Digital Sports Desk

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The Land of Championship Parades

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BOSTON – (Special to Digital Sports Desk by The Sports Xchange) – Thousands of Patriots fans packed the streets of Boston on a cold, snowy Tuesday to catch a glimpse of Tom Brady, coach Bill Belichick and New England’s fifth Vince Lombardi Trophy during the team’s championship parade. Riding in the city’s signature duck boats, the Patriots slowly made their way down Boylston Street in downtown Boston before making a left turn onto Tremont Street on the way to Boston City Hall.

Tom Brady

As the procession reached Copley Square, fans chanted “Brady!” as the smiling quarterback pumped his fist in the air. Once the celebration reached Tremont Street, Brady caught a football from WBZ-TV sports anchor Steve Burton and tossed back a perfect spiral as fans chanted “MVP!”

“One more!,” Brady screamed during a post-parade rally at City Hall. “I told you we were going to bring this sucker (the trophy) home and we brought it home.

Thank you guys. We do it for you. You do it for us. Let’s go! Let’s go!”

New England Patriots AFC Champions

Brady added, “These aren’t easy to do, but this team gave everything it had and it took — damn, that game was hard. That game was real hard, but you know what we’re going to remember this moment for the rest of our lives.”

Brady threw for a Super Bowl-record 466 yards, two touchdowns and one interception as New England overcame a 25-point deficit to beat the Atlanta Falcons 34-28 in overtime on Sunday night.

“There’s been a lot of talk over the last couple weeks about goats,” Patriots owner Robert Kraft said, referring to the acronym for the phrase “greatest of all time” (G.O.A.T.). “And you all know we have the G.O.A.T. when it comes to players in Tom Brady. We have the G.O.A.T. when it comes to coaches in Bill Belichick.

“And I (want) you to know that my family and our organization feel that we have the G.O.A.T. of fans on the planet.”

Belichick led fans in chants of “No days off!” and ended his brief address to the crowd by screaming “Let’s go Pats!”

“These players, they work harder than any team I’ve ever coached,” Belichick said. “They came to work everyday and there were no days off!”
Massachusetts governer Charlie Baker, a Republican, was meet with a smattering of boos as he addressed the crowd, but the boos turned into cheers when Baker officially declared Feb. 7 as “New England Patriots Day.”

Tom Brady

Kraft said he was inspired by the impact the Patriots’ success has had on the region.

“I’m happy, I think this team is a rallying point for a lot of people,” Kraft told NBC Boston before the parade began.

Kraft spoke about a young electrician who told him before the parade that he suffered from depression and has identified with the Patriots.

“What we’ve done over the last two, three years has made a difference in his life, and that makes me feel good,” Kraft said.

Before the parade, injured Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski was pictured holding a customized WWE championship belt with Patriots logos on it. Video later showed Gronkowski catching a can of beer that was thrown to him while riding on a duck boat.

After missing the Patriots’ final eight games with a, Gronkowski said he didn’t plan to ride on the duck boat in the parade but was convinced by the fans, saying “I party for the fans.”

Another popular chant from fans was “Roger That!”, a nod to the strained relationship between NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and Brady. Goodell suspended Brady four games for his role in the Deflategate scandal.

On Monday, Patriots defensive coordinator Matt Patricia was photographed wearing a shirt with a red clown nose on Roger Goodell’s face as he exited the team plane on the tarmac.

 

Super Bowl: Goodell Spins League Issues; More on DeflateGate

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HOUSTON – (Special to Digital Sports Desk from The Sports Xchange) – NFL commissioner Roger Goodell doubled down on Deflategate and reaffirmed his commitment to “Thursday Night Football” in his State of the League address at the George Young Convention Center on Wednesday afternoon.

“We’re thrilled to be here in Houston,” Goodell said, projecting attendance will reach one million after topping 250,000 for the first three days of the week.

Shortly after opening his address began at 1 p.m. CT, Goodell was peppered by multiple questions regarding DeflateGate, relocation and ratings.

Roger Goodell

With New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft seated in the first row five seats from the aisle and 15 yards from Goodell, the commissioner stood by his decision to suspend quarterback Tom Brady for the first four games of the 2016 season based on findings that revealed a violation of rules and besmirching the integrity of the game.

If the last game of the season ends with a Patriots victory, Goodell said he is ready to hand the trophy to the champions.

“I would tell you that it’s not awkward at all for me,” Goodell said, adding that he didn’t dodge two playoff games in Foxborough, Mass., to attend back-to-back games in Atlanta for that reason. “If invited I’ll return. I have no doubt if I wanted to return to Foxborough and I asked Mr. Kraft, I’d be welcomed back. I continue to respect and admire Robert and Jonathan (Kraft). I’m not afraid of disagreement. And I don’t think it leads to distrust or disrespect.” … We have a job to do. From our standpoint, we understand the fans who are loyal and passionate for a team object and don’t like the outcome. From our standpoint, this is just about making sure we take care of business.”

As for any conversation with Brady, Goodell cited a policy of never revealing when he speaks to players, only that it happens regularly.

On relocation, of the San Diego Chargers to Los Angeles and the Oakland Raiders to a city to be determined, Goodell said the NFL stands by its belief that relocation is a last resort. The league, Goodell said, deeply incentivized the city of San Diego to replace dilapidated Qualcomm Stadium with an unprecedented $300 million in total funding to kick-start a project.

The Chargers are leaving for Los Angeles after 56 years in San Diego.

