ATLANTA FALCONS
As Associated Press sports writer Paul Newberry suggested Monday, the Falcons would have preferred another playoff game at home. Instead, they'll have to settle for a shot at payback.
Two years ago, an unexpected postseason run ended with a 20-6 loss to Philadelphia at decrepit Veterans Stadium. Michael Vick threw a couple of interceptions and the Falcons failed to score a touchdown.
Well, the teams are paired again this weekend at the "Linc" (a.k.a. Lincoln Financial Field). At stake: the NFC championship and a trip to the Super Bowl.
"Everyone will know if you win, you go to the Super Bowl," head coach Jim Mora said Sunday. "If you lose, you're forgotten." The Falcons are playing as if they don't want to be forgotten.
They'll roll into Philly coming off their most impressive performance of the season, a 47-17 rout of the St. Louis Rams on Saturday night. Afterward, Mora let slip that he'd like to play another game at the Georgia Dome, where Atlanta thrived all year and the crowd was really pumped up for the playoffs.
But the top-seeded Eagles defeated Minnesota 27-14 on Sunday, assuring they'll be the first team ever to host three straight conference championship games.
"We obviously feel like we've got something going here with the way we played last night," Mora said. "I think we demonstrated the concept of what team is, so we'll go let it roll one more time."
And by letting it roll, it's safe to assume the coach means he'll turn Vick loose once again.
As Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Phil Sheridan framed it Tuesday: "By Sunday, after the hype machine has belched out its smoke and the geniuses-for-hire have set up their hall of mirrors, Michael Vick will look like some combination of Carl Lewis, Spider-Man, Gumby and Joe Montana.
"Freeze Lincoln Financial Field and he'll skate it like [Wayne] Gretzky. Flood it and he'll walk on the water.
"And that's fine. That's how it works. As Vick ran past the befuddled St. Louis Rams defense in a 47-17 blowout victory Saturday, he made himself the focus of the hype machine's buildup to the NFC championship game.
"For Eagles fans, already vulnerable to a creeping sense of title-game dread, the construction of the Vick myth will sound and feel like a jackhammer into the frontal lobes. By kickoff, Vick will be a combination of Zeus, Alexander the Great, Randall Cunningham and Claude Rains as the Invisible Man. ..."
But according to Newberry, while Vick clearly draws most of the attention, Atlanta broke out their entire arsenal against St. Louis in last Saturday's Divisional Playoff win.
Warrick Dunn rushed for 142 yards, including a 62-yard touchdown. Allen Rossum set a playoff record with 152 yards on punt returns, including a 68-yard TD. And the defense dominated the wide-open Rams in the second half, forcing a fumble, intercepting a pass and sacking Marc Bulger in the end zone for a safety.
That said, Vick is still the key to pulling off an upset of the Eagles.
As Newberry pointed out, Vick set the tone against the Rams by scampering for 47 yards on the third snap of the game. He finished with 119 yards on the ground and was extremely efficient with a limited number of passes. Completing 12-of-16 for 82 yards, Vick threw for a pair of touchdowns.
"With Vick, it really gets you back on your heels because you just down know if he's going to run or throw," St. Louis defensive end Leonard Little said. "They really had their thing going."
Of course, the Eagles have a much stingier defense than the Rams, giving up the fewest points (16.3 per game) in the NFC. The Falcons dominated St. Louis up front, opening up huge holes for Dunn, Vick and T.J. Duckett (66 yards on 15 carries). Atlanta wound up with a staggering 327 yards on the ground -- one of the greatest rushing performances in playoff history.
Newberry doesn't expect the Eagles to be so generous with the running room -- especially with the crowd on their side.
Meanwhile, the 24-year old Vick finds himself just one win away from his first Super Bowl -- an accomplishment that has eluded many standout players for an entire career.
But the one-of-a-kind quarterback refuses to get ahead of himself.
"I really don't want to talk about the Super Bowl right now," Vick said. "We've got another game to play. We've got to seize the moment, take advantage of it. Regardless of who we play, we've got to come out with a win. ..."
