Pittsburgh Steelers v. New England Patriots: AFC Championship Preview
Sunday’s AFC Championship Game promises to be a good one when Ben Roethlisberger’s Steelers and Tom Brady’s Patriots square off.
When the Pittsburgh Steelers and New England Patriots last met in Week Seven of the regular season, Landry Jones was under center filling in for an injured Ben Roethlisberger.
Needless to say, the Steelers went on to lose to the Patriots 27-16.
Not only is Roethlisberger back at quarterback for Pittsburgh, but a host of players from both sides will feature prominently that didn’t before in October.
In any case, the Steelers come into this meeting riding a nine-game winning streak, while the Patriots have won eight straight, making for one highly anticipated matchup.
Here we break down and preview the 2017 AFC Championship Game.
Why Pittsburgh Will Win
Everyone knows that the key to defeating the Patriots is the ability to put pressure on Brady and to take away his go-to weapons.
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Now the Steelers may have some fine talent on defense, but it’s not enough to really slow down New England’s offense.
Pittsburgh must win – or at least come close to winning – the time of possession battle if they want to punch their ticket to the Super Bowl. Le’Veon Bell and the Steelers’ dominant offensive line are more than capable of ensuring that happens, as Bell has ran for a whopping 337 yards in the playoffs, averaging nearly six yards per carry.
As long as Pittsburgh limits turnovers and keeps churning out yards on the ground, the rest should take care of itself.
Why New England Will Win
Nobody takes advantage of individual matchups better than Brady and the Patriots, and it’s the biggest reason why they routinely shred the Steelers.
If Tom Terrific can find the likes of Dion Lewis (who didn’t play when New England and Pittsburgh met Week Seven), James White, and Julian Edelman on a consistent basis, then it’ll be a long day for the AFC North Champions.
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Although, if the Steelers’ defense is able to take away Brady’s playmakers, it’ll be a different story. The Patriots offense tends to sputter when at least two of the aforementioned three aren’t involved in some capacity, so finding ways to get the ball in their hands is of utmost importance.
Considering how Brady has absolutely manhandled Pittsburgh in the past, don’t count on him struggling for a second consecutive conference championship game.
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Prediction
It’s easy to see the Patriots winning this one Sunday night in Foxborough.
But they won’t.
A balanced offensive attack and a steady diet of Bell should be enough for Pittsburgh to edge England. Despite a valiant effort from Brady and Co., it’ll be the Steelers who get the last laugh.
For the fourth time in five years, the Patriots will have lost in the conference title bout.
Final Score: Steelers 30, Patriots 27