“These are painful processes — it is hard on our fans, and it is not the outcome we were hopeful for,” Goodell said. “It has taken awhile to recognize that a new stadium was needed. It’s a process that has to identify a solution that is good for the community and the team. We weren’t able to do that.”
Placing a team in Las Vegas, the stated intent of Raiders owner Mark Davis, will not progress until owners review the status of the team’s relocation plan from Oakland.

Goodell said no determination was made on Las Vegas and its viability as an NFL market, of which stadium financing will be just one factor reviewed. Another is whether gambling can co-exist with the NFL.

“It does today, it exists throughout our world,” Goodell said. “What we’ve always said is there needs to be a fine line between team sports gambling and the integrity of the NFL. … That is something we think is imperative to us.”

Goodell said the league has been studying shifts in television ratings for a number of years and plan to enact a change in planned breaks per quarter — four instead of five — next season. That will not include eliminating “Thursday Night Football,” which Goodell touted as the No. 2 show in prime time.

“What we’re trying to do is make our games as exciting and action-packed as possible. We have not dismissed any theories. We’re going to have the competition committee focused on several issues,” Goodell said. “There are number of things where we think we can focus on management of the game, stopping the game. We have five breaks per quarter, we think we can do it with four. We think less is more in this area.”

[Read more…]

Super Story: “Brady vs. Goodell”

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HOUSTON – (Special to Digital Sports Desk by The Sports Xchange) – With almost giddy anticipation, the football world awaits the potentially delicious moment next Sunday night when NFL commissioner Roger Goodell might be presenting the Lombardi Trophy to owner Robert Kraft and the New England Patriots.

The story has been told and retold ad infinitum since the Patriots and quarterback Tom Brady were accused of deflating footballs prior to their AFC Championship Game against the Indianapolis Colts in January 2015.

Houston Preps for Super Bowl

The end result was a four-game suspension that Brady served at the beginning of this season along with a hefty $1 million fine to the team and the forfeiture of a first-round pick in 2016 and a fourth-round choice in this year’s draft.

Yes, that’s true: Even if the Patriots capture another Lombardi for their ever-burgeoning trophy case, they will still pay with another lost draft pick in three months.

Many in FootballWorld cheered because with the Patriots becoming the equivalent of baseball’s Yankees or Notre Dame — you either love ’em, or hate ’em — it confirmed the widespread notion that the Bill Belichick-led team has benefited from cheating. Even if they really didn’t.

Now, the irony is that many in the legion of Patriots haters are also Goodell haters and they are silently rooting for a New England victory followed by an awkward trophy presentation.

That occurs amid the backdrop of Goodell trying to get in front of the story and feigning respect for what the Patriots have accomplished.

It can’t be coincidence that Goodell suddenly made an appearance on Colin Cowherd’s Fox Sports radio show, with Fox the same network that is televising Super Bowl LI.

“Not for a second,” Goodell said when asked about how awkward the trophy presentation will be. “Tom Brady is one of the all-time greats. He has been for several years. He’s on the precipice of at least potentially winning his fifth Super Bowl ring. He’s an extraordinary player, great performer, and a surefire Hall of Famer. So it would be an honor.”

Right.

When asked about his relationship with Kraft, who has consistently criticized how Goodell handled the Deflategate investigation, including in a recent New York Times article in which he said, “Sometimes, the league really messes up, and I think they really messed this up badly,” Goodell said, “I wouldn’t be doing my job if somebody wasn’t unhappy with a decision that you make or where you’re doing it. Robert and I can disagree about things. We have a healthy respect for one another, but that’s true with any owner. That doesn’t affect my relationship or the fact we work together to try to make the NFL better ultimately. That’s the most important thing going for us.”

Kraft sure has an odd way of showing that “healthy respect.”

Goodell’s appearance also occurred after he had attended the Atlanta Falcons’ two playoff games with it being duly noted that he hasn’t been to Foxborough since the infamous Deflategate game.

Fans chanted Goodell’s name during the game (“Roger, Roger, Roger”), tight end Martellus Bennett said, “Where is he? He’s like Waldo right now,” and when CBS broadcaster Jim Nantz handed the Lamar Hunt Trophy for winning the AFC to Kraft, the owner said, “For a number of reasons, all of you in this stadium understand how big this win was. But, we have to go to Houston and win one (more).”

Goodell, of course, had a ready (scripted?) answer when Cowherd posed the question about his game attendance.

“We had two great games,” Goodell said. “I was in Boston two years ago for the divisional and the championship games. I try to get to as many stadiums as I can. We have two great games and you’ve got to choose. And frankly, the focus should be on the players, the coaches and the great game. That’s the way it was this weekend, and the way it should be.”

There’s the rub. Much of the focus will continue to be this stale storyline, which never should have been allowed to get so out of control, and was originally inflamed by an NFL leak to ESPN with blatantly false information about the pressure of the footballs.

But Goodell rode with it because, as many believe, owners were angry that he wasn’t harder on the Patriots after the Spygate debacle.

Think about it: One of the greatest quarterbacks of all time missed four games, the team paid a heavy price, and attorneys got hundreds of billable hours all because some footballs were slightly under the minimum pressure allowed on a cold, winter day in New England.

Oh, and the Patriots’ offense actually played better in the second half of that game with the footballs reinflated.

William Shakespeare would say it’s “Much Ado About Nothing,” and the truth is, it’s all a host of hot air.But maybe, just maybe, Goodell is crazy like a fox. In his fervent quest to push the NFL to $25 billion in revenue, eyeballs on games are and always will be the bottom line. Controversy sells.

And we as consumers can’t get enough of it in a world becoming dominated by “alternative facts.”

—Howard Balzer is in his 40th year covering pro football and is a member of the Hall of Fame selection committee.