According to Morris News Service correspondent George Henry, spending most of the past year with Vick has helped Greg Knapp understand when to push the star quarterback and when to back off.
The first-year offensive coordinator thought Vick appeared confident against the Rams. Knapp wants that trend to continue in Philadelphia on Sunday.
"I liked that when it wasn't there, he made good decisions by taking off and running," Knapp said. "He gave it a good look and then said, 'All right, I'm gone.' We emphasized that with him this week. We said, 'Hey, you don't need to play this game like a typical pocket quarterback. You do your thing,' like he's done in the second half of the season real well."
Knapp, who spent the past seven years in San Francisco with efficient and mobile quarterbacks like Steve Young and Jeff Garcia, realizes Vick plays on a different level. His 119 yards rushing set a NFL postseason record for quarterbacks.
Though Knapp essentially oversees the passing game while line coach Alex Gibbs manages the rushing attack, nearly everything the Falcons tried on the ground was successful. Their 327 yards, led by Dunn's 142-yard effort, were 160 more than their league-high average.
"It's a confidence thing right now," Knapp said. "The guys really seem to be playing lights out. I think it helps schematically that Mike's ability to move creates those lanes a little bit better than it would for maybe a non-mobile quarterback. That's so important this time of year, especially if you're outdoors in a tough-weather game. If you can control the running game, you've got a better chance of winning. ..."
According to the Sporting News, Mora and Knapp will continue to give Vick more freedom to improvise on rollouts. The longer the season transpires, the more Knapp has trusted Vick to make plays with his feet.
Forcing Vick to stay in the pocket causes breakdowns in the passing game and often leads to turnovers.
As dangerous as Vick can be as a runner, he's even harder to defend as goes through progressions on rollouts. Asking other quarterbacks to do this could be disastrous, but Vick is blessed with uncanny downfield vision.
The coaches' deployment of Vick leaves him more susceptible to injury, but it also opens up running lanes on the back side for Dunn and Duckett to exploit on play-action. ...
According to Sports Illustrated senior writer Peter King, "Vick should scare the heck out of the Eagles."
King went on to suggest the Falcons essentially play an offense with two running backs: Dunn and Vick. Both are quick. Both are fast. ... And both are definitely capable of taking advantage when big-play opportunities arise. ...
Other notes of interest. ...
In an article published Monday, ESPN.com insider Len Pasquarelli noted that fullback Fred McCrary, signed by the Falcons late in the season after they lost three players at the position to injuries, had a monster game last Saturday night as the lead blocker for Dunn and Duckett.
Pasquarelli added: "The veteran journeyman absolutely mauled the Rams linebackers. ..."
Also on Monday, Pasquarelli quoted an unnamed NFL scout as saying: "If I were the Falcons, even with all the pressure of the playoffs, I would keep playing [rookie receiver Michael] Jenkins. They're using him in three-wideout sets but maybe they ought to get him on the field even more than that.
"I mean, the rest of their wideouts are nonentities, really, and that kid looks like he can make some plays."
On the injury front. ...
The Sports Xchange reports that Brian Finneran has a sprained and/or bruised thumb, but the veteran receiver said it will not keep him out of Sunday's NFC Championship Game against his former team, the Eagles. ...
According to Atlanta Journal-Constitution staffer Matt Winkeljohn, starting right cornerback Kevin Mathis was still wearing a walking cast Monday after a "high" sprain of his right ankle Saturday. High sprains can take longer to heal because they involve more inflammation in the soft tissue above the joint. His status is unclear.
Starting right tackle Todd Weiner, who sprained his left foot against the Rams, was not wearing a walking cast Monday.
Nose tackle Ed Jasper, another former Eagle who played Saturday for the first time since breaking his left hand Dec. 5, said his hand held up well. ....
And finally. ...
According to Henry, the weather in Philadelphia "should prove frightful." Snow and a high of about 30 degrees is being forecast for Sunday's game.
