The Super Bowl is set with Atlanta versus New England

“This is why you play the game“.

The Atlanta Falcons were a bit more of a surprise based on preseason expectations, but they showcased great offense throughout the season and strong defense as of late to win the NFC title.

Roethlisberger turned to a shotgun, no-huddle attack that worked in spurts, with Pittsburgh breaking off multiple drives of double-digit plays.

But for Brady, playing the Steelers seems to bring out the best in him, as well. Matt Ryan was best in the league with a 117.1 quarterback rating, but it had to be a fluke based on what we had seen the rest of his career.

Brady’s next Super Bowl ring would make five; Roethlisberger has two. Former Pittsburgh WR Hines Ward and New England LB Tedy Bruschi were the honorary captains-the Patriots improving to 9-0 in games where Bruschi was honored. Patriots QB Tom Brady has 30 interceptions in 33 career playoff games.

He was ready, however, to give his former lacrosse team mates from Penn State tickets for the Super Bowl clash against the Atlanta Falcons, to be played on February 5 in Houston. “You never take that for granted”.

After digesting this sobering information you have to wonder if the Patriots aren’t about to be exposed by the Pittsburgh Steelers’ elite passer, Ben Roethlisberger, in Sunday’s AFC championship game (6:40 p.m. ET, CTV and CBS).

“We just didn’t make enough plays”.

Over his last eight games – a half-season’s worth of games – he’s rushed for a total of 1,172 yards and eight touchdowns. It would also tie Brady with Charles Haley for the most Super Bowl wins for any player.

The Steelers have had more chances than any other team to cut into Brady’s legacy, but each time the big moment arrived, it saw Pittsburgh fade into the darkness. The Patriots were last in the big game when they defeated the Seattle Seahawks in 2014 and the Steelers were defeated by the Green Bay Packers in their latest appearance in 2010.

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – Someone cover Chris Hogan. Bell, who injured a groin in the first quarter, finished with 20 yards on six carries after carving up the Dolphins and Chiefs in his first two playoff games.

“They got after me”.

“It sucks that I couldn’t be there for them, ” Bell said, a look of disgust on his face. “I kind of let it loose, and he was open”. But the lack of an established No. 2 receiver on the outside opposite star Antonio Brown finally caught up to them.

“We won a lot of different ways under a lot of different circumstances, ” Brady said. “He came up to me, really told me to be the same player I was all year”.

It’s a style Brady has long since mastered, and he’s taken notice of Roethlisberger’s evolution.

Commissioner Roger Goodell, hardly a favorite at Gillette Stadium after his battle with Brady, was not at the game, but Patriots fans chanted “Where is Roger” in the fourth quarter.

Bell carried only six times for 20 yards and sat out almost all of the game.

“I don’t think we were sound”, Heyward said. He deserves all the credit that he gets.