Steelers Beat Jets To Win AFC Title, Will Meet Packers In Super Bowl XLV

SB Nation’s Behind The Steel Curtain said, after the first half, they were ready to book their ticket to Dallas. The Jets put up 19 second half points to make it interesting but that ticket to Dallas is still good for Steelers fans.

What a time is right. At one point late in the second half, the Jets had the ball, down five points, with a chance to win. But, like it’s been all season, the Steelers defense stepped it up sending the Jets back to New York.

Stay tuned to this StoryStream for updates. And for further reading, be sure to check out our Steelers blog, Behind The Steel Curtain, and our Jets blog, Gang Green Nation.

After being outgained 213 to 50 in the first half, the Jets have come back to take the lead in the yardage game. Pittsburgh has only 29 yards in the second half.

Communication was again a problem near the goal line. At one point Sanchez called for his team to huddle, apparently against his will.

The Jets will now get the ball back again.

The Jets converted a fourth-down conversion in the red zone earlier in the drive, clearly interested in trying to win the football game rather than apply cosmetics to the scoreboard. RB Shonn Greene took a handoff off right guard, barely crossing the marker. The Jets experienced some communication issues toward the end of the drive, with Sanchez needing to run all the way back to New York’s sideline to get a playcall.

This 10-0 run by the Jets won’t amount to much if they can’t do something about Pittsburgh’s running game.

Stay tuned to this StoryStream for updates. And for further reading, be sure to check out our Steelers blog, Behind The Steel Curtain, and our Jets blog, Gang Green Nation.

Taylor swiped at the ball as Sanchez coiled to fire, swatting the quarterback’s throwing arm and driving him to the ground.

Stay tuned to this StoryStream for updates. And for further reading, be sure to check out our Steelers blog, Behind The Steel Curtain, and our Jets blog, Gang Green Nation.

Stay tuned to this StoryStream for updates. And for further reading, be sure to check out our Steelers blog, Behind The Steel Curtain, and our Jets blog, Gang Green Nation.

Pittsburgh in late January isn’t exactly the warmest place on Earth. But the Steelers may play the coldest playoff game in Steelers history in the AFC Championship Game on Sunday.

Pro Football Talk notes that weather forecasters in Pittsburgh are predicting temperatures in the single digits for Sunday’s showdown against the New York Jets, which could make the game at Heinz Field at 6 p.m. Eastern the coldest playoff game on record for the Steelers franchise.

A day before Sunday’s AFC Championship game between the Jets and Steelers, Mike Tomlin’s squad is holding as the four-point favorite to reach their third Super Bowl in six years. Bodog.com has the Steelers at -190, and the Jets at +165.

A brief explanation of those figures, in case you’re unfamiliar: if you’re betting on the Steelers to win, you’ll need to bet $190 to win $100. Conversely, if you’re betting on the Jets, you can win $165 on a $100 wager.

Contributing to the Steelers’ status as the favorite is their home-field advantage. They’ve won the last four playoff games they’ve played at Heinz Field. However, they were only 5-3 in Pittsburgh during the regular season. The Steelers are a week removed from a come-from-behind 31-24 home win over the Ravens.

Jets fans have reason for optimism, however. Rex Ryan’s team beat the Steelers in Heinz Field on Dec. 19th, and they’ve been terrific on the road in 2010. After going 6-2 away from New York in the regular season, they’ve pulled off road wins against the Colts and Patriots to make it to the AFC Championship.

Pending any surprise scratches, this line is likely to hold. As we near kickoff at 6:30 p.m. Eastern on Sunday, stay tuned to this StoryStream for updates. And for further reading, be sure to check out our Steelers blog, Behind The Steel Curtain, and our Jets blog, Gang Green Nation.

The Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Jets will meet in the AFC Championship game this Sunday and injuries won’t play a very big role. The only major injury on the list is Steelers DE Aaron Smith, who will not play, so both teams should be good to go.

Jets CB Drew Coleman is questionable and the following players are probable: CB Antonio Cromartie, DT Mike Devito, WR Santonio Holmes, C Nick Mangold, DT Sione Pouha, QB Mark Sanchez, S James Ihedigbo, CB Darrelle Revis, WR Brad Smith and LB Jason Taylor.

The Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Jets will meet Sunday in the AFC Championship game and we expect a defensive battle. Both teams sport a top defense and that’s where they make their money. Because both teams are so solid defensively, I think this game comes down to the quarterbacks.

So with my NFL playoff prediction for the AFC Championship game, I’m going with the Steelers. Not to knock Mark Sanchez, but I believe in Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers defense more than Sanchez and the Jets. Sanchez has been solid yet inconsistent at times this year and against a top defense I think he struggles more than usual.