Atlanta has had three cool-weather games this season, winning at Denver and losing at Kansas City and Seattle. Led by Vick, the Falcons became the first visiting team to win a playoff game at Green Bay two years ago.
The following week at Philadelphia, though, Atlanta lost 20-6. Mora worked last season as San Francisco's defensive coordinator when the 49ers took a Week 16 overtime victory at the Eagles' new stadium.
"It will be no factor," Mora said of the weather. "That stuff doesn't matter."
"Another loss to the Steelers and Bill Belichick could go from the mastermind who baffled Peyton Manning to the bungler who still can't beat Ben Roethlisberger. ..."
"It's a nice compliment" that some people consider him one of the top coaches in NFL history, the coach said Monday. "I don't think it really means much this week. I don't think anybody cares about that. I'm sure Pittsburgh doesn't care."
Belichick already has won two Super Bowls in three years and led the Patriots to consecutive 14-2 seasons. On Sunday, his reputation grew in a 20-3 playoff win over the high-scoring Indianapolis Colts and MVP Manning that put New England in next Sunday's AFC championship game in Pittsburgh.
Manning's longest completion gained just 18 yards and he failed to throw a touchdown pass for the first time in his 16 complete games this season.
What happened?
"I think the person you have to ask is Belichick," Colts tight end Marcus Pollard said. "What they did (Sunday) was different from what teams have been able to do against us all season."
But as Ulman reminded readers, Belichick and his coaches have been doing that all season.
Curtis Martin led the NFL in rushing but in two games against the Patriots this season, both losses, he totaled just 103 yards on 33 carries with no touchdowns. His longest run covered 9 yards.
"Belichick is like the Bobby Fischer of football," the veteran running back said. "When you give that guy time to plan for you and prepare for you, he's going to dissect you. He's going to take your whole strategy apart. And no matter what you do, he has an answer for it. That's why Pittsburgh is going to have a hard time."
If the Patriots win, Belichick will tie for the best playoff record among head coaches who have been in at least six games at 9-1.
The other one? Vince Lombardi, who won the first two Super Bowls with Green Bay.
Belichick shrugs off all the accolades.
He even said Monday that his team has to "kind of start from scratch" in preparing for Pittsburgh because it spent last week and part of the previous week studying the Colts.
Pittsburgh has a much different offensive style than Indianapolis -- power running instead of quick passing -- but he does know the Steelers all too well from a 34-20 loss in Pittsburgh on Oct. 31.
If he loses to them again, he can't imagine fans heaping praise on him for being a brilliant tactician who designs just the right plays or a wise teacher who motivates his players to stay hungry.
"We've just got to go back to work, have a good week of preparation, get as mentally and physically prepared as we possibly can to play the best team in the AFC in their place," he said. "If we don't, I'm sure none of those things will be said next week."
The Patriots' loss to Pittsburgh ended their 21-game winning streak. Their only other loss was by one point in Miami.
Still, Belichick shares the blame for the collapse against the Steelers in which the Patriots trailed 21-3 after one quarter, rushed for a grand total just 5 yards and held the ball for only 17:02. Roethlisberger threw for two touchdowns in the first quarter and completed 18 of 24 passes.
So how could a team that stopped Manning, who set an NFL record with 49 touchdown passes, crumble against a rookie quarterback?
"We didn't do hardly anything well," Belichick said. "Obviously, I did a terrible job. You get beat 34-13 or whatever it was, you don't feel very good about your job."
I have a sneaking hunch that -- win or lose -- the Patriots will turn in a much better effort against the Steelers time around. ...
Meanwhile, as Boston Herald staffer Karen Guregian suggested Tuesday, Manning might still be the best quarterback, but Tom Brady remains the best big-game quarterback.
Guregian added: "Those hoping to spark a debate, hoping that Manning would cross over into Brady territory and unseat Mr. Clutch, were once again left wondering if the Colts quarterback will ever eliminate the one issue tainting his legacy. Unfortunately for the Manning brigade, their boy Peyton remains woefully unworthy of Brady when it comes to the postseason. He still isn't anywhere close to Brady in the money games. ...
