ve come to believe it is simply the Jets year.
It is easy to make a statement like that when one is talking about a team as talented as the Jets are. They have the defense, they have the running game and they certainly have the intangibles to go to Pittsburgh and beat the Steelers.
Oh no, it won’t be easy. This will be another slug-it-out affair. But the Jets have shown they can slug it out with anyone and come out on top.
The biggest question is quarterback Mark Sanchez. Can he provide enough on the road against the Steelers’ defense? I’m not sure he can alone but I look at the Jets’ running game and defense and then I remember that Sanchez doesn’t have to do it all by himself.
He didn’t do a lot when the teams met in the regular season in Pittsburgh on December 20. Sanchez was 19-of-29 for 170 yards but he avoided making the big mistake and threw no interceptions. That in itself was huge.
The Jets scored the final 12 points of the game to win, 22-17. It wasn’t pretty, but then again, it often isn’t when we’re talking about the Jets. A lot of teams grind out wins in the playoffs, when defense and rushing attacks take center stage.
Both teams are talented. Both teams are tough. Both teams got to this point because they are really, really good. The Jets will spoil the Steelers’ party on Sunday.
A six seed to the Super Bowl? My sixth sense says absolutely. The Jets make their reservations for Super Bowl XLV.
NFC CHAMPIONSHIP
GREEN BAY PACKERS 27, CHICAGO BEARS 24
The Aaron Rodgers Show has put the Packers on the verge of another Super Bowl appearance. The Green Bay quarterback has completed 49-of-63 passes (an astounding 77.8%) for 546 yards with six touchdowns and no interceptions this postseason.
Wow. In fact, those numbers are worthy of a double-wow.
Rodgers has led the Packers to road wins over Philadelphia and Atlanta. And Green Bay had to beat the Giants and Bears in the final two regular season games just to stay in the playoff hunt. So in effect, the Packers are playing their fifth playoff game this week.
They are showing no signs of slowing down.
It’s not realistic to expect the Packers to roll in this game. After all, the Bears are at home and they are relatively well-rested, having walked over the Seahawks last week after enjoying a bye the previous week.
Plus, Chicago’s defense is more than stout, giving up only 17.9 points per game in the regular season, 4th in the NFL.
But surprisingly, the Packers allowed only 15.0 points per game, second in the NFL. Green Bay has more than enough on that side of the ball to go to Chicago and beat the Bears.
Rodgers is a big-time player. And no one will deny him a place on the big stage of the Super Bowl this year.
As always, thanks for reading. I would love to get your predictions on this week’s conference championships.
Sincerely,
Mike
Tags: 2011, Championship Weekend, Mike Rice, NFL playoffs
Mike I wiil agree that GB beats the Bears,my score is 30-20.
However I think the Steelers beat the Jets 23-17.
Yeah a Steelers vs Packers SB,and the Steelers win it all!
BeastFromEast92…thanks for weighing in. I really struggled with the Jets-Steelers game. I wanted to pick Pittsburgh but I couldn’t pick against New York another week. Should be a fun weekend.
Mike
Agreed Mike,should be a couple of great games and a great SB.
I had a hard time with the jets/Steelers game too,but since the Defenses are pretty well matched I’ll go with the experienced QB!
This will be the Steelers 15th AFC Championship game.WOW!
Hey Mike,got any inside info on who the next DC is gonna be?
I’m going with Steelers over the Jets. Jets gamble and blitz, Big Ben gets ROCKED, and Mike Wallace makes a acrobatic Santonio Holmes type of catch for the game winning points. Then the Steelers D seals it up with a 4th down sack on Sanchez.
Jets:19
Steelers: 21
Packers over the Bears! Cutler throws his 2nd int of the game as the Bears are driving to tie the game up and force OT, or possibly score the game winning TD. Rodgers in victory formation followed by his patent Championship Belt Pose.
Packers: 26
Bears: 23
Beast I’m sure yall already talked about it on the other blog but I have to ask you anyway. What are your thoughts on the Titans letting go of Chuck Cecil?
BeastFromEast92…no inside info. but if the Packers win and there is still no DC announcement, maybe Coach Fox is looking at the guy in Green Bay. Mike
my pick is GB over chicago in a pummeling fashion… (just dont like Cutler!
) and as much as i would LOVE to see the Jets in the SB i believe the steelers are just too much for them. of course i thought the Pats were too so its anyones guess. but just for fun i will take the Jets by less than a touch down in a very low scoring game!
Adding to my Jets-Steelers prediction…. I think the Jets run out of fuel by running into a Steel curtain! Hahaha
melloo,Cecil was fired by Fisher for a reason,their Defense wasn’t very good,and he was only a DC for 2 years,he coached DBs for like 8 years,I would rather have,the Titans Dline coach,Washburn,but he just took the Dline coaching job for the Eagles.Maybe we could offer him the DC job,don’t think he would take it tho,just me.
Thanks Mike,I figured Fox was eying the Packers Dline coach anyway,but didn’t know if he would wait that long on him,especially if they go to the SB,that would be a little over 2 weeks.
Thanks for the breakdown Beast. I just hope JnJ don’t even think about talking to Cecil! Bad enough we almost went with another fired DC we surely don’t need to entertain another.
I’ll take the Broncos in both…
Jets so Champ gets the ProBowl nod
GB cuz I have a deep rooted disdain for Cutler. Think a jilted ex! lol
Both six seeds? Highly improbable. Very likely. Hows that for irony???
GO BRONCOS!!!
Im conflicted, I see a Packers – Steelers SB because I hate the JETS ( a bunch of cocky for no reason, tactless guys). But I am still salty about the Steelers beating us out of SB contention in 2005. But Id rather see the Steelers go. Im a Mike Tomlin fan. Also If the Jets go, that means Bailey gets to play in the superbowl which would also make me happy.
