There will be quite a group of quarterbacks in the NFL’s conference championship games next weekend: Tom Brady’s New England Patriots host Ben Roethlisberger’s Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC, and Matt Ryan’s Atlanta Falcons host Aaron Rodgers’ Green Bay Packers in the NFC.
The Steelers got past the Kansas City Chiefs 18-16 on Sunday night in the final divisional-round game. Earlier Sunday, Rodgers completed a 36-yard pass along the sideline on third-and-20 to Jared Cook with 3 seconds remaining to set up Mason Crosby’s 51-yard winning field goal in a 34-31 thriller against the Dallas Cowboys.
The Patriots and Falcons advanced Saturday.
Brady owns four Super Bowl titles, Roethlisberger two, and Rodgers one. Ryan never has appeared in a Super Bowl, but he is the quarterback on the All-Pro team this season and the favorite to win MVP.
Rodgers and Ryan already engaged in one thrilling showdown this season, when Atlanta edged Green Bay 33-32 on Oct. 30 in Week 8.
A week earlier, Brady and the Patriots won 27-16 against a Steelers team missing an injured Roethlisberger.
PHOTO: AP