"Once again, it was Brady who outshined Manning. Once again, it was Brady who played like Joe Montana, while Manning obliged with his Dan Marino imitation. Once again, it was Brady who came out on top."
Brady threw for a touchdown, ran for a touchdown, and kept his counterpart off the field with several impressive ball-control drives in both halves. He was effective and efficient in the tough conditions, completing 18-of-27 passes for 144 yards. He did not throw an interception.
Understandably, Manning got most of the ink heading into the contest. After all, he did break Marino's single-season touchdown record, throwing 49 TD passes. He did put up otherworldly numbers (4,557 yards, 121.1 rating) and was rightfully anointed the best quarterback in the league.
But Guregian went on to suggest that it was silly to make two-time Super Bowl MVP Brady an afterthought, someone unworthy of the same stage. Not surprisingly, Brady reminded everyone why he -- not Manning -- is the guy you want in a winner-take-all game. He's the guy you want under center in January and February. He's now 7-0 in postseason play, and 6-0 against Manning and the Colts.
"It's not his first rodeo. He's been around a while," tackle Matt Light said of Brady. "He's always done a great job ever since he stepped in and filled in that position. I wouldn't want anyone else back there."
Tight end Christian Fauria, one of 10 Pats players catching Brady passes, agreed. "There's no other guy I'd want in a big game than him. Nobody," Fauria said. "I mean, go down in history. This is the guy I want in the huddle. Talk about poise and control. The only thing colder out there (than the weather) was him. He was iced out. He was calm and collected. He was making all the right calls, even when they were doing stuff we weren't ready for."
The Colts defense made it a little harder on Brady than usual, but he still got the job done. He had a lot of help from Corey Dillon, but he put in a typical mistake-free, Brady-like postseason performance.
"Offensively, we did the things we needed to do. We punched the ball in from the red zone. ... We had some nice, long drives," said the best big-game quarterback on the planet. "It was just a fun game. ..."
And as AP sports writer Jimmy Golen reminded readers Monday, games like this were the reason Dillon wanted to get out of Cincinnati. It's also why the New England Patriots wanted to get him.
After he carried 23 times for 144 yards in his playoff debut against the Colts, it's worth noting that Dillon was out with a thigh injury when Pittsburgh beat the Pats on Halloween.
"I'm certainly glad Corey's going to be there," Brady said. "I know he's glad he's here; he's told us that a bunch of times. And we're glad to have him."
According to Golen, one teammate needled him by calling him "Clock-killin' Dillon." Another led him into the locker room by telling the waiting reporters, "Here comes the man of the hour."
Dillon has been a model citizen since joining the defending Super Bowl champions. He's also given the Patriots the running game they lacked even as they won two NFL titles in the previous three seasons.
"Who wouldn't be excited about having a Pro Bowl player come to your offense. He came in and worked hard. He's a great leader and he's got a great attitude," Brady said.
"I don't care what someone's reputation is. When you come to this team, you fit in. Corey had a great attitude coming in, and it's just gotten better."
And so have the Patriots, who used him to replace the steady but unspectacular Antowain Smith.
Dillon ran for 1,635 yards during the regular season -- a career high, a franchise record and the third-most in the NFL. His 12 rushing touchdowns were also a personal best, as were his nine games this season with 100 yards or more.
"He was excited. He probably had butterflies," fullback Patrick Pass said. "He wanted a taste of what we went through the past two out of three years."
With Dillon sharing the carries with Kevin Faulk, who ran 11 times for 56 yards against the Colts, the Patriots didn't have to rely on Brady as much while milking the clock with 14-, 15- and 16-play drives.
Dillon also led the Patriots with five catches, though they only went for seven yards.
"I think he's really going to take the pressure off Tom," Pass said. "I just knew he would have a good game. He's our go-to guy."
Of course, the Steelers have the league's top rush defense and allowed just one 100-yard rusher all season. But according to some observers, Dillon will present a problem because he is strong runner who can break tackles, different from the types of backs the Steelers have been playing. ...
