In what was billed as one of greatest Conference Championship rounds in league history, with four of the NFL’s most elite quarterbacks, turned out to be a rather disappointing Conference Championship weekend. Neither contest was competitive as both the AFC and NFC Championship games ended in complete blowouts. The last time a Conference Championship round ended in such an utter lopsided conclusion, with both games being decided by 19 points or more, was in 1978. Fans can only hope the Super Bowl provides a more competitive balance.
AROUND COVER32
NFL Daily Dime: Sherman’s injury, Raiders’ move and Peterson’s future
NFL Mailbag: Conference Champs, Facebook Live, and retirement talk
NFL Five Questions: Raiders’ move, Peterson’s future and who’s Super Bowl bound
NFL Confidence Rankings: Ranking and evaluating each team, players and coaches for the Conference Championships
cover32 Exclusive: 2017 NFL playoff pick’ems — Conference Championships
Green Bay Packers 21, Atlanta Falcons 44
With their dominant, 44-21, rout of the Packers, the Falcons will return to the Super Bowl for the first time since their 1998 loss to John Elway and the Denver Broncos. In fact, Atlanta will be making just their second Super Bowl appearance in their 51-year franchise history.
It was another MVP performance from Matt Ryan who outdueled Aaron Rodgers in the NFC Championship bout. He guided the Falcons to victory, throwing for 392 yards with four touchdowns and added a fifth on a 14-yard scamper to the end zone. Ryan showed the doubters that he has what it takes to win the big game, after entering the playoffs with just a 1-4 career postseason record. After nine seasons, Ryan will be making his first trip to the Super Bowl.
Atlanta led the entire way, scoring on their first seven of eight drives, leading 24-0 at the half and put up 31 points before Green Bay finally managed to answer. The Packers’ defense had no answers for the Falcons’ potent offense that averaged more than 35 points at home during the regular season. Atlanta’s defense played better than their rank advertised as they held Rodgers and the Packers’ elite offense in check; shutting them out in the first half of Sunday’s contest.
Coming off their stunning upset of the Dallas Cowboys last week, Green Bay saw their eight-game winning streak come to an end. It wasn’t the only streak that was broken in the matchup as Mason Crosby’s stretch of 23 straight field goals came to an abrupt end, when he missed a 41-yard field goal early in the first quarter.
While carving up the Packers’ secondary, depleted by injuries, Ryan again drew chants of “MVP!” from the home crowd and is only one win away from his first Super Bowl title and Atlanta’s first championship since the 1995 Braves won the World Series. The city could not have asked for a better finish, in what was the final game to be played in the Georgia Dome; the Falcons’ home since 1992. They will be moving into the $1.5 billion Mercedes-Benz Stadium at the start of the 2017 NFL regular season, but will first face-off with the Patriots at the Super Bowl in Houston.
Pittsburgh Steelers 17, New England Patriots 36
The Patriots are heading to Super Bowl for the second time in three years, after blowing out the Steelers, 36-17, in Sunday’s AFC Championship game. New England is now 9-4 in AFC Championships and holds a 6-1 record when playing at home. The win was Bill Belichick’s and Tom Brady’s 24th playoff victory — the most in NFL history by any coach and quarterback duo.
Brady is coming off one of the best seasons of his career and has gone from being suspended, to open the year, to playing in the Super Bowl, while leading the Patriots to their ninth AFC Title. He set a franchise playoff record, finishing with 384 yards passing and three touchdowns. The performance was Brady’s 11th postseason 300-yard game, extending his NFL record with the mark. The records did not stop there as Brady tied Joe Montana’s playoff record with his ninth three-touchdown performance.
For Pittsburgh, it was a disappointing affair from the start; losing Le’Veon Bell to a groin injury in the first quarter. The hits did not stop there as the Steelers were done in by countless mistakes in all phases of the game. Pittsburgh never challenged the Patriots, who led Sunday’s contest wire-to-wire and ended the Steelers’ nine-game winning streak. Their young secondary was no match for Brady as the elite signal caller picked them apart from the opening kickoff.
The game was Pittsburgh’s 16th AFC Championship appearance and despite owning 36 postseason wins and a league-best six Super Bowl titles, will not be adding a seventh Vince Lombardi Trophy this year.
Instead, New England will be heading to their ninth Super Bowl appearance, while looking for their fifth NFL Championship. They will make the trip to Houston, opening as three-point favorites over the Falcons.
– Miles Dittberner, is the National Editor of cover32 and also covers the Minnesota Vikings. Like and follow on Facebook and Twitter.
The post 2017 NFL Playoffs: Conference Championships Recap appeared first on Cover32.