Steelers-Patriots rematch more than Big Ben vs. Brady

With all the experience that Brady had and the way the Patriots are built this season, they are the favorites to win the game.

What can not be lost in the hubbub surrounding the quarterbacks is the play of New England’s defense, which held opponents to a league-low 15.6 points in the regular season.

On the AFC side, the Patriots are in the conference championship for the sixth straight year and the 11th since 2001.

The Patriots have faced only two teams that rank in the top 12 in total offense.

But Brady will face a much healthier Steelers pass rush than he did in Week 7’s 27-16 road win. Bell, who came into the game having already set the postseason rushing record for the Steelers, left the game during the final drive of the first quarter, an offensive sequence he spent speaking with the Steelers’ team doctor on the sideline rather than pulling off his trademarked stop-and-go maneuvers on the field. After the Falcons destroyed the Packers, New England had their way with Pittsburgh. “There should be a lot of points on the board”.

Bell rushed for 81 yards and also caught 10 passes for 68 yards in a 27-16 loss to the Patriots on October 23, when Roethlisberger did not play because of injury. The Packers are definitely dealing with a bit more on the injury front (and intestinal distress questions) and the Falcons have the home field advantage. “We took care of the ball, played good defense and to hold that team to nine points for 50 minutes is pretty good”.

Are you happy with who won this game, HollywoodLifers? In fact, the Patriots haven’t allowed a 90-yard rusher in the last 24 games, so it should definitely be a battle in the trenches this weekend in Foxboro.

As the Falcons dominated the Packers to win the NFC championship, New England’s victory over the Steelers was equally thorough.

“It’s nearly like if one of them is not out there, they are the outcast for the week”, said Roethlisberger. They’ll require a similar type of effort a week after Dez Bryant destroyed their thin secondary for 132 yards and two scores.

“I feel the same way about us”, Foster said. The 39-year-old had a 112.2 passer rating with 28 touchdowns and two interceptions in 12 regular-season games.

“They want to pound people and get up there and maul people”. He needs one more to pass Chuck Noll for the most in league history. “(But) you can’t worry about every little thing that goes wrong”.

“If you’re mentally weak enough to buy into it and feel like that’s the deciding factor, then you shouldn’t be playing this sport”, guard Ramon Foster said.

Tom Brady may not have Gronk but that hasn’t mattered. Now, they’ll get a chance to try it out against the team that is best at taking away an opponent’s best option. He’s got good vision, great patience, and he does a good job.