Super Bowl LI: Matchups to Watch

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FOXBOROUGH – (Special Preview to Digital Sports Desk by The Sports Xchange) – Tom Brady toppled Big Ben, and now he is ready to bring the heat against Matty Ice.  Brady threw for a franchise-playoff-record 384 yards and three touchdowns to lead the New England Patriots past Ben Roethlisberger and the Pittsburgh Steelers 36-17 in the AFC Championship Game on Sunday night.
Perhaps the greatest example of Brady’s brilliance was his ability to turn run-of-the-mill wide receiver Chris Hogan into a star, at least for one night.
Hogan reeled in nine passes from Brady for 180 yards, also a franchise postseason record, and a pair of touchdowns. Naturally, he credited it all to Brady.
“Anytime you’re on the field with No. 12, it’s special,” Hogan said. “You never take that for granted. He’s the greatest, and he’s a huge part of why we’re so successful.”
Now, the 39-year-old Brady seeks to pad his first-ballot Hall of Fame resume with an unprecedented fifth Super Bowl win. He will attempt to do it against a quarterback eight years his junior, Matt Ryan.
Ryan led the Atlanta Falcons past Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers 44-21 in the NFC Championship Game earlier Sunday, throwing for 392 yards and four scores. That gave Ryan at least three touchdowns passes in four consecutive playoff games, a first in NFL history.
“We’ve got some more business at Houston in two weeks,” said Ryan, who is seeking his first Super Bowl title in his first appearance.
Recent history isn’t on the Falcons’ side, as the Patriots won the past four meetings with Atlanta by a combined score of 111-71. Atlanta only trails the all-time series 7-6 — but hasn’t beaten New England since 1998.

Brady and Ryan will steal the spotlight, but they are far from the only players to watch in Super Bowl LI on Feb. 5 at NRG Stadium.

Five matchups to watch
–Patriots QB Tom Brady vs. Falcons QB Matt Ryan: Brady, who will play in his record seventh Super Bowl, seeks to cement his legacy as the greatest to play the position. Brady’s four rings has him tied with Terry Bradshaw and Joe Montana for the most by a quarterback, but a fifth would put him in uncharted territory — and would be especially meaningful after his four-game Deflategate suspension. While Brady is in the back nine of his career, Ryan is smack dab in the middle of his prime — perhaps one of the new faces of the NFL — and is silencing the doubters who said he couldn’t win the big game. The former Boston College star put up far better numbers during the regular season than Brady, giving him a leg up in the MVP race. Of course, you can toss those numbers out the window in Houston. As well as Ryan played this year, he has never played in The Big Game. Advantage Brady.
–Falcons WR Julio Jones vs. Patriots CB Malcolm Butler: Perhaps the most intriguing matchup outside of Brady vs. Ryan, the likely battle between the Falcons’ No. 1 receiver and the Patriots’ No. 1 corner could very well determine who hoists the trophy in two weeks. Both played spectacular games on Sunday. Jones torched the Packers for 180 yards and two scores on nine catches. Butler, meanwhile, limited Steelers star wideout Antonio Brown seven catches for 77 yards and no scores. Butler made his name on his end-zone interception now known as “The Pick,” the play that sealed Brady’s fourth title in Super Bowl XLIX against the Seattle Seahawks. He has developed into a serviceable corner, albeit one who can be beaten in downfield coverage, but he has yet to face a receiver as explosive as Jones. How does he plan to stop him? “Going too far, man,” Butler told The Sports Xchange after Sunday’s game. “I’m enjoying the moment, brah. Enjoying the moment.”
–Patriots RB LeGarrette Blount vs. Falcons’ rush defense: Simply put, Blount is due for a big game — and he will need one to give the Patriots a balanced attack and a chance to hang with the high-octane Falcons. After besting Curtis Martin’s New England mark for the most rushing touchdowns in a single season with 18, Blount was a virtual non-factor in the Patriots’ first two playoff games, totaling just 78 yards on 24 carries, including 47 yards on 16 attempts against the Steelers. Blount showed flashes of his historic regular-season form against his former team on a carry late in Sunday’s third quarter, practically carrying the entire Pittsburgh defense on his back on an 18-yard gain to set up first-and-goal at the 1. He scored on the next play, his eighth career postseason rushing touchdown. Atlanta’s rushing defense is average, having allowed the 16th-most rushing yards per game (104.5) during the regular season. The opportunity is ripe for Blount to enjoys a breakout performance.
–Falcons K Matt Bryant vs. Patriots K Stephen Gostkowski: The most underappreciated men on the roster often wind up needing to make the biggest plays on the grandest stage. Bryant and Gostkowski are both proven veteran kickers. Bryant was 34 of 37 on field-goal attempts in the regular season with a long of 59 yards. He is 3 of 3 in the playoffs. Gostkowski was Mr. Automatic before this season, when he finished 27 of 32 with a 53-yard long. He fell into a bad rut midway through the year but has bounced back, going 5 of 5 in the postseason, although he did miss an extra point Sunday. Statistically, Gostkowski has had a better Patriots career than legendary kicker Adam Vinatieri, but he is short on the marquee kicks; Vinatieri made decisive kicks in two Super Bowls. These games often come down to kicks, so either Bryant or Gostkowski may need to come up in the clutch.
–Patriots coach Bill Belichick vs. Falcons coach Dan Quinn: The second-year Atlanta boss has his work cut out against a man widely recognized as one of the greatest coaches in football history. However, if Quinn can scheme up a game play to vanquish The Hoodie, he would join former New York Giants coach Tom Coughlin as the only coaches to knock Belichick in the Super Bowl. Quinn doesn’t have much history with the Patriots, but his general manager does. Thomas Dimitroff worked under Belichick from 2003 to 2007 as New England’s director of college scouting before taking the GM job with the Falcons, so he may be able to provide Quinn with some insight on how the Belichick machine works. It would be shocking to see Quinn outcoach Belichick in The Big Game, but it wouldn’t be unprecedented

