Jets Vs. Steelers: 2011 AFC Championship TV Time & Predictions

The 2011 AFC championship game between the New York Jets and Pittsburgh Steelers (host) is set for Sunday January 23 (6:30 PM EST) at Heinz Field. CBS Sports will provide TV coverage for this game. New York advances to the AFC championship game after beating Indianapolis and New England, while Pittsburgh narrowly edged Baltimore en route to the AFC final. This article offers TV time and predictions for the 2011 Jets-Steelers AFC championship game.

1) Jets-Steelers Match-up

The 2011 AFC championship game will feature two of the league's top defensive teams in the New York Jets and Pittsburgh Steelers. Since 2000, the two teams have met 7 times with the Steelers enjoying a narrow 4-3 advantage. Most of the meetings between the two have been low-scoring contests, where points come at a premium. The most recent game between New York and Pittsburgh came one month ago; the Jets won that game on the road 22-17. With a trip to the Super Bowl on the line, one should expect an even tighter contest this time around.

2) Mark Sanchez vs. Ben Roethlisberger

Sunday's playoff game pits 2nd-year QB Mark Sanchez against 2-time Super Bowl winning quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. Both QBs have enjoyed similar offensive numbers this season. For the year, New York's Mark Sanchez has accumulated 3291 passing yards, 17 TDs, and a QB rating of 75. Similarly, Pittsburgh's Ben Roethlisberger has amassed 3200 passing yards and 17 touchdowns. Moreover, the two quarterbacks have been decisively clutch this postseason leading their respective teams to wins over quality opponents like New England and Baltimore. Statistically speaking, there is no clear advantage for either player. Roethlisberger, however, has a lot more playoff experience than Sanchez and is also a better natural passer.

3) Rex Ryan vs. Mike Tomlin

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It is déjà vu all over again as the Pittsburgh Steelers will face another top defensive team, after having dispatched the Ravens in the previous week. Generally, this makes for a low-scoring game. Yet, there have been a lot of scoring in this playoff season in spite of some very strong defensive plays. As a matter of fact, last week's match-up between Baltimore and Pittsburgh was widely predicted to be a low-scoring affair only to turn out to be an offensive fest. One should expect a well-played game between two of the NFL's most popular franchises.

The New York Jets come into this contest, still riding high from their win over New England. The Patriots were highly favored to win that game, only to be completely overwhelmed by Rex Ryan's crew. The victory is a big morale boost for the Jets, as New England had demolished them just a few weeks prior. New York will face a different type of team in the AFC championship game, however. The Pittsburgh Steelers is a defensive-minded squad that takes pride in shutting down their opponent's offense, while the Jets' two previous opponents are offense-centric teams. Another thing that should concern Rex Ryan's team is the fact that Pittsburgh is #1 in rushing defense. This may not bode well for New York as Rex Ryan's offense relies heavily on its rushing game to score points.

The Pittsburgh Steelers enter this contest, after having survived a huge scare against the Baltimore Ravens. Down for most of the game, Mike Tomlin's team staged a fantastic 4th quarter comeback to win the game in the closing minutes. Ben Roethlisberger seems to have rediscovered his playoff magic, in anchoring his team to victory. The outcome of the AFC championship game will ultimately come down to which team can deliver in the clutch. The Steelers certainly have this intangible.

My prediction for the 2011 AFC championship game between the New York Jets and Pittsburgh Steelers: Big Ben and the Steelers win a nail-biter 27-24. Kickoff time for the game is 6:30 PM EST. The game will be played at Heinz Field, and will be broadcast by CBS Sports.

Reference:
ESPN.COM