Other notes of interest. ...
While he wasn't a huge factor against the Colts, the Sporting News suggested on Monday that Deion Branch remains the Pats' most feared receiver.
Branch is more quick than fast, but that suits his style well. Branch is one of those players who doesn't lose speed coming in and out of his breaks, making him a good fit in the slot where defensive backs have to honor cuts in all directions. He seems to make the most of his plays over the middle.
Branch also has excellent hands, and it's hard to remember him dropping a single catchable ball this season.
Most of all, Brady trusts Branch as much as anyone he's ever thrown to, and that makes him an excellent option on third down. According to TSN, the only negative you can throw on Branch is his size. At 5-9, he's not going to present a big target down the field. ...
According to Pro Football Weekly, Pro Bowl/All-Pro place-kicker Adam Vinatieri, coming off the best statistical season of his career, claims that if he keeps performing at a high level, he sees no reason why he can't play another decade or more.
"It's a pleasure going out there every day and to be able to play a game that I love and have that career. You know, who's to say? Obviously, I want to play as long as I can and as long as I feel I'm productive and healthy and feel good and love the game. I look at guys like Gary Anderson and Morten Andersen that are in their mid-40s -- hey, they're setting the bar for the rest of us. If I can stay healthy, you never know.
"I'd love to play another 10 years, but I take every year one at a time. Hopefully, there will be many more years to come. ..."
According to the Sports Xchange, Pass was the only Patriot who suffered a reported injury during the game. He was helped off the field in the first quarter but returned in the second half. One published report indicated that Roman Phifer underwent a postgame X-ray, but that was not confirmed by the team.
Also on the injury front. ... Belichick told the Boston Globe that Richard Seymour (knee) is improving. However, the Patriots will once again prepare to play without their star defensive lineman and hope he can make it back from the injury he suffered against the Jets back on Dec. 26.
Look for Seymour's availability to be determined just before kickoff.
"Yes, the Eagles can score without Terrell Owens," Brookover wrote. "Yes, coach Andy Reid can rest chosen starters for nearly a month without them turning into Tin Men stuck in a tropical rain forest.
"Yes, Donovan McNabb can back up his guaranteed victories.
"Yes, the Minnesota Vikings sure were a dysfunctional 8-8 team that backed into the playoffs. ..."
The sum of all those answers was a convincing 27-14 Eagles victory over the Vikings at Lincoln Financial Field.
It marked the fourth straight year the Eagles have won an NFC divisional playoff game, and when it was over, they found themselves quickly confronted once again by the mother of all questions: Can they get over the NFC championship hump that has grown more imposing than the Great Wall of China?
"I think we kind of shut everybody up a little bit today," tight end L.J. Smith said. "But the thing is, we have to do it again next week."
The Eagles will get a fourth straight chance to reach the Super Bowl on Sunday when they face Michael Vick and the Atlanta Falcons, who won even more convincingly Saturday night over the St. Louis Rams.
For the third straight year, the NFC title game will be played in Philadelphia. The Eagles will become the first team in NFL history to host a conference title game three straight years. They're already the only NFL team to lose the conference title game in consecutive seasons at home.
But Vick and Atlanta were not immediately on their mind as the day grew dark at the Linc.
"Michael Vick's a great football player," Reid said. "I want to enjoy this one before I think too much about Michael. He's a heck of a player. We'll have to come up with something to contain him."
At least for a couple of hours, Reid and the Eagles wanted to reflect on how they manhandled the Vikings with a large dose of aggressive defense and an offense that didn't really look as though it missed Owens.
According to Brookover, here's how it was accomplished:
"Freddie Mitchell played the role of T.O.
"McNabb, Brian Westbrook, the Eagles' defense and the Vikings played the roles of themselves. ..."
"I just try to run the offense and do it the right way, whether we have T.O. out there or not," McNabb said.