 

New England Defeats Pittsburgh; Super Bowl Awaits

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New England 36, Pittsburgh 17
When: 6:40 PM ET, Sunday, January 22, 2017
Where: Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Mass
Attendance: 66,829

FOXBOROUGH – (Special to Digital Sports Desk by The Sports Xchange) – The song, “One More Time,” by Daft Punk, blared over the stadium system. Martellus Bennett, borrowing a pair of pompoms from a cheerleader, led the women in dance. Rob Gronkowski, dressed in street clothes because of his injured back, celebrated with his teammates. The New England Patriots, who started the season under the cloud of the Deflategate ruling that left Tom Brady suspended for the first four games, hammered the Pittsburgh Steelers 36-17 Sunday in the AFC Championship Game and are headed to play the Atlanta Falcons in the Super Bowl.

New England will appear in a record ninth Super Bowl, the seventh with Brady at quarterback and coach Bill Belichick running the show.

“For a number of reasons, all of you in this stadium understand how big this win was,” owner Bob Kraft said as he accepted the AFC championship trophy.

This Super Bowl trip, with the Pats seeking the fifth title under Brady/Belichick, is special after the Deflategate battle with commissioner Roger Goodell.

Goodell, hardly a favorite at Gillette Stadium following his war with Brady, was not at the game, but Patriots fans chanted “Where is Roger” in the fourth quarter. That came after the crowd was urged on by club radio analyst Scott Zolak, who hung a “Where Is Roger” sign out of the press box late in the third quarter.

“It was a good day. We’re going to the Super Bowl, man, (expletive), you gotta be happy now,” Brady said after shredding the Pittsburgh defense for a team-playoff-record 384 yards and three touchdowns in what turned into an easy win.

Asked by CBS’ Jim Nantz on the field if there was extra motivation for him to get this far, Brady said, “No, this is my motivation right here, all these fellas (teammates) in front of me.”

Brady said he didn’t hear the Goodell chants.

Belichick didn’t comment of the Falcons, insisting, “I didn’t even know they won.”

With help from Chris Hogan, who enjoyed a career receiving game, Brady again led the way. The team improved to 13-1 since the 39-year-old quarterback’s return.

Hogan, who signed as a free agent last offseason, caught nine passes for a club-playoff-record 180 yards and the first two-touchdown game of his career. The second TD was a 34-yarder on a flea-flicker that saw Brady hand the ball to Dion Lewis, who then flipped it back to Brady for the pass.

“I’m glad we got him,” Brady said of Hogan. “He’s just done an incredible job for us.”

In a game played in a fine mist, Brady, who also hit Julian Edelman with a TD pass, was 32 of 42 with his 59th and 60th postseason scoring passes. It was his 11th career postseason game with 300 yards, extending his own NFL record, and he recorded his ninth three-touchdown playoff game, tying Joe Montana for the most all time.

Edelman had eight grabs for 118 yards, the fourth 100-yard postseason game of his career, tying Deion Branch for the club mark. Edelman also passed Branch and became the club leader for postseason receiving yards.

The Patriots ran for just 57 yards, but 18 of them came with LeGarrette Blount carrying what seemed like every player on the field to the Pittsburgh 1. He scored from there on the next play.

New England fashioned a goal-line stand late in the first half, and Pittsburgh kicker Chris Boswell, who kicked six field goals to allow his team to advance last week, missed an extra point. The Patriots also stopped Pittsburgh at the New England 2 in the fourth quarter, the Steelers scoring but having it called back because Cobi Hamilton went out of bounds and came back in for the catch.

Le’Veon Bell, a focal point of the Pittsburgh offense, sustained a right groin injury in the first half, tried to return and couldn’t. He wound up with 20 yards on six carries.

“It was on the second play of the game,” Bell said. “Obviously, I got banged up, but I still tried to give it a go. I still tried to play.

“It’s real disappointing. We work so hard to get here. I felt like I had done a lot to help us get here. To not play and not go to battle with my teammates, it hurts.”

Asked if he was frustrated, Bell said, “Of course, given how far we came.”

D’Angelo Williams came on for Bell and ran for 34 yards and a touchdown on 14 attempts. Williams also caught seven passes for 51 yards.

Antonio Brown, whose Facebook video caused a distraction for the Steelers early in the week, wasn’t a factor, catching seven passes for 77 yards.

Roethlisberger, registering his fourth 300-yard postseason game, was 31 of 47 (and had some dropped) for 314 yards with one interception. He moved past Dan Marino into sixth place on the all-time postseason yardage list. Roethlisberger hit Hamilton with a 30-yard TD pass and Williams with a two-point conversion pass with 3:36 left.

Stephen Gostkowski kicked three field goals and missed an extra point in the victory, the Patriots’ ninth in a row.

The Steelers’ nine-game winning streak ended.

“I tip my cap to those guys, they are the champions of the AFC and rightfully so, you know,” Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin said. “Not a lot went our way tonight, not only in terms of the final score, but just how the game was played. They are to be complimented for that.

“We didn’t get the things done that we wanted to get done really, on offense, defense and special teams in a consistent manner for it to be competitive and close.”

