{"id":79179,"date":"2017-01-17T14:57:17","date_gmt":"2017-01-17T14:57:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sandbox.web.rcn.net\/rcntv\/?p=79179"},"modified":"2023-04-14T19:44:14","modified_gmt":"2023-04-14T19:44:14","slug":"behind-mic-li-teams","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.astound.com\/atvn\/behind-mic-li-teams\/","title":{"rendered":"Behind the Mic: LI – Which Teams?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Green Bay<\/a> vs Atlanta<\/a>; Pittsburgh <\/a>vs New England<\/a>:\u00a0 Which teams will make it to the Super Bowl<\/a>?\u00a0 It\u2019s hard to believe they could be more evenly matched, with each team led by some of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL <\/a>history.\u00a0 If your fantasy draft was held tomorrow would you take Tom Brady<\/a>, Ben Roethlisberger<\/a>, Aaron Rodgers<\/a>, or Matt Ryan<\/a>?\u00a0 Would it even matter \u2013 they are each that good!\u00a0 No team would really seem to have the advantage at the quarterback position, but which one is better at crunch time?\u00a0 Here is how I see the match-ups for this Sunday with the winner making a trip to the Super Bowl.<\/p>\n

Green Bay at Atlanta \u2013 3:05pm (Fox)<\/strong>
\nAs I write this the over\/under on this game is 60!\u00a0 That\u2019s right \u2013 60 points.\u00a0 Someone forgot the adage that \u201cdefense wins championships\u201d.\u00a0 So, obviously, Las Vegas does not believe either defense can stop Aaron Rodgers or Matt Ryan.<\/p>\n

The Packers have won eight straight and Aaron Rodgers is the reason for the streak \u2013 24 TDs and one interception.\u00a0 And he just finds a way to win the game \u2013 the throw to Jared Cook<\/a> on the sideline to set up the game-winning field goal is the most recent memory of Rodgers\u2019 ability to just make something crucial happen.\u00a0 And speaking of game \u2013winning field goals, the Packers\u2019 placekicker, Mason Crosby<\/a>, has made 23 consecutive playoff field goals.\u00a0 He last missed one in 2010.\u00a0 At the end of the game, getting in field goal position is Rodgers\u2019 job and winning the game has been Crosby\u2019s job and both are getting their jobs done.<\/p>\n

Matt Ryan of the Atlanta Falcons will most likely be the NFL\u2019s MVP and he has a receiving corps led by Julio Jones<\/a> that is better than the Cowboys<\/a>.\u00a0 The Packers have all kinds of trouble stopping both the run AND the pass.\u00a0 If Atlanta can run enough to keep the Packers concerned about that aspect of the game, Matt Ryan could have quite a day. \u00a0Statistically, the Falcons run the ball almost as effectively as the Steelers and the Steelers\u2019 rushing attack is very good.\u00a0 Dallas was able to exploit the Packers\u2019 secondary.\u00a0 Most fans, I think, would agree that the Seattle Seahawks<\/a>\u2019 defense is more formidable than the Packers\u2019 defense.\u00a0 I am beginning to understand the over\/under.<\/p>\n

WHO WINS?\u00a0 – The Falcons are favored; they are at home; but can I bet against Aaron Rodgers?\u00a0 No!
\nGREEN BAY \u2013 34\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 ATLANTA \u2013 31<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Pittsburgh at New England \u2013 6:40pm (CBS)<\/strong>
\nIs anybody better than Tom Brady in these situations?\u00a0 Is anyone\u2019s pass rush in the playoffs been better than the Steelers?\u00a0 The answer to both questions is \u201cNo\u201d.\u00a0 But there are some troubling stats if you are a Steelers\u2019 fan.\u00a0 The Patriots have lost only once to the Steelers (Brady was injured in that game) in New England in the past 18 years and the Patriots have won nine of the last 12 match-ups between these two teams.<\/p>\n