Without Owens, McNabb found plenty of other receivers willing to handle the football. He completed 21 of 33 passes for 286 yards and two touchdowns and led the Eagles to scores on three of their first four possessions. The total passing yardage and 111.4 passer rating were postseason highs for McNabb.
Five Eagles receivers contributed more than 45 yards, with Mitchell leading the way as he caught five passes for 65 yards, including a touchdown on the Eagles' second offensive series.
Greg Lewis, the receiver who replaced Mitchell in the No. 3 role also contributed a huge catch.
Confronted with a third and 5 from the Eagles' 27-yard line on the final play of the first quarter, Lewis ran past cornerback Brian Williams, and McNabb hit him in stride for a 52-yard completion.
"I pretty much just beat him," Lewis said. "Donovan gave me a chance, and I was just trying to go get it, and I did that."
In fact, their balanced offense, orchestrated by McNabb, was a major reason the Eagles earned a fourth consecutive trip to the NFC championship game.
"Spreading things around is what we do best," offensive coordinator Brad Childress said. "Whether it's tight ends, wide receiver, running backs, or the quarterback himself, I think it's important because you can't zero in and say, 'This is the guy they are featuring.'"
Of course, it helps when the guy who is doing the spreading also is making good decisions and even better throws.
"They have a pretty good offense. ... Anytime you have [McNabb] running it," Vikings cornerback Antoine Winfield said. "I mean, he is a good player, he spreads the ball around a lot, and their receivers made some plays."
Westbrook combined for 117 rushing and receiving yards and is without question the No. 1 threat with Owens sidelined.
According to Inquirer staffer Marc Narducci, Westbrook's big-play ability can't be minimized, despite the balance on offense. The Eagles frequently got him matched up against linebackers and safeties, and that is a serious mismatch for any defense.
"We have to exploit those matchups," Westbrook said. "Any time you put a better athlete against a linebacker or safety, you have to take advantage of it."
Of course, the Eagles still expect that Sunday's win won't silence the critics who believe that the passing game minus Owens is highly suspect. They will use the lack of respect for the receiving corps as a rallying cry.
"We're happy because everybody kind of doubted us," Smith said. "We had a little chip on our shoulder, but we have one more until we get to the deal. ..."
Other notes of interest. ...
As initially reported by Atlanta Journal-Constitution beat man Matt Winkeljohn, Owens sent a funny message to the Falcons, although it's not clear if anybody was actually laughing.
The mercurial wide receiver said his surgically repaired right ankle and fractured right fibula might not keep him out of Sunday's game.
"He says he's playing," Falcons head coach Jim Mora said. "He said to [Atlanta wide receiver Jimmy Farris]: 'Hey, you tell Jim I might be there. I might be there.' And I'll tell you what, he's such a tremendous competitor. ... Old [number] 81 might just trot out on the field Sunday."
Owens, who was injured Dec. 19 against Dallas, befriended Farris when he was on the 49ers' practice squad in 2001.
Philadelphia team officials have not been as optimistic as Owens, who had surgery Dec. 22. "A syndesmotic screw [was] put through both bones in his ankle to stabilize that joint," trainer Rick Burkholder said. "That screw is pretty big."
A spiral fracture in Owens' fibula, about 10 centimeters below his knee, is being trusted to heal on its own. It's virtually certain Owens won't play, but as his history demonstrates, predicting what he'll do is dangerous business.
"He called me during the [Vikings-Eagles] game and said, 'I might just be out there, you never know,'" Farris said. "If you know Terrell, he was just messing around, I think. Although if anybody was to come back that soon from that injury, I wouldn't be surprised if it was him."
Owens subsequently told the Inquirer that he was only joking with Farris about possibly playing.
In a related note. ... Reid disputed FOXSports game report that wide receiver Owens had been rehabilitating too aggressively and suffered a setback. Reid said there was no truth to the news that sideline reporter Pam Oliver said she had received from Burkholder. "He's really doing fine," Reid said of Owens.
Reid said Owens' next step in his rehabilitation is to change direction while running. He said he would check on Owens' progress during the week. "He's working out in the pool," Reid said, "And changing direction in the pool."