NOTES: WRs Chris Hogan and Julian Edelman became the first pair of Patriots to record more than 100 receiving yards in a playoff game since 1963. … Patriots WR Malcolm Mitchell returned after missing two games with a knee injury, with WR Michael Floyd inactive to make room. … Pittsburgh TE Ladarius Green missed his fifth straight game due to concussion symptoms. … Former Pittsburgh WR Hines Ward and New England LB Tedy Bruschi were the honorary captains — the Patriots improving to 9-0 in games where Bruschi was honored. … Patriots president Jonathan Kraft, on the team’s radio pregame show, was asked about the firing of Indianapolis GM Ryan Grigson and answered with a Deflategate connection, saying, “That game might have been Ryan’s pinnacle, I don’t know.”

NFL: Atlanta Heading to Super Bowl

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Atlanta 44, Green Bay 21
When: 3:05 PM ET, Sunday, January 22, 2017
Where: Georgia Dome, Atlanta
Attendance: 71127

ATLANTA — When the Atlanta Falcons earned their only other Super Bowl berth, the NFC Championship Game victory was in Minnesota. This time, their home fans got to help celebrate, and it was quite a way to close down the Georgia Dome.

Matt Ryan, showing that he could be just as good in the playoffs as in the regular season, threw for four touchdowns and ran for another, and the Falcons routed the Green Bay Packers 44-21 on Sunday.

“We’ve got some more business at Houston in two weeks,” Ryan said after the Falcons were presented the NFC trophy.

Ryan completed 27 of 38 passes for 392 yards. The Packers’ defense had no answer for the quarterback and star receiver Julio Jones, who caught nine passes for 180 yards and two touchdowns.

“They’ve got the best receiver in the NFL, and Matt is going to be the MVP for a reason,” Green Bay safety Morgan Burnett said. “That’s a tough offense to stop, and they’re really clicking.”

It took an overtime field goal by Morten Andersen after the 1998 season for the Falcons to advance to their other Super Bowl, where they lost to the Denver Broncos. This NFC title, though, came in a rout.

The Falcons led 31-0 early in the third quarter after a 73-yard touchdown connection from Ryan to Jones, who caught a 5-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter.

Ryan went a sixth straight game without throwing an interception and wasn’t sacked as the Falcons converted 10 of 13 third-down opportunities and amassed 493 yards.

“We played a hot team. You’ve got to give them credit,” Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers said. “Matt is playing incredible right now, and that’s a very good offense.”

Said Atlanta wide receiver Mohamed Sanu, who had five catches for 52 yards and a touchdown, “When we’re all playing together at a high level, we all feed off each other. When we get rolling, we’re hard to stop.”

Rodgers, who had led the Packers to eight straight victories, completed 27 of 45 passes for 287 yards and three touchdowns. He was sacked twice and threw an interception.

The Falcons drove 80 yards in 13 plays after the opening kickoff, Sanu scoring the touchdown on a 2-yard underhand flip from a scrambling Ryan. The trend for the game was set.

The lead was 10-0 at the end of the first quarter after Matt Bryant booted a 28-yard field goal following a miss by the Packers’ Mason Crosby from 31 yards. Crosby previously was successful on 23 consecutive postseason kicks, an NFL record.

It looked as if the Packers would to cut into the Falcons’ lead early in the second quarter, but Jalen Collins stripped Aaron Ripkowski at the 11-yard line and recovered the fumble in the end zone for a touchback.

Soon, the Atlanta lead was 17-0 as Ryan scrambled in from 14 yards out to climax an 80-yard drive.

“Man, you look fast today,” Falcons coach Dan Quinn said he told Ryan after his TD.

The Falcons couldn’t hold a similar lead in the 2012 NFC title game, losing 28-24 at home to the San Francisco 49ers. There would be no repeat against the Packers.

Ricardo Allen picked off Rogers, and the Falcons went 68 yards to make it 24-0 at halftime on a 5-yard toss from Ryan to Jones.

“I feel like we hurt ourselves in the first half more than they really stopped us,” Rodgers said.

Ryan was 22 of 32 in the first half for 271 yards, completing passes to eight different players.

The Packers, down 31-0 in the third quarter, didn’t reach the end zone until Rodgers hit Davante Adams from 2 yards. Jordy Nelson caught a 3-yard TD pass later in the third quarter, but that came after Ryan connected with Devonta Freeman from a yard out.

The Falcons scored their sixth touchdown on a 3-yard run by Tevin Coleman early in the fourth quarter before Rodgers hit Jared Cook from a yard out on a touchdown pass.

NOTES: The Packers lost G Lane Taylor (knee), S Micah Hyde (shoulder) and S Kentrell Brice (knee) to injuries in the first half, and G T.J. Lang (foot) and LB Jake Ryan (shoulder) in the third quarter. Brice was hurt making a tackle on the opening kickoff, while Hyde and Taylor left in the second quarter. … Green Bay T Bryan Bulaga left the game in the fourth quarter to be evaluated for a possible concussion, and RB Ty Montgomery (knee) went out in the third quarter. … Packers WR Jordy Nelson wore a Kevlar vest to protect his broken ribs. He had been listed as questionable along with WR Davante Adams (ankle), WR Geronimo Allison (hamstring), S Morgan Burnett (quad) and CB Quentin Rollins (neck). All played. … It was the fourth time the Falcons and Packers met in the postseason and first time since Green Bay won 48-21 at Atlanta in the 2010 divisional round. … Mercedes-Benz Stadium, being completed next door to the Georgia Dome, will host the 2019 Super Bowl.

