The AFC and NFC title games are upon us, so it’s time to break down each team before picking who will represent each conference in the Super Bowl XLV. In order to do that, here are four key questions about this weekend’s showdowns.
Will the Bears’ defense be able to slow down Aaron Rodgers?
Unlikely. Rodgers is playing nearly mistake-free football right now. Over his last nine games, including playoffs, Rodgers has thrown for 22 touchdowns and only two interceptions. Last week alone, he completed 31 of 36 passes. The Bears will surely mix up their looks on defense and try to bring pressure with Pro Bowl defensive end Julius Peppers, but Rodgers has a league-best 107.4 passer rating against the blitz, according to ESPN.com reports.
Which Jay Cutler will show up against the Packers, the gunslinging, turnover-prone Cutler or the calm, efficient Cutler?
It’s more likely that the gunslinging Cutler will show up. Dom Capers’ 3-4 defense brings pressure from everywhere using linebackers, defensive lineman and even corners. Although the Bears’ offensive line is much improved from the beginning of the season where they gave up 32 sacks in seven games, the packers sacked Cutler six times alone in week 17. The Bears only scored three points in which Cutler threw two interceptions. My guess is that the game plan will remain the same in this rematch.
Will the Steelers be able to turn the Jets into a one-dimensional offense, forcing the game into second-year quarterback Mark Sanchez’s hands?
Yes, because statistics don’t lie. The Steelers’ run defense has been stingy all year, allowing just 62.9 running yards per game against their opponents, a league best. Sanchez has proved thus far in the playoffs that he can make the plays when he needs to, but how long is that going to last? Keep in mind that during the regular season, Sanchez had the fifth-worst passer rating in the league to go along with the third-worst completion percentage amongst quarterbacks.
Can the Jets win another road playoff game and knock off a third straight Super Bowl winning quarterback?
Yes. What made the Jets’ defense so effective in the first two playoff games was their pass rush, something they have been lacking most of the regular season. With the defense getting pressure with three and four rushers, Rex Ryan has been able to create plenty of exotic coverage schemes to confuse the quarterbacks they’ve played. This has allowed them to cover the entire field and keep the ball out of potential playmakers’ hands.
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