Packers 31 Bears 26
Steelers 27 JETS 17
Jets offense is suspect with Sanchez at the helm…Pitsburghs D will have a field day. Also while Jets D is good, Pitts O has big play potential at times. TRB out…
for some reason my posts arent showing so i will try to keep this short. packers win. steelers win. TRB out
Packers 31 Bears 26
Steelers 27 JETS 17
Packers 24- Bears 30
Steelers 31- Jets 27
Packers 24- Bears 20 Steelers34- jets 23
Unlike most of you I like Cutler so I want him to win the Super Bowl for Chicago and show everyone exactly how bad McDaniels is.
However with everybody backing the Packers it looks like a very long shot.
I’m gonna stick wiht your Jets prediction Mike. I’m rooting for them so Champ makes it to the big game, as Sndvl already pointed out. This games matches up to be a defensive battle and it needs to be in order for them to win. If they run the ball well enough to move the chains and take the same approach they’ve done with Indy and NE – cutting down on the blitzes and letting the DBs play great – then they have a great chance. Pittsburgh’s O-line is tore up right now so they may be able to get some pressure on Ben with 3 men anyway. Ben’s ability to extend plays could lead to the Jets getting burned if they try to bring the house down on him.
I’m with Bay, I can’t root for Jay Cutler no matter how it might benefit our team, and I think the Pack is simply too good. They’ve been the better team all year. They lost by a last minute field goal after killing themselves with a near record amount of penalties. The Bears are gonna leave it all on the field and do their best to five themselves a chance to win this weekend. 23-17 Green Bay.
I’m picking the Packers and the Steelers but I’ll be routing for the Jets (I was born and raised in upstate N.Y. for 21 years) and the Bears( because Cutler deserves is after the way he got a raw deal from McDaniels). I could not believe how quick the Steelers front defensive 7 looked against the Ravens, hope the Jets have an answer for that cause if they don’t they’re done. The Packers; Aaron Rogers in unconscience, the only way the Bears win is if they knock him out of the game, which is very possible. Hope we make it to the championship next season. Go Broncos!
Crazyhorserider, I totally agree with you! If it was not for McDuffus, Cuts still be in Denver! I loved when Cutler played for us!
I like the Bears on this one for other reasons too. Their D is rested(as Mike pointed) and that front-7… I do not think you get much better than that in the league!
Rodgers has been red hot lately, but to me if there is someone that can stop him right now(“If”), then that would be Chicago!
They a very close and tough games, besides Cutler seemed to improve in Martz system, not making mistakes and the protectio(o-line) improved as well from the 1st half of the season!
1 more thing, you do not wanna become one-dimesional against that D, so if GB’s running game is not showing up(I do not think they have impact RBs in their roster), the pressure on Rodgers from that front 7 might be the key!
On the other hand, I have the Steelers going again to the SB. Just like BFE mentioned, QB experience. I don’t think Sanchez is a Franchise/SB
caliber QB, but he has a helluva team to back him up tho(well, he might be a Franchise QB, but not a really good one at least).
I would go with the best D in this case, if the running game does not seem to help Sanchez against the #1 ranked Rush defense, then he would be forced to air it out more often and maybe Polamalu picks one or two there!
On an eventual SB: CHI 24- PITT 21
Why? Well, Steelers already won to many SBs tho… HAHAHA
And the fact that Chicago has the same colors as ours and our former franchise QB!
As Crazyhorserider mentioned, hope Cutler win it all to make McDork look like the fool he is managing personnel! XD
I won’t even go there on the Cutler topic… he’s gone, I hope he gets his butt kicked by my dad’s Green Bay Packers. Now that would be funny.
Steelers vs. Packer in Super Bowl XLV. Steelers win it all. Although, I wouldn’t mind at all if GB won, would make my daddy smile from heaven.
Bottom line: I don’t care who wins the SB out of these 4 teams, but NOT Cutler. Jets will only win if they are lucky enough to catch Pittsburgh on a real bad day but I highly doubt it since they have the advantage of playing a playoff game at home. But I do think Aaron Rodgers is capable of going into Soldier Field and getting it done. If not, haha, it would be funny to see Cutler take on the Steelers. I don’t think the Jets are gonna get past Pittsburgh. I don’t see it.
GO BRONCOS in 2011!!!!!
Jets 17, Steelers 16
Packers 23, bears 20
I WOULD LIKE TO SEE CUTLER GET HIS DUE AND MCDANIELS TO WATCH AND SEE WHAT A MISTAKE HE MADE.ALTHOUGH THE ORTON/TEBOW TANDEM IS AWSOME AND WILL ONLY GET BETTER NOW THAT ELWAYS IN THE HOUSE. IM HOPING JETS/BEARS SB CULMINATING WITH JAY CUTLER HOISTING THE LOMBARDI TROPHY SAYING THIS ONES FOR JOSH!!!!!!!!!! NOT
Rooting for a bears-steelers superbowl.
Steelers 23 jets 20- I dont think the jets will beable to run at all on the steelers casuing the jets and sanchez to have to drop back at least 30 times to beat them which i just done see happening especially with Polamulu in this game which he wasent in the last game.
Bears 20 packers 17- Other then still being a cutler fan i see alot of other reasons bears win this game. everyone wants to talk about rodgers like hes montana already, hes a very good QB but come on in games against the bears D he only has one game with 100+ rating, this season alone he only acounted for 3 tds in both gmaes combined and his team averages 13.5pts against the bears D. And oh yeah CUTLER steps up.