NFL Playoff Capsules: History might not mean much this time

PITTSBURGH (AP) — History tells us the Pittsburgh Steelers belong. The New York Jets? Not so much. The 2010 season and playoffs, however, have written their own version of history, with a common theme: Anything can happen.

It already has to the Jets, who never had won in the Steel City before edging the Steelers 22-17 in December. They also have humbled Peyton Manning and Tom Brady in the playoffs — who does that in consecutive weeks?

In a season when both conference title games feature No. 2 seeds and against No. 6s, it’s foolish to discount the Jets in Sunday night’s AFC championship.

A franchise that validated the AFL’s talents by winning the Super Bowl in 1969 has not been back since. The Jets played for the conference title in 1982, 1998 and last year. They hadn’t even won postseason games in consecutive years until doing so last season and this.

"It’s been a long time for our fans and our franchise," said defensive end Shaun Ellis, a first-round pick in 2000 and the current player with the longest Jets career. "So for us to be able to get to that point — and not just get there, but get there and win it —would be huge for us.

"It’s time."

Naturally, the Steelers say otherwise. Their time for AFC championship games has been frequent: this is No. 15 for Pittsburgh, with a 7-7 split thus far.

As for Super Bowls, no franchise owns more than Pittsburgh’s six Lombardi Trophies. The Steelers have won it twice in the last six years, after the 2005 and 2008 seasons.

They’re 4-point favorites, and part of the oddsmakers’ belief in them has to stem from their experience at this level.

"We have one standard," coach Mike Tomlin said. "That standard is winning."

Hines Ward has lived up to that standard for 13 seasons, easily the most as a Steeler on the current roster. He has been one of the franchise’s greatest postseason performers and was MVP of the 2006 Super Bowl.

He understands fully what has bred success in Pittsburgh, and will continue to do so after he is long gone.

"People try to compare this team to the Super Bowl teams we played on, but every team is different," Ward said. "We’ve got a lot of young guys and a lot of battle-tested guys who have been there.

"What this team has that impresses me is the resiliency. To do it the way we have done it, not having Ben (Roethlisberger) for four games (while he was suspended), missing Troy (Polamalu) for two or three games, our offensive line getting hurt. It’s been remarkable to see the guys fill in."

It’s the Steelers way.

"It starts up top," Ward said of ownership, the front office and coaching staff. "The 53-man roster we pick in training camp, we always say it will come down to the guys we took back then. And it does."

The Jets aren’t likely to be swayed by the Steelers’ resume of success. They weren’t intimidated by facing the Colts in Indy or the Patriots in Foxborough — not even with the fresh memory of being pummeled 45-3 at Gillette Stadium five weeks earlier.

If anything, the Jets should be brimming with confidence that they can match up well with Pittsburgh, get key contributions from their playmakers, and ride off with what truly would be their biggest victory since Joe Namath came through on his guarantee.

"We’ve talked about it quite a bit," said veteran running back LaDainian Tomlinson, who was with San Diego for the 2007 AFC title game but barely played because of a left knee injury as the Chargers lost to the undefeated Patriots. Tomlinson joined the Jets this season.

"I think everybody understands where we are, and obviously it helps with those guys getting here last year and knowing that this doesn’t happen often and how special it is. You never know when you’re going to get the next opportunity and they can look at guys like myself and Jason Taylor, even Shaun Ellis, to see that."

Asked what it would mean to walk off the field Sunday knowing he’s going to the Super Bowl — something so many Steelers are familiar with — the usually descriptive Tomlinson struggled.

"I don’t know if I can put into words, but I can definitely imagine the feeling," he said. "Every year, you see a team that walks off that field in the AFC championship game going to the Super Bowl and you see the excitement on guys’ faces, the atmosphere, and just how proud guys are. I really can’t put it into words, I just know I have the vision of what it may feel like."

In this strange season, LT and the Jets might get to experience it.

Rex Ryan: Jets will play Steelers’ trophies, too

NEW YORK (AP) — Rex Ryan vows his Jets can beat the Steelers even if Pittsburgh puts 17 on the field.

Less bombastic than usual this week, Ryan wasn’t quite saying that Friday. The coach known for his creative inspirational techniques was just making the point that the Jets don’t need any extra motivation in Sunday’s AFC championship game on the road against a franchise as storied the Steelers (13-4).

