Against all odds, Pittsburgh Steelers came from behind (trailing by 17 points) to defeat the Indianapolis Colts 28-24 and secure their first NFL title. AFC North Division since 2017.
Pittsburgh, however, is one-dimensional, and that is dangerous in the playoffs.
While Ben Roethlisberger had his first game with three touchdown passes in nearly two months, the Steelers’ running game is going from bad to worse.
Yesterday against the Colts, Pittsburgh generated 20 yards rushing. The team only attempted to run the ball 12 times, with a awful 1.4 yard average, including a 12-yard getaway from James Conner, the “best” man in the Steelers backfield.
In the most recent nine games, they have only once been able to generate more than 100 yards on the ground and their average in that span is 54 yards, an aberration when it comes to a franchise that has running the ball and playing defense in its DNA.
In fact, Pittsburgh has won four games this season in which he rushed less than 50 yards, something never seen before since the Super Bowl and more than the team of Mike Tomlin achieved in the last four seasons combined, based on STATS.
Can Pittsburgh survive the playoffs with an exclusively passing game? With a “Big Ben” that is clearly not 100%? It remains to be seen, but at least the Steelers offensive line played a great second half and was one of the keys in the win over Indianapolis.
MAHOMES, IN A BAG
December was not the best month of Patrick mahomes. It is true, Kansas City Chiefs They won those four games, including yesterday against the Atlanta Falcons, with which they claimed to have the only bye in the postseason, but their young quarterback is not going through his best moment.
In the most recent four games, Mahomes has completed 60.7% of his passes (less than 56% in the last two), with eight touchdowns and four interceptions.
The Falcons defense dropped a pair of interceptions– including one that could have sealed Atlanta’s win, and had it not been for the rare field goal Younghoe Koo missed, the game should have been defined in overtime.
Own Mahomes recognized it at the end of the game: “A lot of what happened was because of me. I did not do the correct readings ”.
Kansas City has enough to win because it is the best team in the NFL, but the level of competition will be more demanding in the Playoffs and Andy Reid needs the best version of Mahomes to think about repeating in the Super Bowl.
RODGERS, MVP
And while Mahomes goes through a “slump”, Aaron Rodgers it just borders on perfection.
The Packers quarterback had his sixth game of four touchdown passes of the season in Green Bay’s beating of Tennessee at Lambeau Field.
With that new poker Rodgers reached 44 touchdowns on the season, the magic number to be named MVP.
Six of the last eight quarterbacks who threw at least 44 passes to the end zone were named MVPs: Mahomes in 2018 (50), Peyton Manning in 2013 and 2004 (55 and 49, respectively), Tom Brady in 2007 (50), Dan Marino in 1984 (48) and Rodgers himself in 2011 (45).
Last season, in which he led the Packers to the NFC Championship Game, Rodgers threw just 26 touchdown passes.
Green Bay is the best team in the NFC right now And I want to see who the handsome guy is going to “Frozen Tundra” to beat Rodgers and co in January.