The good news for fans heading to Sunday’s AFC Championship between the Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Jets is that chance of snow is low. The bad news, though, is temperatures are expected to be cold enough to freeze any hot drink before it hits their lips. It wouldn’t be playoff football in Pittsburgh without temperatures that dip below the 10-degree mark.

By the time the game kicks off at 6:30 p.m. EST, temperatures are expected to be somewhere around 10 degrees, perhaps falling as low as five degrees above zero. With a little bit of wind, it could actually feel like the temperatures are below zero.

The New York Jets are underdogs against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Sunday’s AFC Championship game but it’s pretty easy to see this game going either way. Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers have been here a few times so we know they’re capable of winning. The Jets were in the AFC Championship game last year but couldn’t hold off the Indianapolis Colts.

Even in the underdog role, CB Antonio Cromartie said on ESPN 1050 in New York the Jets are “very, very confident” entering the game.

If the New York Jets beat the Pittsburgh Steelers in Sunday’s AFC Championship Game, they will have overcome a bit of bad history.

You can look at it in two ways: the Jets are one of the NFL’s least successful teams with multiple playoff runs in the post-merger era, and they’re one of the most successful playoff teams among losing post-merger squads. Among teams with sub-.500 records since 1970, only the Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans and Buffalo Bills have more playoff wins.

We thought the Pittsburgh Steelers may be getting a familiar name back in DE Aaron Smith but head coach Mike Tomlin said Thursday that Smith wouldn’t be returning for the Steelers AFC Championship game matchup against the New York Jets. Smith was injured on Oct. 24 and began some practice this week.

Smith could return if the Steelers beat the Jets and advance to the Super Bowl.

We’re used to seeing the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC Championship game but this year feels a little different because of all the off-the-field distractions that plagued the Steelers early in the year. Because of that, SB Nation’s Behind The Steel Curtain writes that Steelers fans need to sit back and smell the roses for at least a minute.

Of course if they lose on Sunday, Steelers fans will be disappointed and most likely forget that the season was a success. When you get this close to tasting the prize, it’ll be a disappointment if you don’t get it.

(Yes, it’s always sort of silly to talk about quarterbacks winning games, since even the best quarterback is just one of 22 non-special teams starters in any given game. Still, Sanchez does actually tend to play better on the road than he does at home.)

Sanchez’ Jets beat the Steelers in Pittsburgh earlier this year. New York’s style does lend itself well to playing on the road, as Rex Ryan has cultivated a team that relishes playing as the underdog.

The Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Jets will meet in the AFC Championship game on Sunday in a game that most folks are looking at as a defensive battle. Both teams rank in the top six in the NFL in defense and both have strong defensive reputations.

Steelers LB LaMarr Woodley joined The Colin Cowherd Show this week talking about Jets QB Mark Sanchez and what the Steelers defense can do to stop him.

The Pittsburgh Steelers will host the New York Jets in the AFC Championship game on Sunday and they’ll be fairly healthy. Head coach Mike Tomlin gave an update on several injured Steelers players this week and said, “We’re in great shape.”

Defensive end Aaron Smith has been sidelined since October with an injury but Tomlin says he practiced this week and will have a shot at playing this weekend. This would be a big boost to the Steelers though Tomlin says some sort of snap count will likely be in order.

The Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Jets will meet in the AFC Championship game this weekend and in a lot of ways these two teams are very similar with strong defenses and running games. The two head coaches though would appear to be opposites. Then again, Rex Ryan is the opposite of about every NFL coach.

Ryan revealed this week that Tomlin is one of his favorite coaches and Tomlin responded with some interesting words about Ryan.

Two weeks ago New York Jets head coach said his team’s wildcard weekend matchup against the Indianapolis Colts was “personal” with Peyton Manning. A week later he said the same thing about the Jets matchup with the New England Patriots but this time it was “personal” with Bill Belichick.

The Jets of course won both games. So is declaring a game “personal” against the opponent a lucky charm for Rex Ryan? Will he do it before Sunday’s AFC Championship game against the Pittsburgh Steelers?

The New York Jets were nine point underdogs against the New England Patriots in the divisional round of the NFL playoffs but they surprised everyone -- except themselves -- by beating New England to advance to the AFC Championship game. They will now travel to Pittsburgh to play the Steelers.

Jets head coach Rex Ryan said after Sunday’s game that “Mission Impossible” continues.

On Sunday, Jan. 23, the game can be seen at 6:30 pm ET on CBS, shortly after the NFC Championship Game is expected to end.

For more on this game join Gang Green Nation or Behind The Steel Curtain.