"We want the T-shirt. We want the hat. We want the trophy," Ryan said. "I don’t know what else I need to say. That’s the truth. They’ve had six Super Bowl trophies — if they want to put them on the field, we’ll play them, too."

As probably every NFL fan knows by now, former Jets defensive end Dennis Byrd spoke to the team before last week’s game at New England — and New York responded with a rousing performance in the upset win. Byrd, who walked again after breaking his neck in a 1992 game, will serve as New York’s honorary captain Sunday. But don’t expect any special Saturday guest speakers this time around.

"Whatever I think’s appropriate," Ryan said. "But I don’t believe so this week."

The Jets (13-5) were in this same spot a year ago, going on the road to face the Indianapolis Colts with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line. Quarterback Mark Sanchez was a rookie then, and everything was whizzing by so fast he felt he was just trying to hold on.

"I just don’t think I understood how close we were," Sanchez said. "I know we were one game away — it’s easy to say that. You don’t really see it until two weeks later from the game you lose, they’re playing in the Super Bowl. You go through the whole offseason and then you realize your goal again is to make it back, right there. We were just a quarter and a half away. It’s crazy. It blows your mind when you think about it."

Sanchez said his sore right shoulder kept getting better. Cornerback Drew Coleman (knee), safety James Ihedigbo (right knee/ankle), and wide receiver-kick returner Brad Smith (groin) were listed as questionable and limited in practice Friday. Defensive end Shaun Ellis (knee) did not practice and was also questionable.

This time of year, questionable is just a label.

"They’re all going to play," Ryan said. "They’re questionable, they’re playing."

-- Rachel Cohen

Jets’ Ellis sits out, Steelers’ McFadden returns

PITTSBURGH (AP) — New York Jets defensive end Shaun Ellis sat out practice Friday with a knee ailment, but coach Rex Ryan said he’ll play in the AFC championship game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Ellis was listed as questionable on the team’s injury report after having two sacks and playing a terrific all-around game in New York’s 28-21 win at New England last Sunday.

Wide receiver-kick returner Brad Smith (groin), safety James Ihedigbo (right knee/ankle) and defensive back Drew Coleman (knee) were limited and also listed as questionable.

"They’re playing, OK?" Ryan said. "That’s pretty much it."

Steelers starting cornerback Bryant McFadden practiced for the first time this week after sustaining an abdominal injury during a playoff victory against Baltimore last Saturday.

McFadden said he will see how he feels Saturday before a decision is made about playing when the Steelers (13-4) host the New York Jets (13-5). Nickel back William Gay would start if McFadden can’t play.

Safety Troy Polamalu (Achilles’ tendon) also returned to practice, as expected, and will play Sunday. Special teamers Will Allen (knee) and Arnez Battle (illness) practiced for the first time this week as well.

DE Aaron Smith has been limited in practice all week, and it is considered extremely unlikely he will play Sunday. Smith has not played since Oct. 24, when he tore a triceps muscle in a win at Miami.

NFC

Spotlight shines on Bears, Packers coordinators

LAKE FOREST, Ill. — The Green Bay Packers were a mess when they hired Dom Capers as their defensive coordinator two years ago, and the Chicago Bears had issues on offense when they turned to Mike Martz after last season. Well, now look at them.

The Packers and Bears meet in the NFC championship game on Sunday, and the outcome just might hinge on the chess match between two veteran coordinators.

"Mike has certainly been doing this for a lot of years, and he has a lot of little intricacies that are true to his system, I think, that you never know when that’s going to come out," Capers said. "And he knows when he wants to use them and he knows when I think they’ll be the most effective against you."

Martz called Capers "a terrific teacher" whose teams have always been "well schooled." And Green Bay’s defense sure earned high grades this year, helping the Packers get to the conference championship despite a list of injuries that would have derailed many teams.

The Bears, meanwhile, looked as if they were coming off the tracks before making some key adjustments on offense and turning around their season.

Now, these teams are facing off for the 182nd time and the stakes have never been higher. Only once before have they played in the postseason, and that was a week after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, when Chicago beat Green Bay at Wrigley Field on the way to the championship.

