We’ve all known for years you have to have a quarterback to have a chance to win in the NFL.
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If the Packers get past the Atlanta Falcons in the NFC Championship Game on Sunday and then beat the AFC champion – either New England or Pittsburgh – in the Super Bowl in Houston on February 5, McCarthy will become the 14th head coach and Rodgers the 13th quarterback to have done it a couple of times.
The first game of the day promises to be a complete fireworks show. Now the Falcons are a 5.0 point favorite with an over/under of 60.5, so the game is destined to be a shootout. At New England’s worst, they still have the greatest quarterback of all-time at the helm, Tom Brady.
Micah Hyde celebrates reaching the NFC title game.
These two teams were slightly underwhelming in their outings last week but both will be acutely aware that any side not at their best will get turned over in the AFC Championship game. Despite a slew of injuries and illnesses, the Green Bay Packers are one game away from playing in the Super Bowl.
AARON RODGERS – Rodgers has a playoff monkey on his back, although not almost the gorilla Ryan has on his.
Hating New England – saying “Rats!” to the Pats – has become as much a part of today’s National Football League as players shining on the field and then, later, not so much on social media.
“It’s like no other place in our sport”, said Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who has guided the Packers (12-6) to eight straight wins.
The Falcons also have the only quarterback of the four teams without a Super Bowl ring, but Matt Ryan is having a season that suggests this could be their year.
And, in fact, if you consider the entirety of the playoffs in general (including this year), teams with a top-five defence have won 181 playoff games while teams with a top-five offence have won 186 games. Jordy had it. Mason (Crosby) had it. In his stead, Rodgers is making stars out of Cook, Devante Adams, Randall Cobb and Ty Montgomery.
The Falcons are back in the playoffs thanks to a brilliant season from Ryan, who set career highs in passing yards (4,944) and touchdowns (38) while leading the league in passer rating (117.1).
Lambeau Field. Cheeseheads. Thirteen NFL championships. After catching 30 passes for 377 yards and one touchdown during the regular season, he made his biggest splash of the season last week, catching six passes for 104 yards in a divisional round win over the Dallas Cowboys.
Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman combined for 204 yards against Seattle’s ornery defense.
The Falcons are succeeding because they have the best offense in the league right now, averaging 34 points a game. Coleman rushed for 520 and eight scores while also catching 31 passes for 421 yards and three more TDs. Edelman caught nine balls for 60 yards against the Steelers in Week 7, and beat a linebacker six times for 53 yards.
For the AFC Championship, Ontario’s Pro-Line is offering odds of +3.50 for a game decided by less than four points, +3.70 for a Pittsburgh win by four or more, and +4.80 for a Pittsburgh win by more than seven points.
Despite that, the Brady-Roethlisberger narrative never really developed – at least until now – because Manning and Brady seemed to meet every year in the playoffs. Obviously, the Patriots have the better offense and are going to do their typical style of play, which is to dominate in all areas especially since the game is on Pats territory, giving them the field advantage.
Can the Pittsburgh Steelers dethrone the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game? The Pats should truly run crossing routes play after play after play because the Steelers aren’t equipped to stop it, and cornerbacks Artie Burns, Ross Cockrell and William Gay allow free releases at the line to compound the issue.
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Minnesota had one job and the ideal set up to do it in and they still couldn’t get it done. And receiver Danny Amendola still dealing with an (ankle) is on the report, after being limited against the Texans last week. His running attack is varied, including bruiser LeGarrette Blount, scatback Dion Lewis and third-down specialist James While.
