***SWAMP AFC CHAMPIONSHIP - PITT @ NE***

***PITTSBURGH STEELERS @ NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS***

Oh baby, oh baby! Game two of Championship Sunday provides us with another clash of the titans when two of the best QBs in the NFL face-off in the AFC Championshiop. Pittsburgh’s Big Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers head into dreaded Foxborough to take on QB Tom Brady and the mighty New England Patriots. This game has the potential to top last week’s Packers Vs. Cowboys classic as I believe that the Steelers are one of the few and maybe only team in the AFC this season that has a realistic chance of walking out of Foxborough victorious. Pittsburgh has the pedigree needed to go toe to toe with these guys in a game as big as the AFC Championship and I believe we are in for another treat with this one. The winner of this game will be the first franchise in NFL history to appear in 9 Super Bowls! Big Ben, RB Le’Veon Bell, and WR Antonio Brown or now known as the “Killer B’s” are enjoying their first playoff experience healthy together and will need to be on their game today as they take try and dominate a very smart and solid New England defense. For the Patriots, it has been business as usual but Head Coach Bill Belichick was clearly not happy with his team’s performance last weekend when they hosted Houston in the Divisional Round. If not for the Texans’ anemic offense, they might’ve won that game as the ball definitely bounced well in their favor. It was clear that the Texans were going to need some luck on their side if they wanted to upset the Pats as 16 point underdogs. The funny part is they did find a couple four-leaf clovers that night, and the Pats turned the ball over, but they were unable to capitalize and couldn’t even cover the number despite New England essentially sleep-walking all game. The Pats were off a bye week, and facing a clearly lesser opponent so even though it was the playoffs, I can see how it might’ve been a little difficult for the Pats to get motivated and be on their A-game. It actually was perfect that it happened the way it did because now Belichick has surely been laying into his guys, using that performance to assure they will be ready for tonight’s match and they will need to be because Pitt is hungry and extremely dangerous, peaking at the right time.

With weapons like Bell and Brown, the Pats defense will have to pick their poison when trying to limit the Pittsburgh offense. Last week the Kansas City Chiefs possibly laid out somewhat of a blueprint as they were able to keep the Steelers out of the endzone, limiting them to only FGs. The Chiefs were unable to answer the bell on the other end however and the Steelers defense was able to limit their production as well with Pittsburgh eventually coming out on top with a road victory, 18-16. That Steelers defense has really come along throughout the season and is starting to play very well together. They are another unit that had trouble with injuries and youth, but have now seemed to found themselves. Ever since the combination of veteran animal LB/DE in James Harrison and Sophomore LB Bud Dupree have been both healthy and on the field together, they have been terrorizing QBs and as a result it has really helped out this young secondary in their coverage. Last week we all watched how the Texans used DE Jadeveon Clowney to rush QB Tom Brady up the middle, where we learned years ago in Super Bowls against the Giants, is where a pass rush effects Brady the most due to his immobility. I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Steelers use Dupree or LB Ryan Shazier in a similar fashion. Of course, I think the Patriots incredible coaching staff will be prepared for anything and everything and will counter effectively with whatever the Steelers try to throw at them. Despite Big Ben not playing his best ball when on the road this season, I believe that Pitt will play a much better offensively than they did last week but I am not so sure it will be enough to outdo the Pats here. I like the Pats defense with the experienced veterans and coaching that it comes with to be the eventual difference maker. However I do see this one is going down to the wire folks, in what will be a classic shootout between two of the best QBs the NFL has to offer. As much as I like what this Steelers defense is doing as of late, I don’t think think they will be able to hold Brady and his guys down for long. The Pats are just too damn good at finding those defensive holes and exploiting them and at home tonight with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line, I like the Pats to prevail but do NOT think it will be more than a FG game either way. Pitt has that big-play potential at any given moment and it will surely shine tonight to keep things close. So that being said, SwampMan is howling at the moon again here, and backing Pittsburgh in a close one! STEELERS+6