Finally, they meet again in the playoffs. Franchises with a combined 21 championships and 47 Hall of Famers — with icons on both sides such as Halas, Butkus and Ditka, and Lombardi, Starr and Nitschke — are set to go at it for a spot in the Super Bowl.

It’s a chance for young and talented quarterbacks Aaron Rodgers and Jay Cutler to cement themselves among the best at their position, with two of the league’s stingiest defenses staring at them. Then, there are the coordinators.

"They show you a lot of looks," Cutler said. "They’re really good. Dom Capers does a great job of preparing each and every week and keeping offenses off balance, which they’ve done to us in the past."

Statistically, it looks like a mismatch. Capers is leading the fifth-ranked defense, while Martz’s offense ranked 30th, but the improvements the Bears made on that side of the ball during the season helped lift them to the NFC North title and a first-round playoff bye.

For Green Bay’s defense, the work began two years ago. Capers took over a unit that was vulnerable to the big play and couldn’t hold big leads. The transition from the 4-3 to his 3-4 set wasn’t an easy one, but the Packers made big strides and kept it up despite a string of injuries.

Three defensive starters are on injured reserve and several other key players missed time with injuries, but they still have Charles Woodson and Clay Matthews. Tramon Williams developed into a top-tier cornerback, adding depth in a secondary with Pro Bowl safety Nick Collins.

The Packers held opponents to 15 points per game, the second-lowest scoring average, and made things miserable on quarterbacks. With 47 sacks, they tied for second in the league, and leading the way was Matthews with 13½.

That might make Bears fans cringe, considering Cutler got sacked a league-high 52 times. But Chicago also came on strong over the second half of the season after it committed to the run and settled on a starting offensive line, helping spark a 7-1 run that saved the season.

That was something few envisioned when the Bears stumbled into their break at 4-3 after dropping three of four in a brutal stretch. Cutler was taking a pounding behind a line that was being juggled because of injuries and poor execution. The running game was being ignored, too.

The deep drops that Martz likes to use simply weren’t working, and many were wondering if the architect behind "The Greatest Show on Turf" in St. Louis was the right fit. The team that returned from the bye had a different look, a different emphasis.

The Bears cut back on the deep drops and started handing the ball off, getting Matt Forte (1,069 yards) more involved while keeping defenses off balance. The blocking improved, too.

One thing that didn’t change: the players’ belief in Martz.

"He’s a great coach, great mentor, great teacher," receiver Earl Bennett said. "He’s one of those coaches that always can help you get better. By having a guy like him around, he can take your game to a whole ‘nother level."

Even so, Martz’s hiring was viewed by many as an act of desperation, a high-risk gamble by a team that went 7-9 and missed the playoffs for the third straight year.

He left St. Louis on bad terms. Stints as coordinator in Detroit and San Francisco didn’t end well, either. He was perceived as stubborn and addicted to the pass, someone who might get Cutler hurt behind a weak line. He also criticized the Bears’ quarterback as an NFL Network analyst last season.

Then again, he also developed one of the most prolific offenses with the Rams, helping Kurt Warner go from stocking grocery shelves to a starring role, and coach Lovie Smith head an up-close view as Martz’s defensive coordinator.

It took time — and a different approach — for the offense to click.

"Their formula for success, running the football has a lot to do with it," Packers coach Mike McCarthy said. "If you look at the way the offense has performed over the course of the season, they’ve had very favorable field position, and running the football particularly of late, and how they ran the ball against Seattle is a little different than how they’ve run the ball against us in the past. Those are the types of things we’re looking at."

There will be plenty of eyes on the strategic adjustments, too.

"(Capers) understands this game as well as anybody defensively," Martz said. "I have great respect for him."

-- Andrew Seligman

Vets like Driver, Urlacher relish Super Bowl shot

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — To be clear, nobody’s kicking them out the door just yet.

Veterans such as Green Bay Packers wide receiver Donald Driver, cornerback Charles Woodson, left tackle Chad Clifton and Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher will start Sunday’s NFC championship game as cornerstone players for their teams. They believe they have good years left.

Still, any player in his 30s without a Super Bowl ring doesn’t have to be told that such opportunities are hard to come by. While a rivalry game with a trip to the Super Bowl at stake doesn’t really need any extra juice, it’s even more urgent for veterans who might never get another shot this good.