Game Scout: AFC Championship

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Pittsburgh Steelers (13-5) at New England Patriots (15-2)
KICKOFF: Sunday, 6:40 p.m. ET, Gillette Stadium. TV: CBS, Jim Nantz, Phil Simms, Tracy Wolfson, Jay Feely.
SERIES HISTORY: 30th meeting in the series, including postseason. The Steelers lead 15-14 in the regular season, the Patriots 3-1 in playoff games. New England beat the Steelers 27-16 on Oct. 23 in Pittsburgh, although Ben Roethlisberger missed the game with injury. The Patriots have won the last three regular-season meetings and two playoff games, although those latter two came more than a decade ago. This marks the third straight playoff meeting that came in the AFC title game, with New England winning in Pittsburgh, 41-27 during the 2004 season and 24-17 during the 2001 campaign. Each of those wins came on the way to Patriots Super Bowl titles. Tom Brady is 9-2 against Pittsburgh, including 2-0 in the postseason. Brady is 4-0 against the Steelers at Gillette Stadium.
GAMEDATE: 1/21/17

Tom Brady meets Ben Roethlisberger

KEYS TO THE GAME: The two most successful teams in AFC annals are meeting in the playoffs for the first time since Ben Roethlisberger’s rookie season in 2004, when the Patriots won the AFC title game at Heinz Field.
Both teams come in on a roll, the Steelers having won nine straight and the Patriots eight.
The Steelers are built around a strong running game and an opportunistic defense that has improved greatly since the beginning of the season.
If the Steelers are going to beat the Patriots, running back Le’Veon Bell has to touch the ball at least 30 times. He has been nearly unstoppable in the last eight games, rushing for 1,172 yards (146.5 per game). But his 337 yards in the playoffs came against the 30th and 26th-ranked rush defenses, and the Patriots, third vs. the run, will prove a stiffer test. They held Bell to 81 yards on 21 carries earlier this season.
But that came with Roethlisberger injured. The Patriots are going to have to respect the Steelers’ passing game much more in the rematch. And if the Patriots do stack the box with run defenders, Roethlisberger has to be able to make some big plays in the passing game to back them off.
Tom Brady has always had big games against the Steelers, including five straight with a passer rating of 100 or better, with 19 touchdown passes and no interceptions. This certainly could be a game where the offense opens with spread sets, Dion Lewis in the backfield and Brady looking to pick apart the Steelers with a quick passing game.
The Steelers have to shut down the running game and apply pressure on Brady. In the October game, LeGarrette Blount ran for 127 yards and two touchdowns. The Steelers’ run defense is much-improved since then and must get the job done against Blount in the rematch.
The Steelers are 5-0 in rematch games this season and they’ll have to go 6-for-6 if they want to get to Super Bowl LI. The Steelers beat their three divisional opponents the second time around and then won regular-season rematches against the Dolphins and Chiefs in the first two rounds of the playoffs.
“You are going up to the lion’s den, the dragon’s lair,” Roethlisberger said. “They are the dragon. We are trying to slay them. It doesn’t matter who it is, but they are the gold standard.”
MATCHUPS TO WATCH:
–Patriots QB Tom Brady vs. Steelers DC Keith Butler. Brady has a career record of 9-2 against Pittsburgh, including the postseason. He topped a 100 passer rating in eight of the 11 games, including seven of the last eight. Much of that came against former DC Dick LeBeau’s defense, but Brady hit Butler’s defense for two touchdowns in October and that came after a four-touchdown effort last fall. The LeBeau disciple must find a way to scheme up the Steelers’ young defense to find more success than usual vs. Brady. Brady is coming off a disappointing two-interception performance with a 68.6 rating last Saturday night against Houston’s tough defense.
–Steelers WR Antonio Brown vs. Patriots CB Malcolm Butler. Brown caught seven passes for 106 yards against the Patriots during the earlier meeting. That was with Landry Jones at quarterback. Brown has terrific chemistry with Ben Roethlisberger and that should concern Butler and the Patriots. If the Patriots are successful in limiting Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell, the Brown-Butler matchup could decide the game.
PLAYER SPOTLIGHT: Patriots C David Andrews. The second-year former undrafted rookie had a tough night in last weekend’s win over Houston. The Texans moved players all over the front, including snaps with Jadeveon Clowney and Whitney Mercilus over the center. Seeing how Andrews failed to deal with one-on-one matchups with athletic pass rushers, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Pittsburgh try a similar approach at times. Andrews must clean up his work — both in terms of line calls and his blocking technique.
FAST FACTS: The Steelers are 36-23 in the postseason, the most playoff wins in NFL history. They rank fourth in postseason win percent (.610) and have seven division titles since 2002. … Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger is 3-1 in the AFC title game. He is 13-6 in the postseason, a .684 percentage that is the fifth-highest by a QB with at least 15 playoff starts. … Steelers RB Le’Veon Bell rushed for a franchise postseason-record 170 yards last week. He has 337 rushing yards in the past two games, the third-highest two-game total in a postseason. He has rushed for 1,172 yards and eight TDs in his past eight games (including the playoffs). … Steelers WR Antonio Brown had 108 receiving yards last week and is one of two players in NFL history with 100 yards in four straight playoff games. He ranked second in the NFL with 106 catches and tied for second with 12 TD catches. His 481 receptions in the past four seasons are the most in that span in NFL history. … Steelers LB James Harrison has 2.5 sacks and a forced fumble in his past two postseason games. He aims for a fifth consecutive postseason game with a sack. He has 13 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks in his past 10 playoff games. … The Patriots have appeared in six consecutive conference championship games, the most all-time. They have won eight consecutive division titles, the longest streak in NFL history. Since 2001, they have won four Super Bowls, the most in the NFL. They are 30-19 in the playoffs, third-highest winning percent in playoff history. … Patriots coach Bill Belichick has 24 postseason wins, most in league history. His four Super Bowl titles are tied with Chuck Noll for most in NFL history. … Patriots QB Tom Brady has passed for 3,148 yards, 26 TDs and three interceptions in 11 meetings (including playoffs). He ranks first in postseason wins (23), attempts (1,221), completions (756), yards (8,244) and TDs (58). … Last week against Houston, Patriots RB Dion Lewis became the first player in postseason history with a rushing TD, receiving TD and kick-return TD in a game. … Patriots RB LeGarrette Blount rushed for 127 yards and two TDs in the last meeting. He led the NFL with a franchise-record 18 rushing TDs and has seven in six career postseason games.
PREDICTION: Roethlisberger will give the Steelers a much better chance than they had in the last game, but they are up against a much tougher defense than they have faced so far. Oh, and the best quarterback in the AFC.

