I was able to predict it, but the Pittsburgh Steelers came to represent the AFC and the Green Bay Packers representing the NFC was something that we couldn’t have predicted. Both teams had to fight to the very end and fight off attempted comebacks by both the New York Jets and Chicago Bears respectively. However, both held on and are now on the road to the Super Bowl.
A couple of quick thoughts on each game starting with the AFC Championship. It was really a tale of two halves as the Steelers completely dominated the opening 30 minutes and the Jets responded with a good final 30 minutes of their own. Unfortunately, it was too little, too late for the Jets that have now been disappointed two years in a row as they fall one game short of the ultimate game.
I’ve said it all year long and I’ll continue to say this about Pittsburgh. They aren’t the flashiest bunch, nor do they have the best talent on paper, but what they have an abundance of over everyone else is the amount of winners within that 53-man roster. For all the off-the-field trouble that he has put himself through in the past thanks to some poor decision-making, Ben Roethsliberger is very much underappreciated for how well he can do in the clutch and how often he comes up with winning plays or drives for his football team.
The defense came up big yesterday on a couple of dangerous drives by the Jets in the fourth quarter. With the Jets having the ball at the 1 yard line with two chances to punch it in, the Steelers held their ground and forced them into a turnover on downs. To me, that two-play sequence just epitomizes just how this franchise is full of winners.
As for the New York Jets, it’s another learning experience for a team that has some big names, but don’t necessarily have the winning pedigree. This experience will be huge for Mark Sanchez. A year ago, he was overwhelmed as a rookie playing in the AFC Championship game and clearly struggled. This time around, he struggled in the opening half only to have an epiphany and find himself in leading his team back to respectability in the second half.
As for the NFC Championship game, the Packers found a way to win when Aaron Rodgers wasn’t at his best. I think this is so important for this team ahead of the Super Bowl because they can feel confident now in themselves even further knowing that they aren’t necessarily a one-man team. The defense deserves a lot of credit as well for making Jay Cutler look bad and forcing backups Todd Collins and Caleb Hanie into costly mistakes.
Finally, the Bears should hold their head up high in what was a year of over-achievement for them. No one expected them to be in this position at the start of the year and they can give the middle finger to anyone that had them as a .500 team or even worse (including yours truly). How they recover from the Jay Cutler controversy will be a hot topic as we head into next season. Speaking of Jay Cutler…trust me, I’ve got some thoughts on him…tomorrow…