"I’ve been once, and it was an incredible experience," Woodson said of the Super Bowl. "It’s been a long time ago, though, now. The thing is, you never know when you’ll get back. You never know if you’ll get there. You never know if you’ll win one. But to have the opportunity, and again, to be one of the final teams trying to get to the Super Bowl, it means a lot."

The 34-year-old Woodson played for the Oakland Raiders when they were beaten by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the January 2003 Super Bowl.

Urlacher and the Bears lost a Super Bowl to Indianapolis in February 2007. Even at age 32, he made it clear this week that he doesn’t think this will be his last shot.

"No," Urlacher said. "I don’t see us getting any worse next year. I think we should get better. You don’t want to say this is your last shot and I’m not saying we should lose. We want to win this game, but I am not in any way thinking this is our last shot. I think we’re a talented football team. We’ll just get better every year."

Even Bears linebacker Lance Briggs, who recently turned 30, was asked if his window might be closing.

"I’m 30, I’m not dead," Briggs said. "I don’t see it that way. I don’t know how many years I’ll get to play, or all of us on the team will get to play, but we’re going to enjoy it. Obviously it’s not easy to get to the Super Bowl so I think that, more than anything else, it’s just not easy. So it’s hard-fought. We haven’t been there in years. It’s precious."

Until now, Driver and Clifton haven’t been closer than the Packers’ January 2008 NFC championship loss to New York Giants.

"It’s always been a dream of mine to get to the Super Bowl," Driver said. "It’s right in front of me right now, and I think everybody in this locker room believes that it’s right in front of us, and we’ve believed it since March."

Packers coach Mike McCarthy said he sees a unique sense of urgency from Driver and his other veterans.

"It’s really Donald all the way down, particularly the players that were here in ‘07," McCarthy said. "You really have an understanding now of how hard it is to get to this game. I know my first year in the NFL in 1993, we went to the AFC championship game, and you kind of think, ‘Boy, this is great. This is not that big of a deal.’ But it’s such a hard game to get to."

Packers defensive lineman Ryan Pickett was a member of the St. Louis Rams when they lost in the Super Bowl to New England in February 2002. He said younger players have asked him and Woodson about their experiences.

"We just tell them that it’s the greatest experience that you could ever have," Pickett said. "It’s so hard to get to where we are right now. We want to keep them focused, but it’s so hard to get to where we are right now. So we have to take advantage of the opportunity."

Greg Jennings said he and the other Packers receivers know how much it means to Driver.

"Obviously the window of opportunity, it opens and closes as it will, and you know, the window of opportunity isn’t getting any bigger," Jennings said. "Donald has been around for a while, and I think he’s been in this position once, I believe, and we didn’t get it done that time, and now we have a second chance. You’re not afforded too many second chances in this game, so we have to make the best of it."

And Driver appreciates the sentiment from his teammates.

"They’ve addressed it all this year, as well as the previous years that our whole receiver group has been together, is that they want to get me to the Super Bowl," Driver said. "As bad as they want to get me to the Super Bowl, I want to get them to the Super Bowl. When it comes to their career, they don’t have to worry when they’re ever going to get there. So, if we can get there all together at one time, that’ll put a nice little icing on the cake."

-- Chris Jenkins

Bears’ Harris vows to play against Green Bay

LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) — Chicago Bears safety Chris Harris practiced Friday on a limited basis for the first time this week after suffering a hip pointer in a playoff win over Seattle on Sunday.

Harris, listed as questionable, said he’s "definitely playing" in this week’s NFC championship game against Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers and is feeling "a lot" better.

He was injured in the first half against the Seahawks, forcing the Bears to go with rookie Major Wright and Josh Bullocks. Harris tied cornerback Charles Tillman for the team lead with five interceptions in his first season back with Chicago after spending the previous three in Carolina.

The Packers have been hit hard by injuries all season, but their situation going into the game is relatively stable.

Outside linebacker Frank Zombo is listed as out because of a knee injury, and backup offensive lineman Jason Spitz is questionable with a calf injury.

Packers coach Mike McCarthy rested some veteran players this week, including cornerback Charles Woodson, left tackle Chad Clifton, and defensive lineman Cullen Jenkins and Ryan Pickett. All are listed as probable.