Game Scout: NFC Championship

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Green Bay Packers (12-6) at Atlanta Falcons (12-5)
KICKOFF: Sunday, 3:05 p.m. ET, Georgia Dome. TV: FOX, Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Erin Andrews, Chris Myers.
SERIES HISTORY: 32nd overall meeting, fourth playoff meeting. The Packers hold a 15-13 advantage in regular-season games. The Falcons became the first team to win in the playoffs at Lambeau field after the 2003 season, and the Packers, on their way to a Super Bowl title, defeated the Falcons 48-21 on Jan. 15, 2011. The Falcons beat the Packers 33-32 earlier this season.
GAMEDATE: 1/21/17
KEYS TO THE GAME: This game figures to be decided by the MVP-caliber quarterbacks, Atlanta’s Matt Ryan and Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers.
Behind Ryan, the Falcons scored 71 more points than any other team in the NFL. Ryan’s 117.1 passer rating was the fifth-best in NFL history as he threw for 4,944 yards and 38 touchdowns, with seven interceptions.
The Falcons enter the game on a five-game winning streak, during which Ryan has thrown 14 touchdown passes and zero interceptions.
Meanwhile, Rodgers has led the Packers to eight consecutive wins. During the streak, Rodgers has posted a 117.9 passer rating with 298 yards per game, 68.9 percent accuracy, 21 touchdowns and one interception.
“I think he’s played incredible,” Packers coach Mike McCarthy said. “It’s important for our team to play our best football come Sunday. He’s in a great rhythm right now. Is he playing the best he ever has? He’s played at this level so often, but I think this is probably one of his best runs.”
Both quarterbacks should have big days against poor pass defenses. Green Bay finished 31st in the NFL, Atlanta 26th. Both defenses also finished in the bottom fourth of the league on third down and in the red zone.
Ryan might have the better supporting cast. While premier receiver Julio Jones didn’t practice because of an ongoing toe injury, coach Dan Quinn expects him to play. Jones caught 83 passes for 1,409 yards and six touchdowns this season.
Ryan also has Mohamed Sanu (59 catches, 653 yards, four touchdowns), Taylor Gabriel (35 catches, 579 yards, six TDs) and explosive running backs Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman (85 receptions, 883 yards, five scores). A league-record 10 players caught at least two touchdown passes.
Freeman (1,079 rushing yards, 11 TDs) and Coleman (520 yards, eight TDs) powered a running attack that finished fifth in the league.
Meanwhile, Rodgers’ supporting cast might not be complete. Jordy Nelson suffered broken ribs against the New York Giants, sat out the win over the Cowboys and might have trouble getting back for this game. Meanwhile, fellow receivers Davante Adams (ankle) and Geronimo Allison (hamstring) did not practice on Wednesday.
When these teams met Oct. 30, the Falcons outlasted the visiting Packers 33-32. It would be a surprise if this game played much differently.
MATCHUPS TO WATCH:
–Falcons QB Matt Ryan vs. Packers FS Morgan Burnett. Burnett and his defensive backs must find a way to slow down the Falcons. Ryan was 26 of 37 for 338 yards and three touchdowns against Seattle in the divisional round. In the past five games, Ryan has hit 115 of 157 throws for 1,469 yards, 14 touchdowns and zero interceptions.
–Packers TE Jared Cook vs. Falcons SS Keanu Neal. Cook finally got healthy and caught 30 passes for 377 yards and one touchdown. He has been a big safety valve for quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Neal has played well in the box and probably will get help with Cook, who has the speed to open up the seam.

Friday Injury Report
GREEN BAY PACKERS
–Out: RB James Starks (concussion), C J.C. Tretter (knee)
–Questionable: WR Davante Adams (ankle), WR Geronimo Allison (hamstring), S Morgan Burnett (quadricep), WR Jordy Nelson (ribs, illness), CB Quinten Rollins (neck, concussion)
ATLANTA FALCONS
No players listed

