Potential Super Bowl Matchups

Today we will find out who will be playing in the Super Bowl.  There are four potential scenarios as to who will be playing two weeks from today.  Chicago will either play the Jets or Steelers.  Or it could Green Bay against Pittsburgh or the Jets.  I want to analyze these matchup posibilities by looking into their games this season.

The Jets played both Chicago and Green Bay this year.  In Week 8 they were shutout for the only time this season (9- 0) by the Packers number one rated defense.  Jets QB Mark Sanchez threw for 256 yards in the loss, but also threw 2 interceptions.  Future Hall of Fame cornerback Charles Woodson had one of those interceptions and Tramon Williams the other.  If you want a defensive Super Bowl, this may be the matchup to hope for.  Even though Chicago has a great defens, like the Jets (no disrespect Bart Scott), when these two teams played in Week 16 it was a shootout.  Chicago won 38- 34 at home, and Jay Cutler threw 3 touchdowns with Forte contributing 113 rushing yards.  The defensive player of that game had to be Bears safety Chris Harris who had 11 tackles (1 for loss) and an interception.

Neither Green Bay or Chicago have played the Steelers in the regular or preseason.  Pittsburgh did already play the Jets this season, though, in Week 15.  New York beat them in Pittsburgh 22-17 without Pro Bowl safety Troy Polamalu.  In that game, Roethlisberger threw for 264 yards, Wallace had 7 catches for  102 yards, and Mendenhall ran for 99 yards and a touchdown.  The combination of Edwards and Holmes combined for 14 catches for 140 yards.  The point is, those two teams were pretty evenly matched and one may assume that in the Super Bowl the NFC will have the psychological edge knowing that both the Brears and Packers beat the Jets and the Jets beat the Steelers.

But, it isn’t really that simple.  No one can measure the heart of a champion.  Out of the four starting quarterbacks of the conference championship teams, only one has Super Bowl experience.  Of course that is “Big” Ben Roethlisberger who has two Super Bowl wins.  With six Super Bowl wins, the Steelers also have more championships than any other franchise.  With that being said, if they do win today no matter who they play,  the Bears or Packers will probably be the underdog.  Speaking of underdogs, if both Green Bay and the Jets win they will be the first 6 seeds to ever play each other in the Super Bowl.  So, around 9 PMEST all of our questions will be answered and then we get to wait again for another big February finale.