AFC/NFC Championship Games
We are down to four teams in the NFL playoff picture. Three of these four teams have quarterbacks who have made our list for the right to be named the greatest quarterback of all time. Two of them, Tom Brady and Ben Roethlisberger, have made the list based on the fact that they have won multiple Super Bowls. They match up against each other in the AFC Championship game.
The Patriots are a current dynasty and the most powerful franchise in the NFL in recent years. They seem to win every year regardless of the amount of turnover they suffer on their roster. The Steelers are the most storied franchise in NFL history winning the Super Bowl in multiple decades. When these two franchises face off, they will spark a rivalry that has met three times in recent history in the playoffs. The Steelers are 0–3 in those games. With Peyton Manning retired, this Tom Brady and Ben Roethlisberger match up is the premier quarterback match up in the NFL. Both quarterbacks are top 10 in every major statistic used to measure quarterbacks, all time.
- Most Wins: Brady 3rd, Roethlisberger 8th
- Most Touchdowns: Brady 4th, Roethlisberger 9th
- Most Passing Yards: Brady 4th, Roethlisberger 10th
With a Super Bowl win, Tom Brady would own the record for most Super Bowl wins by a quarterback ever. Ben Roethlisberger is looking to get his third Super Bowl victory. A win for either the Patriots or the Steelers in this year’s Super Bowl would put their quarterback even higher in the record books.
On the NFC side, Aaron Rodgers is on the cusp of making the list ranking just outside of the top ten in passing touchdowns. I have added him to the list by default as he will make the list unless he retires after this season. Matt Ryan is the outsider of the quarterbacks remaining in the championship round of these NFL Playoffs. He is the only quarterback remaining to never win a Super Bowl. In fact, he has never even played in a Super Bowl. Matt Ryan has enough weapons on offense to win a Super Bowl this year. He just has the unfortunate luck of having to win back to back games against teams that have experience winning the big game.
Matt Ryan and the Falcons do face a Packers team that is decimated by injuries. The Packers advanced on a clutch throw by Aaron Rodgers late in the 4th quarter against the Cowboys that set up a game-winning field goal. The Packers have a roster full of players that were not able to practice this week. They are going to have to rely on another huge game by Aaron Rodgers to advance to the Super Bowl this year.
Richie Leahey, Matt Bilchak