PLAYER SPOTLIGHT: Packers K Mason Crosby. What can the late-game hero of the Packers’ 34-31 win over Dallas do for a postseason encore? Crosby just might be needed again in the closing moments to try to kick Green Bay to the Super Bowl for the first time in six years. The prolific 10th-year pro has made an NFL-record 23 straight field goals in the playoffs. His last two conversions — from 56 yards with 1:33 left and 51 yards with no time left — enabled the Packers to get past the top-seeded Cowboys.
FAST FACTS: The Packers have won 13 championships, most in NFL history. The team’s .618 postseason winning percentage is the best in NFL history among teams with 50 games played. This is the team’s 32nd playoff appearance, tied for most in NFL history. … Mike McCarthy has led the Packers to the playoffs in nine of his 11 seasons as coach and is 10-7. … Packers RB Ty Montgomery ran for two TDs last week. He has four TDs in his past three road games. … Packers WR Randall Cobb has five TD catches in his past five postseason games. … Packers LB Clay Matthews has 11 career postseason sacks, tied for fifth most since the stat became official in 1982. He had two sacks in the only playoff meeting between the clubs. … Packers LB Julius Peppers has 143.5 career sacks, fifth most since 1982. In his past six postseason games, he has 4.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and two passes defensed. … The Falcons won the NFC South and advanced to the postseason for the first time since 2012. They are 5-3 at home in the playoffs in franchise history. … Falcons QB Matt Ryan set a franchise record with 4,944 passing yards. He has six consecutive 4,000-yard seasons, tied for the second-longest streak in NFL history. In the past three postseason games, he has 984 passing yards, nine TDs and three interceptions. … Falcons RB Devonta Freeman had 1,079 rushing yards, his second consecutive 1,000-yard season. In his past six home games (including postseason), he has 10 rushing TDs. … Falcons LB Vic Beasley led the NFL with 15.5 sacks. He has six sacks and two forced fumbles in his past seven home games.
PREDICTION: Both quarterbacks are playing as well as any passers in the game, heading into the final couple games of a season, but Ryan has a healthier crew and home-field advantage.

NFL Playoffs: Packers at Falcons Preview

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Green Bay at Atlanta
When: 3:05 PM ET, Sunday, January 22, 2017
Where: Georgia Dome, Atlanta

ATLANTA – (Wire Service Preview by The Sports Xchange) – Aaron Rodgers and Matt Ryan are enjoying the rides of their lives, although one quarterback’s impressive run will come to an unceremonious end at the other’s expense. Rodgers has made good on his confident promise to run the table – and then some – as he powers the Green Bay Packers into Sunday’s NFC Championship Game against the host Atlanta Falcons.

“I think he’s played incredible,” Packers coach Mike McCarthy told reporters of Rodgers, who has posted a 117.9 passer rating with 21 touchdowns and one interception during his eight-game winning streak. “Is he playing the best he ever has? He’s played at this level so often, but I think this is probably one of his best runs.” The 31-year-old Ryan (franchise-record 4,944 yards) hasn’t been too shabby in his own right, throwing 14 scoring passes without an interception during Atlanta’s five-game winning streak while his 117.1 passer rating this season was tops in the league and his 38 TDs trailed only Rodgers (40). Ryan’s Falcons got the better of Rodgers’ Packers in the first meeting of the season on Oct. 30, with Mohamed Sanu reeling in the quarterback’s third touchdown pass with 31 seconds remaining in a 33-32 victory.

TV: 3:05 p.m. ET, FOX. LINE: Falcons -5. O/U: 60.5

ABOUT THE PACKERS (12-6): While Rodgers has been blistering hot, the two-time NFL MVP will need some wide receivers to reel in his passes as Jordy Nelson (ribs), Davante Adams (ankle) and undrafted rookie Geronimo Allison (hamstring) all are nursing injures. Nelson (NFL-best 14 receiving touchdowns) sat out Sunday’s 34-31 victory over Dallas and is dealing with a combination of pain tolerance and medical clearance in his decision to play versus Atlanta. While Adams (career-best 76 catches, 997 yards and 12 TDs) won’t practice before Sunday’s pregame workout, Randall Cobb has gotten healthy with five touchdowns in his last five playoff games. “In the regular-season … mindset, none of them would play,” McCarthy said Thursday. “But obviously, this is a different time. This is a different point where we are in the season. Everybody understands where we are here.”

ABOUT THE FALCONS (12-5): All-Pro wideout Julio Jones insists he expects to play in the NFC title game despite sitting out his second straight practice on Thursday. “I got a little snag,” said Jones (NFL second-best 1,409 receiving yards), referring to aggravating a toe injury in Saturday’s 36-20 victory over Seattle that has plagued him since Week 13. “And I was like, ‘Well, let’s go check it out.’ It’s fine. I’ll be ready to go.” Sanu had nine receptions for 84 yards to go along with his touchdown in the earlier contest versus the Packers while fellow wideout Taylor Gabriel also found the end zone in that tilt and has five TDs in his last seven games overall.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Atlanta (NFL-best 540 points) has scored a touchdown on its first possession in each of its last seven games.

2. Green Bay converted RB Ty Montgomery, who rushed for two touchdowns in the first half against the Cowboys, easily could provide an increased presence in the passing game should Adams or Allison sit out.

3. Falcons Pro Bowl LB Vic Beasley Jr. recorded one of his NFL-best 15.5 sacks in the first meeting with the Packers.

TomlinGate Regrets

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PITTSBURGH – Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said he regrets the language he used while discussing the New England Patriots in his postgame address to the team after Sunday’s AFC divisional playoff game against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Tomlin’s speech, in which he said the Steelers “spotted those (expletive Patriots) a day and a half” of preparation time for next Sunday’s AFC title game, was streamed live on Facebook by wide receiver Antonio Brown.

Pittsburgh Coach Mike Tomlin

Tomlin was unaware his comments were being recorded.

“I’d like to say the language on the video is regrettable; language by me and by others,” Tomlin told reporters Tuesday. “And it’s regrettable because this thing that is the National Football League, this platform that we have is a precious and awesome thing and not something that we take very lightly.”

“… I’ll be bluntly honest here. It was foolish of (Antonio) to do that. It was selfish for him to do that. And it was inconsiderate for him to do that. … So there’s consequences to be dealt with from his perspective, we will punish him, we won’t punish us. And we’ll do so swiftly, and we’ll do so internally.”

Brown’s locker room video was a violation of NFL policy, meaning a league-imposed sanction may also be in play.

Copyright 2017

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