IT all boils down to this, the Conference Championships when four teams collide to determine which two will go on to the big dance, Super Bowl XLV and which two will have to clean out their lockers and head home. It doesn’t get any better than this because in my experience, Conference Championships games are usually more exciting than the Super Bowl itself, which anticlimactic at times.

Last weekend’s Divisional Play-offs exciting, that is until the loud-mouth came and broke up my winning streak So, instead of being 4-0, I have settle for 3-1, which I suppose, all things considered, is not too bad. In looking back at the games it is very obvious that defence played a major role in the wins.

The Jet’s defence certainly rattled Tom Brady and The Patriots. The Chicago Bears defence made the Seahawks’ Matt Hasslebeck uncomfortable. The Steelers’ defence came to life in the second half to hold the relentless Ravens at bay and the Green Packers defence was all over the Falcons as they administered a solid of the top-seeded team. The old defence winning games is indeed Divisional Play-offs showed exactly that.

Okay, let’s take a closer look at the you my thoughts along with the inputs of JUSTBET’s Andrei Roper whose deep analytical skills regarding the NFL and other sports are legendary.

Roper s thoughts: “The Green Bay Packers will look to win their third straight play-off game on the road this Sunday and book a place in Super Bowl XLV. But they’ll face a stiff test against an aggressive Bears defence that manhandled the Seahawks in the Divisional Play-offs last week. I think the Green Bay Packers will keep the momentum going with another road play-off win, but this time it will be their toughest.

“The Bears defence will throw everything it has at Aaron Rodgers, but I expect him to come good once again. Cutler may make a few costly mistakes for the Bears in this one against an aggressive Packers defence that gave the Seahawks hell last week. I give the Packers the edge.” give the Packers the edge, too. Soldier Field in Chicago is not the best of surfaces and the weather is also a factor. But Green Bay is used to cold weather. Being on the road again is not a problem for Green Bay. They’ve been on the road since the play-offs began and it has not deterred them. QB Aaron Rodgers is hot and doesn’t make many mistakes, he has matured into a fine QB and has now fully emerged from the shadow of Brett Favre, whom he understudied for quite a while.

Chicago QB Jay Cutler has a tendency to be either very good or very bad. If the former turns up Green Bay could be in for a long afternoon. On the other hand, if the latter turns up, its curtains for the Bears.

Andrei weighs in on the AFC match-up between the Steelers and the Jets. “Coming off a huge upset of the highly favoured New England Patriots in the Divisional Play-offs last week, the New York Jets are underdogs again as they travel to Heinz Field in Pittsburgh to face the Steelers for the AFC title. It will be a hard-fought game and a defensive struggle, but I give the Steelers the edge at home in the cold and because of QB Ben Roethlisberger’s experience. But it will be close.”

I couldn’t agree more and I also pick the Steelers to prevail. However, the New York Jets are on a roll and on an emotional high after having talked the talk and walked the walk in the defeat of arch rivals, the New England Patriots. Can they take this momentum into Pittsburgh? They probably can, but they will run into a defence that takes no prisoners. QB Mark Sanchez has come a long way and he has a variety of weapons on the offence that can hurt you. Case in point, La Dania Tomlinson, who can run the ball down your throat. On the other side of the coin the Pittsburgh QB is known for this tenaciousness, his toughness and his game management skills. I think that Big Ben and the Steelers will shut up the Jets once and for all.

The drama unfolds on Sunday, enjoy.

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