NFL Championship Weekend Preview
With the second week of the 2016–2017 NFL Playoffs now in the books, we’re down to the NFL’s “final four.” The two remaining teams within each conference will play each other on Sunday, and the winners of each game will represent their respective conferences in Super Bowl LI.
So, which teams are going to win on Sunday? Let’s start with the early game: the NFC Championship, featuring the Green Bay Packers taking on the Atlanta Falcons. Unless you haven’t been paying attention, you already know why Green Bay, as the fourth seed in the conference, has found it’s way into the championship game. To say that Aaron Rodgers is playing well at this point in time is like saying Vincent Van Gogh was a decent painter. Rodgers isn’t just playing the best at his position of any player in the league; he’s playing at an absolutely transcendent and historical level. Since making his now-famous “run the table” statement after the Packers embarrassing loss against the Washington Redskins, Rodgers has averaged 298 yards per game passing, throwing a staggering 21 touchdowns and only one interception in his last eight games (including the postseason). Even without a viable running game, and even without the services of his go-to receiver in Jordy Nelson more recently, Rodgers hasn’t cooled off.
But the challenge that Rodgers and the Packers face in the Falcons is that they’ll play an offense that is equally as potent, featuring perhaps the only quarterback in the NFL who’s played as well as — if not better than — Rodgers has this year. Matt Ryan was just named the MVP of the NFL this week, and rightfully so. Ryan finished the 2016 season ranked among the top three quarterbacks in nearly every major passing statistic, including completion % (#3), passing yards (#2), yards per attempt (#1), touchdown passes (#2), and passer rating (#1). He’s running an offense that offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan has masterfully designed all season-long. The combination of Ryan leading the passing attack, combined with a rushing attack that ranked 5th in the NFL itself, gives Atlanta a lethal-level of balance. Green Bay struggled last week when Dallas was able to get its passing game going, in betwen Ezekiel Elliott ripping off chunks of yardage on the ground. Atlanta has the potential to do just the same, only better.
The AFC Championship will be the evening game, featuring two of the heavyweights in the conference. For the New England Patriots, this is getting to be old hat. In Tom Brady’s 16-year career, this is the Patriots’ 11th appearance in the AFC championship game. If New England reaches the Super Bowl, that’ll mark their ninth trip to the big game, breaking the record for the most Super Bowl appearances by a single NFL franchise. Currently, they’re tied with the Dallas Cowboys, Denver Broncos, and — you guessed it — the Pittsburgh Steelers, with eight Super Bowl appearances. Fittingly, if the Steelers win on Sunday, they’ll take sole possession of the lead in most Super Bowl appearances by an NFL franchise. The Steelers have appeared in three Super Bowls with Ben Roethlisberger as their quarterback, winning two of them.
The question is: do the Steelers have it in them to upset the Patriots in Foxborough? New England is 16–3 in the postseason at home since 2001. The Steelers are 3–9 overall against the Patriots since 2001. The Steelers might be coming off an upset of the Kansas City Chiefs last weekend, but they won said game without scoring a single touchdown. They simply haven’t been nearly as good away from the friendly comforts of Heinz Field this season. Since the start of December, Roethlisberger has thrown one touchdown and four interceptions in the Steelers three road games. Considering he’s coming off his ninth-straight game with more than 100 combined yards, expect the Patriots to focus their game plan around stopping running back Le’Veon Bell, and going with the previously unthinkable idea of forcing Ben Roethlisberger to beat them through the air.
This is the first time in a little while where we’ve seen a Championship weekend featuring four worthy teams, with the underdogs representing worthy challengers to the favorites. But while the Packers and Steelers are riding the performances of red-hot superstars — Rodgers and Bell — who are overcompensating for other shortcomings on the team, the Falcons and Patriots have shown a level of offensive balance that just make them too difficult to overcome. Matt Ryan has been the best quarterback all season long, and Tom Brady is arguably the best quarterback of all time. It’s hard to see either of them losing this weekend, especially at home.
Super Bowl LI Prediction: Atlanta vs. New England
