The NFL Conference Championship round of the playoffs is upon us. With 2 games taking place this Sunday, let’s have an in-depth look at these teams and how they can win.
Pittsburgh Steelers @ New England Patriots
The Pittsburgh Steelers turned a corner mid-November and have won nine games since. They are coming off of a tight victory in Kansas City. The Steelers best threat is their offense as they ranked 5th in passing offense and 10th in scoring offense. Le'Veon Bell has put up gaudy numbers during this win streak with 1,172 yards in only eight games! Antonio Brown is arguably the best wide receiver in football. In his last four playoff games, he hauled in 468 yards while also collecting 239 yards in two games vs. New England. The defense for Pittsburgh is somewhat intriguing. They are in the middle of the pack in most categories, while also having the 10th best sack total but also having the 9th worst completion percentage against. James Harrison is still leading the charge for that defense even at age 38 as he has 16 total tackles so far this postseason.
The New England Patriots finished atop the league yet again this season and look to replicate their success in 2015 with another Super Bowl victory. The team put forth a convincing but not spectacular win over the lowly Houston Texans last Saturday. The team has compiled the 3rd ranked scoring offense through their 4th best passing offense and 7th best rushing attack. Tom Brady, seen to some as the greatest player in NFL history, aims his sights on becoming the first quarterback to win five Super Bowls. His top target Rob Gronkowski is out but Julian Edelman has proven to be a key contributor getting at least seven catches in each of his previous six playoff games. The Patriots also have an underrated defense with the best scoring defense in all of football and the 3rd ranked rushing defense. The secondary includes a surging Logan Ryan who has three interceptions in his last four games.
Pittsburgh needs to establish Bell’s run game to open up pass. Defense must put pressure on Brady to force turnovers, limit his effect.
New England needs to utilize their dynamic threats to attack the Steelers defense. Defense needs to bottle up Bell and cause TOs.
Prediction: New England wins 24-22
Green Bay Packers @ Atlanta Falcons
The Green Bay Packers are on fire, literally in flames. They have won their last eight games, including a thriller last week in Dallas. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers has propelled this team beyond anyone’s expectations. Over the course of the season, the Packers offense maintained the 4th best scoring offense driven by their 7th ranked passing offense. In the two games of these playoffs, Rodgers has amassed a whopping 717 yards and ten touchdowns. Randall Cobb has bounced back from a rough season with 178 yards and three touchdowns in the two playoff games this year, stepping up in the absence of injured Jordy Nelson. The defense is a classic case of the double edged sword. The Packers rushing defense was 8th in the league but their pass defense had a horrid 31st ranking. Micah Hyde stood out against the Cowboys last week with four tackles, a sack and an interception.
The Atlanta Falcons pulled off an impressive win against the dangerous Seattle Seahawks last week. They are well on their way towards their first Super Bowl win in franchise history. The Falcons boast the best scoring offense in league with arguably the best triple threat of Ryan-Freeman-Jones. Matt Ryan is a strong MVP candidate and led the team’s 3rd ranked passing attack. Devonta Freeman is the bell cow who has emerged as a top-line runner in tandem with Tevin Coleman to produce the 5th best rushing offense in the league. The defense, however, has failed to come close to the value from the offense. They finished the regular season as the 27th ranked scoring defense anchored by a 28th ranked passing defense. Vic Beasley is the saving grace on that unit as he posted a league-high 15.5 sacks this year.
As long as that offensive line holds strong, Rodgers will be free to attack the Falcons secondary. The defense must do what it can to disrupt the Falcons juggernaut offense whether it be through the air or on the ground.
The Falcons need to keep doing what they've been doing on the ground with Freeman/Coleman and through the air with Ryan and Jones. The banged up defense will have to salvage what it can in order to stave off elimination from the Rodgers’ magic.
Atlanta wins 34-31
Disclaimer: The viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, viewpoints and ideas of DARPAN Magazine.
