AFC Championship Game Preview

Since 2001, the AFC Championship game has been arguably better than the Super Bowl every year.  Starting with the Tom Brady led Pats beating the Steelers, The "Tuck Rule" game, the Colts marching down the field and beating the mighty Patriots proving Peyton CAN win the big game...

Either way this game has the potential to fit the billing.  The Steelers are one of the more popular teams in the country, and have all the parts to be a championship team.  The Ravens have a ton of personality, and a rookie QB doing things no other rookie QB ever has.  These two teams are division rivals with a real history of bad blood, like a bounty of the head of Hines Ward...The Steelers did beat the Ravens twice this year already, one of those wins coming on a Santonio Holmes NON-touchdown.  

Unfortunately the Ravens are not at 100 percent, they will be without Samari Rolle, and Terrel Suggs is a game time decision.  You'd like to have both teams at full strength in a game like this but its pretty much the opposite, Pittsburgh hasn't been healthier all year, and the Ravens are beat up.  But where there's a will there is a way, and guys like Ray Lewis and Ed Reed don't care about any of that.  Add in a gametime temperature below 30 degrees and a forecast for snow, this one is going to be a slug fest.

What it will come down to I think, isn't Pitt wanting it more, or being healthier, its simply going to come down to running the football and getting to the QB.  Flacco has been untouched throughout the playoffs, but the Steelers will get at him with Woodley and Harrison coming off the edge.  Granted Big Ben spends his fair share of time on his back too, without Suggs the Raven pass rush suffers.

In what will surely be a battle, but wont end up as close as people think.  I put this one 21-10 Pittsburgh.  Although given my record of picks this postseason, Ravens fans should thank me.