For Pittsburgh to win, and they have won nine in a row, they must be able to run the ball and I believe they will.\u00a0 Le\u2019Veon Bell<\/a> was exceptional against Kansas City <\/a>\u2013 170 yards on 30 carries.\u00a0 Throw in DeAngelo Williams<\/a> and the New England rush defense will be severely tested.\u00a0 Balance that rushing attack with the wisdom of Roethlisberger and his talented receivers, especially Antonio Brown<\/a>, and life could get miserable for the Patriot defense.\u00a0 But the Steelers did not score a touchdown against the Chiefs.<\/p>\n

\u201cHo hum\u201d for New England.\u00a0 Aren\u2019t the Patriots always in this playoff position – in the playoffs and at home?\u00a0 They are 4-1 in the AFC Championship games and 16-3 all-time at home in the playoffs.\u00a0 And Tom Brady is Tom Brady!\u00a0 With the exception of Brady, the Patriots do not have the \u201cname players\u201d that the other playoff teams have, but they do have Bill Belichick<\/a>.\u00a0 And those two are the true \u201ckiller Bs\u201d.<\/p>\n

WHO WINS?\u00a0 New England is favored; the game is in Foxboro; and Brady and Belichick do not lose.
\nNEW ENGLAND \u2013 24\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 PITTSBURGH – 23<\/strong><\/p>\n

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)<\/strong>
\n\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin<\/a> made a valid point after the Steelers\u2019 late Sunday win at Kansas City. New England has a day and a half preparation advantage over the Steelers due to the Patriots playing early on Saturday and the Steelers late on Sunday night and having to fly back to Pittsburgh.\u00a0 Just what the Patriots need \u2013 another advantage.<\/li>\n
  2. I hate to harp on the officiating, but do you agree that splitting up the NFL officials\u2019 crews was a bad idea. There have been so many incidences where the crew just does not seem to be on the same page.\u00a0 It makes them look bad and most fans think they are bad anyway.\u00a0 There sure seems to be many more \u201cbooth reviews\u201d than ever before.\u00a0 Suffice it to say, no team is angrier with the officials than the Kansas City Chiefs \u2013 a holding call on the two-point conversion kept them from tying the game and sending it into overtime.<\/li>\n
  3. Packers\u2019 kicker Mason Crosby has been unbelievable \u2013 he became the first kicker to make two field goals of 50 yards or more in the last two minutes of a playoff game. His 56-yarder was the third longest in post-season history.\u00a0 He had to make the game-winning 51-yarder twice after the Cowboys called time-out right before he made the first one.\u00a0 That makes 23 in a row, a record.<\/li>\n
  4. New Lafayette <\/a>football coach John Garrett<\/a> is certainly not a fan of Crosby\u2019s. His brother, Jason<\/a>, is the Dallas head coach and he had just put his team in position to go to overtime.<\/li>\n
  5. Congratulations to both Allen and Bangor as they continue to stay undefeated in the high school basketball season. Allen is 6A and Bangor is 5A so they will not meet in the playoffs.\u00a0 That\u2019s a shame.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Gary\u2019s Guesses: NFL Picks \u2013 (Last week \u2013 2-2; Overall \u2013 167-94-2 \u2013 64%)<\/strong>
    \nSEE ABOVE<\/strong>
    \n\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

    \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Green Bay vs Atlanta; Pittsburgh vs New England:\u00a0 Which teams will make it to the Super Bowl?\u00a0 It\u2019s hard to believe they could be more evenly matched, with each team led by some of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history.\u00a0 If your fantasy draft was held tomorrow would you take Tom Brady, Ben Roethlisberger, Aaron…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"Yoast SEO Relevanssi index exclude","inline_featured_image":false,"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"episode_type":"","audio_file":"","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","itunes_episode_number":"","itunes_title":"","itunes_season_number":"","itunes_episode_type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2,3,4],"tags":[9,36,753,137,209,752,571,427,522],"class_list":["post-79179","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-behind-the-mic","category-featured","category-sports","tag-aaron-rodgers","tag-atlanta-falcons","tag-ben-roethlisberger","tag-dallas-cowboys","tag-green-bay-packers","tag-matt-ryan","tag-new-england-patriots","tag-pittsburgh-steelers","tag-tom-brady"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nBehind the Mic: LI - Which Teams? 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