According to Inquirer staffer Shannon Ryan, Reid also said linebacker Mark Simoneau, who sat out Sunday's game with an ankle injury, was improving.
Reid told the Philadelphia Daily News that Jon Runyan, who might be limited in practice this week, should be available for Sunday's game.
The starting right tackle was forced to leave last weekend's win after spraining ligaments in his knee during the closing minutes.
The offensive lineman said the Pittsburgh Steelers badly need Roethlisberger to upgrade his play for Sunday's AFC championship game against New England, after the rookie quarterback's errors nearly led to a playoff loss to the New York Jets.
"He's going to have to pick his game up," Faneca said Monday. "We're all going to have to pick our game up, and it's going to take our best effort of the season to win this week."
Robinson went on to recount how Roethlisberger, the NFL's Offensive Rookie of the Year, threw two interceptions -- one for a touchdown and another creating Doug Brien's potential game-winning field goal try -- and got nothing going as the Jets scored 17 consecutive points in the second and third quarters.
The Steelers came back to win 20-17 in overtime Saturday, but only after Brien missed two field goal tries in the final two minutes of the fourth quarter.
"He was off a little bit, but we were all off a little bit as an offense," Faneca said.
Faneca wasn't singling out the rookie, but said that kind of quarterback play won't be good enough -- not after the Super Bowl champion Patriots held NFL MVP Peyton Manning's high-output Colts offense to a field goal in a 20-3 win Sunday.
Still, Faneca's motivating words were reminiscent of those the day after former starting quarterback Tommy Maddox injured an elbow Sept. 19 in Baltimore, making Roethlisberger the starter by default.
Then, Faneca said he wasn't overly excited about going into a game with "some little young kid who's just out of college" rather than a veteran like Maddox. Roethlisberger went on to lead the Steelers to a 13-3 victory in Miami.
Robinson went on to note that if Roethlisberger picked up a Sunday newspaper, and he insists he doesn't, he would have read fan comments calling for Maddox to replace him despite an unequaled 14-0 record as a starter.
"He had a rough game, people were really down on him and said he played bad, but he's a young quarterback and he has a lot in his face right now," linebacker James Farrior said. "But he's such a good player, he knows how to handle every situation like he's done it all year, and he's sure do the same this week."
Especially since the Patriots will likely try to be in the rookie's face all night, something they didn't do in their 34-20 loss in Pittsburgh on Oct. 31. Roethlisberger threw two touchdown passes to Plaxico Burress as the Steelers opened a 21-3 lead in the first quarter and went on to end New England's 21-game winning streak.
Patriots running back Corey Dillon missed that game with a bruised thigh and the Steelers held New England to 5 yards rushing. Duce Staley carried 25 times for 125 yards in that game and left with a hamstring injury that would keep him out for six of the next nine games.
Faneca thinks Roethlisberger will be just fine if he quickly moves on to the Patriots and doesn't keep replaying the mistakes against New York.
"Everybody always wants to know how he handles the pressure, the setbacks," Faneca said. "Just like everybody else, nobody likes it, but you've got to think about it for a minute, brush it off and move on to the next play. That's how Ben's been handling things all year."
The Steelers don't sound overly concerned that, unlike the other NFL division champions coming off a first-week bye -- the Patriots, Falcons and Eagles -- they struggled in their playoff opener. The Jets nearly won despite not scoring a touchdown offensively in either game against Pittsburgh this season.
According to Robinson, the Steelers' message seems to be: This week, not last week, is the week they must play well.
"We have all the confidence in the world in Ben," cornerback Deshea Townsend said. "We were 15-1 during the season because of him. He's a very confident guy, very poised for a rookie and I'm sure he'll do fine. ..."
In a semi-related item. ... According to Pittsburgh Tribune-Review staffers Jerry DiPaola and Rob Rossi, head coach Bill Cowher disputed a report that Roethlisberger hurt his thumb in pregame reports.
