NFL Playoffs AFC Championship Style! (NYJ v. PIT)
AFC Championship Game: New York Jets v. Pittsburgh Steelers
Sunday 6:30pm, CBS
Just like every other playoff game these two teams faced each other during the 2010 season. The Jets walked away victorious 22-17. Since 2001 these two teams are 3-3 against each other and more importantly neither team has scored more than 22 points in their respective wins. Everyone is talking about how these two teams mirror each other on O/D and how they are built the same way blah blah blah... I don't see that at all. Well, maybe 'at all' is a bit of an overstatement BUT there are a lot of contrasting themes to look at in this great AFC Championship game. By the way the Steelers are favored by a passive and boring 3 1/2 point spread at MGM Grand and the o/u is 38 which really isn't too shocking, who wouldn't take that under?
Key Matchup
(NYJ C) Nick Mangold v. (PIT NT) Casey Hampton
No flashy stats or crazy pro-bowl resumes BUT they are both great players in the trenches years in and year out. Lets start with 5yr veteran Nick Mangold. He was drafted originally to stop AFC East stud defensive linemen like Patriots NT like Vince Wolfolk and Sam Adams or rushing expert DE Jason Taylor, and for the Bills... Aaron Schobel? But, Mangold has not disappointed being a great linchpin for this J-E-T-S offensive line. On the other side of the ball (literally) is NT Casey Hampton. For stat-hawks you see that he averages about 20tlks and a sack a year... who cares right? Wrong! He takes the double teams allowing the great Steelers' linebackers to get penetration into opponents' backfield. Plus, the dude just takes up space at 6'1 325lbs! So, in order for the Jets to get the ground game going Mangold is going to have to handle Hampton and that great Pittsburgh 3-4 D.
Difference Maker
(NYJ QB) Mark Sanchez- No kidding, right? Of course the QB is going to make an impact. But, it's more than that! Looking at his short career he has had great games against the Texans, Bills and Browns... oh boy. Against tough 3-4 defenses Mark Sanchez has struggled mightily (to say the least.) Also, if the Steelers shut down LT and Shonn Greene it's all up to Sanchez... and I just don't think he has it. OH but like Sanchez threw 3TD against the Patriots last week! (Says the bandwagon Jets fans) Well, two of those TD were 7yds and for 15yds that's not exactly uncorking it down the field... AND three of the four scoring drives were complements of the Jets D setting them up at the 49, 37, and 20 all inside Pats territory. So, take a deep breathe NY and except his is still young and if the game ends up on his arm... start prepping for the 2011 draft.
Outcome
No bias here, I can't stand either of these franchises. The Steelers have QB that should be on parole and the Jets have more social issues than Paris Hilton and Lindsy Lohan combined (with a pinch of Brett Favre's cell phone.) Both have loud and drunk fans (like the Eagles.) And both are magnets for the typical bandwagon'er. If there could be a way Jason Taylor and LT could win a Super Bowl and not have the Jets win I am all for it. All that heated NFL rumbling aside I think it maybe a tad one sided. Two good D's, great RB's, but I just think Sanchez is going to make a few blunders that will knock out the Jets: Jets-13 Steelers-23.
Next Blog: NFL Playoffs SUPER BOWL Style! (GB/CHI v. NYJ/PIT)
Stats courtesy of ESPN Stats and Information Links http://www.newyorkjets.com
http://www.steelers.com http://www.espn.go.com
Sunday 6:30pm, CBS
Just like every other playoff game these two teams faced each other during the 2010 season. The Jets walked away victorious 22-17. Since 2001 these two teams are 3-3 against each other and more importantly neither team has scored more than 22 points in their respective wins. Everyone is talking about how these two teams mirror each other on O/D and how they are built the same way blah blah blah... I don't see that at all. Well, maybe 'at all' is a bit of an overstatement BUT there are a lot of contrasting themes to look at in this great AFC Championship game. By the way the Steelers are favored by a passive and boring 3 1/2 point spread at MGM Grand and the o/u is 38 which really isn't too shocking, who wouldn't take that under?
Key Matchup
(NYJ C) Nick Mangold v. (PIT NT) Casey Hampton
No flashy stats or crazy pro-bowl resumes BUT they are both great players in the trenches years in and year out. Lets start with 5yr veteran Nick Mangold. He was drafted originally to stop AFC East stud defensive linemen like Patriots NT like Vince Wolfolk and Sam Adams or rushing expert DE Jason Taylor, and for the Bills... Aaron Schobel? But, Mangold has not disappointed being a great linchpin for this J-E-T-S offensive line. On the other side of the ball (literally) is NT Casey Hampton. For stat-hawks you see that he averages about 20tlks and a sack a year... who cares right? Wrong! He takes the double teams allowing the great Steelers' linebackers to get penetration into opponents' backfield. Plus, the dude just takes up space at 6'1 325lbs! So, in order for the Jets to get the ground game going Mangold is going to have to handle Hampton and that great Pittsburgh 3-4 D.
Difference Maker
(NYJ QB) Mark Sanchez- No kidding, right? Of course the QB is going to make an impact. But, it's more than that! Looking at his short career he has had great games against the Texans, Bills and Browns... oh boy. Against tough 3-4 defenses Mark Sanchez has struggled mightily (to say the least.) Also, if the Steelers shut down LT and Shonn Greene it's all up to Sanchez... and I just don't think he has it. OH but like Sanchez threw 3TD against the Patriots last week! (Says the bandwagon Jets fans) Well, two of those TD were 7yds and for 15yds that's not exactly uncorking it down the field... AND three of the four scoring drives were complements of the Jets D setting them up at the 49, 37, and 20 all inside Pats territory. So, take a deep breathe NY and except his is still young and if the game ends up on his arm... start prepping for the 2011 draft.
Outcome
No bias here, I can't stand either of these franchises. The Steelers have QB that should be on parole and the Jets have more social issues than Paris Hilton and Lindsy Lohan combined (with a pinch of Brett Favre's cell phone.) Both have loud and drunk fans (like the Eagles.) And both are magnets for the typical bandwagon'er. If there could be a way Jason Taylor and LT could win a Super Bowl and not have the Jets win I am all for it. All that heated NFL rumbling aside I think it maybe a tad one sided. Two good D's, great RB's, but I just think Sanchez is going to make a few blunders that will knock out the Jets: Jets-13 Steelers-23.
Next Blog: NFL Playoffs SUPER BOWL Style! (GB/CHI v. NYJ/PIT)
Stats courtesy of ESPN Stats and Information Links http://www.newyorkjets.com
http://www.steelers.com http://www.espn.go.com
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