Saturday, January 21, 2017

NFL Championship Weekend Preview

It's time! We have four teams left standing. We had great football to watch last weekend after a slow start to the playoffs, we got quality football in Green Bay beating Dallas, and Pittsburgh hanging on to beat Kansas City. Now we have two of the final three games left of the season. Winners go on to play in Super Bowl 51, while the losers go home and watch on TV like the rest of the country. Three of the four quarterbacks that are still left standing in the playoffs have won at least one Super Bowl. Brady has four rings, last win coming in Super Bowl 49, Rodgers won his lone title at Super Bowl 45, and Ben Roethlisberger has a pair of titles, his last coming in Super Bowl 43. The only quarterback to never play in the big game is Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan. So let's dive right into it. Here's how championship weekend goes down.

First up, at 3:05PM on Sunday, from the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, the NFC North Champions, the Green Bay Packers, take on the NFC South Champions, the Atlanta Falcons. Green Bay won the North with a 10-6 record. They got the Conference Championship on the strength of a 38-13 win over the Giants in the Wild Card, then beat the Cowboys 34-31 in the Divisional Round. This marks the 2nd time in three years that the Packers are in the NFC title game, losing in 2014 to the Seahawks. Green Bay is looking to get back to the Super Bowl for the 6th time ever, and the first time since 2010. Green Bay is 32-21 lifetime in the playoffs. As for Atlanta, they won the NFC South with an 11-5 record. They got to this title game by beating the Seahawks 36-20 in the Divisional Round. Atlanta is playing in the NFC title game for just the 4th time ever, their first time playing in this game since losing to the 49ers in 2012. Atlanta is 8-12 lifetime in the post season.

This marks off the 4th ever meeting between Green Bay and Atlanta in the playoffs, with Green Bay holding a 2-1 edge in the playoffs. These teams met once during the regular season, with Atlanta coming away with a 33-32 win in week eight.


Prediction:
Solly Green bay Packers
Steve: Green Bay Packers
3rd Mic Dan: NA

Next up, at 6:40PM, from Gillette Stadium, in Foxborough, Massachusetts, its the AFC North Champions, the Pittsburgh Steelers, taking on the AFC East Champions, the New England Patriots. Pittsburgh won the AFC North with an 11-5 record. They started off the playoff run by beating Miami 30-12, then followed that up by beating the Chiefs 18-16 in the Divisional Round. This marks the 15th time that the Steelers are playing in the AFC title game. Pittsburgh is 35-23 lifetime in the playoffs. As for New England, they went 14-2 during the regular season to win the AFC East, for the eight year in a row. New England beat Houston in the Divisional Round, 34-16, to make the AFC title game for the 6th year in a row. This now marks the 13th time ever that the Patriots are playing in the AFC title game. New england is 29-19 lifetime in the playoffs.

This marks the fifth postseason meeting between the teams and the third in a row that will occur in the AFC Championship Game. New England has won three of the four playoff meetings against Pittsburgh. These two teams faced off during week seven of the regular season, a 27-16 win by New England.

Prediction: 
Solly: Pittsburgh Steelers
Steve: New England Patriots
3rd Mic Dan: NA

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