Roethlisberger appeared to grimace in pain while fitting a glove on his throwing hand, but he was fine later on when he slapped hands with several players during warm-ups.
CBS reported there was something wrong with it early in Saturday's game, then backed off their suspicions.
"I heard about [the report]," Cowher said. "A guy told me about it, that there was something wrong with his thumb. I didn't know anything about it. I think (he) was trying to fit the glove on his hand."
However, ESPN.com insider Chris Mortensen, appearing live on ESPN Radio's "Mike & Mike In The Morning" show early Wednesday, told listeners "they're lying" when asked about the team's stance on Roethlisberger's thumb. ...
Also according to Robinson, Jerome Bettis is all but certain to start Sunday. Last week, Cowher tried keeping the Jets guessing by not revealing whether Bettis or Staley would start.
Bettis went on to run for 101 yards in a 20-17 overtime victory -- his seventh 100-yard game in seven starts. But Staley ran the best he has in weeks with 54 yards on 11 carries.
Staley's performance raised questions whether he might return as the starter, but Cowher apparently doesn't want to risk curtailing Bettis' effectiveness by sitting him down early, although he left Saturday's game in the fourth quarter with leg cramps.
"Who ever thought (you could get) cramps in Pittsburgh in the middle of January?" Cowher said.
Asked specifically on Tuesday if Bettis would start, the coach said, "Probably."
But Cowher also said Staley is likely to play more than he did Saturday, when he did not carry the ball until the second half.
In an article published Monday, the Sporting News pointed out that Cowher has done a good job with a delicate situation by getting Staley and Bettis to accept their roles and remain ready to play. ...
Other notes of interest. ...
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette staffer Ed Bouchette reminded readers that this will be the fifth AFC championship game for the Steelers, all at home, in 11 seasons. They lost three of their previous four, advancing to Super Bowl XXX, where they lost to Dallas.
It will be the fourth time the Steelers and Patriots meet in the playoffs, all since 1996. New England is 2-1, losing, 7-6, in a divisional playoff game in Three Rivers Stadium in 1997. New England also beat the Steelers, 30-14, to open the 2002 season at new Gillette Stadium in Foxboro. ...
Also according to TSN, if the Steelers are going to sign an unrestricted free agent, it would likely be Burros, who missed five of the final six games of the regular season with a hamstring injury, Of course, when he did play, the lanky wideout caught three passes for 97 yards -- an indication of what he means to the team's passing offense.
Without Burress, teams rotate their coverages toward Hines Ward and take him away as a target for Roethlisberger. With Burress out, the team doesn't have a receiver who can make plays down the field. Burress is faster than cornerbacks think, and he often beats them down the field.
TSN added: "Burress still does not use his body size to outposition defenders on a consistent basis, though he has improved in this area. And he rarely gets many yards after a catch because he always seems to lose his footing."
But his presence forces other teams to double cover him and create more space for Ward. That's what happened against the Jets. Ward had 10 catches for 105 yards because the Jets were worried about passes over the top to Burress. ...
Place-kicker Jeff Reed has made 19 consecutive field-goal attempts, tying Gary Anderson's team record, and has missed only once since the first half of the season. He's not getting all chip shots, either; he is 8-of-11 from 40 yards and beyond and 2-of-2 from 50 yards-plus this season.
As Robinson suggested, the former North Carolina kicker hasn't won two Super Bowls in three seasons with field goals, as Patriot placement man Adam Vinatieri has done, but he's given the Steelers their most consistent kicker since Anderson starred for them from 1982-94.
And finally. ...
According to DiPaola, the Steelers have a short and seemingly insignificant injury list this week. Only five players are on it, and they are probable: Running back Verron Haynes (knee), linebackers Kendrell Bell (groin) and Clark Haggans (groin), wide receiver Antwaan Randle El (toe) and Townsend (hand).
Cowher said only Haynes won't practice Wednesday, but he is expected to return Thursday. If Bell plays Sunday in the AFC Championship game, he won't start, Cowher said. Bell said earlier this week he believes he will be ready to play Sunday.