What to Watch For: Steelers vs Patriots – AFC Championship

The Patriots will be facing off against the Atlanta Falcons during the Super Bowl next month.

Brady and coach Bill Belichick will be seeking their – and the Patriots’ – fifth Lombardi Trophy, and second in three years.

New England extends their lead to 20-9 on a field goal after the officials let the Patriots keep the football after a clear fumble by Tom Brady and a clear recovery they announced prior to the challenge.

Mitchell has not seen game action since injuring his knee mid-way through the third quarter against the Jets in Week 16.

Hogan, who signed with the Patriots as a free agent last offseason, caught nine passes for a club-playoff-record 180 yards and the first two-touchdown game of his career. On a 3rd and 1 midway through the first quarter, Brady hit Hogan for a gain of 4.

Don’t get me wrong, any defeat in the postseason hurts, but the thing about a loss in the wild card or divisional round is that it affords more time to gain perspective, and you can actually enjoy yourself on Super Bowl Sunday.

The Patriots are feasting on a very conservative defensive game plan by the Steelers. He scored from there on the next play.

But what may have been most impressive about New England’s performance Sunday was the shutdown showing of the Patriots defense against Ben Roethlisberger and the explosive Steelers offense.

Le’Veon Bell left Sunday’s game against the Patriots late in the first quarter with a groin injury. Williams also caught seven passes for 51 yards.

Roethlisberger finished the day with 314 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Roethlisberger is sixth all-time with 13 playoff wins.

With Sunday’s win, the Patriots advance to their ninth Super Bowl appearance in franchise history – their seventh in 15 years. It was the fourth game this season in which the Steelers have failed to reach 60 yards on the ground. Blount carried almost all the Steelers defense with him to the one on the next play after they stopped him at the nine.

Two winters ago Pittsburgh’s season ended in the wild card game.

With three seconds remaining in the first half, Jones gave the Falcons a 24-0 lead with a 5-yard touchdown pass from Matt Ryan, beating overmatched cornerback LaDarius Gunter in the end zone and then dragging his feet just inside the back line. So much for Tom Brady’s four-game suspension derailing the Patriots’ season! He missed the regular-season game in October with a knee injury. They would await the victor of Pittsburgh at New England. A week after kicking six field goals – their only scores – but winning, Pittsburgh twice couldn’t punch the ball in from inside the 2.