No love lost for rivals, especially in the AFC
The matchups ignite interest no matter when they’re played. The Jets don’t like the Patriots. The Patriots are annoyed by the yappy Jets. The Steelers hate the Ravens and, well, the Ravens exchange that disdain.
But now they’re meeting in the playoffs. Now the hatred, the rivalries, the annoyance is ratcheted up a notch. Or 10.
There’s Jets coach Rex Ryan trying to goad — unsuccessfully — Bill Belichick into a war of words. There’s Jets cornerback Antonio Cromartie letting the world know how much he hates Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, who flicks away the negativity as if it were a bug on his shoulder. And there’s Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs wearing a T-shirt that includes a one-finger salute to Pittsburgh, just in case anyone had forgotten what the teams thought of each other.
But ex-Redskins safety Ryan Clark, now a starter with Pittsburgh, told the Steelers media, “I don’t think enough about the Baltimore Ravens to make a shirt about them.”
Oh, yeah, Seattle plays Chicago and Green Bay plays Atlanta. And, oh yeah, those games matter, too. The Seahawks are, well, take your pick: A good underdog story after ousting defending Super Bowl champion New Orleans or a playoff pest because of their 8-9 record. The Bears have a terrific defense, the league’s most dangerous return man in Devin Hester, a quarterback who makes beautiful throws or dumb interceptions and little else.
At least Green Bay vs. Atlanta has nearly as much intrigue as the two AFC playoff games because of the talent involved.
The Packers boast arguably the NFC’s best quarterback in Aaron Rodgers, who had the third-highest quarterback rating in the league during the regular season. The Falcons counter with Matt Ryan, nicknamed “Matty Ice” for his late-game coolness. Under Ryan, the Falcons have won 20 of their last 22 home games.
But any team that wins on the road in Philadelphia, as Green Bay did last week, is a legitimate threat to reach the Super Bowl — and win. The Falcons, meanwhile, are the NFC favorites to reach the ultimate game. This might be the most entertaining game of the weekend.
But come on, can you really turn away from the AFC games? At least in the case of Baltimore playing at Pittsburgh, it’s about two high-quality teams with elite quarterbacks in Joe Flacco and Ben Roethlisberger, respectively. Their defenses rank first (Pittsburgh) and third (Baltimore) in points allowed. And the running backs (Baltimore’s Ray Rice and Pittsburgh’s Rashard Mendenhall) are a case study in productivity through different tactics. The dynamic Rice rushed for 1,220 yards and caught 63 passes in the regular season, while the bruising Mendenhall rushed for 1,273 yards and scored 13 touchdowns. Six of the last seven games between Pittsburgh and Baltimore have been decided by four points or less.
Meanwhile, the Jets have a defense capable of shutting down teams (except when the Patriots dropped 45 on them last month). They can run the ball. But the Patriots have one of the best quarterbacks in history, Brady, who is having his best season — 36 touchdowns, four interceptions, QB rating of 111.0. They also have one of the best coaches in history, and they’re at home. It’s the nouveau-riche Jets vs. the old-money Patriots.
But what if the Jets stun them? Imagine what they’ll say next.