Outside linebacker Erik Walden (shoulder) and inside linebacker A.J. Hawk (knee) were added to the injury report Friday but are listed as probable.

Dent to serve as honorary Bears captain

LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) — The Chicago Bears hope Richard Dent can help them shuffle to the Super Bowl.

The legendary defensive end and MVP of Super Bowl XX will serve as an honorary captain when the Bears host the rival Green Bay Packers in the NFC championship game Sunday.

Dent holds the franchise record for sacks, recording 124.5 over two stints and 12 seasons with Chicago. That included a club-record 17.5 in 1984 and 17 a year later, when the Bears mauled their way to a 15-1 record and their lone Super Bowl victory.

In the championship game against New England, Dent recorded 1½ sacks and forced two fumbles as the Bears capped one of the most spectacular seasons in league history by pounding the Patriots 46-10.

Packers’ Rodgers takes break, joins Paisley on stage

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Aaron Rodgers took a brief break from football Thursday night, making an onstage appearance at a Brad Paisley concert in Green Bay.

Rodgers says he was supposed to help the country star sing a line from the song "I’m Still A Guy," but was having trouble hearing so he just started high-fiving people. The quarterback joked that it’s probably a good thing that he didn’t sing, given the limitations of his voice.

Rodgers, who will lead the Packers in Sunday’s NFC championship game in Chicago, said he left the stage to chants of "Go Pack Go" from the fans.

Both Games

Beware forbidding fields in AFC, NFC title games

Cold, wind and frozen turf. They make Pittsburgh’s Heinz Field and Chicago’s Soldier Field such forbidding places. Just ask the guys who play there.

"Some people say it’s a sorry field," Bears cornerback Charles Tillman said, adding that others prefer to describe his home turf with an expletive. "They say what they want, but at the end of the day, you’ve got to play. That’s what we do. We accept it. We just play."

Both natural grass fields will be front and center Sunday when the New York Jets play the Steelers in the AFC championship game, and the Green Bay Packers take on the Bears in the NFC championship game, with Super Bowl spots on the line. And it could all come down to how the kickers deal with the less-than-ideal conditions.

"I think that’s what’s going to happen," Jets coach Rex Ryan said of his team’s big game. "I think that this is going to be one of those games. I don’t see a team blowing the other team out. I think this is going to be hard-fought all the way to the end and will probably be a three-point game."

That’s why Nick Folk is bringing several pairs of cleats with him to Pittsburgh and taking extra kicks before the game. Sunday’s weather forecast calls for morning snow showers and bone-chilling temperatures of about 13 degrees at kickoff.

"Everything about kicking at Heinz Field makes it tough," Folk said. "The fans, the weather can turn nasty at any time, the field can be pretty bad, too."

Pittsburgh has been an unpredictable and frustrating place for kickers since Heinz Field opened in 2001, and not just because of those Terrible Towels. But there might be some good news for Folk and the Steelers’ Shaun Suisham, according to meteorologist Brad Rehak of the National Weather Service in Pittsburgh.

"It may not be as tricky for field goals at Heinz Field as it normally is," said Rehak, a Steelers season-ticket holder. "It might not be as tough as usual for the kickers."

Rehak said the winds usually come down the Ohio River and into the stadium, but the current weather pattern doesn’t indicate that flow.

"When you’re playing football this late in the year, outdoors, it is what you’d think it would be," said Suisham, who replaced Jeff Reed midway through the season. "I think that’s part of what’s fun of being part of this organization. I love playing on this kind of field. It’s part of playing football this time of year and in this part of the country."

Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward wasn’t so kind after Pittsburgh beat Miami 3-0 in a Monday night game in 2007, calling the conditions at Heinz Field "horrendous." That was because the grounds crew needed to roll out new sod over the field after several University of Pittsburgh and high school football games tore up the turf. A day of rain didn’t help, either, as water pooled.

The same crew had to re-sod the turf after the NHL held its Winter Classic between the Penguins and Washington Capitals there, and from all accounts, it held up nicely in Pittsburgh’s playoff victory over Baltimore last Saturday.

"It’s never spectacular because they have so much traffic on it," Jets special teams coordinator Mike Westhoff said. "They put a lot of mileage on that field, but we expect it to be fine."

The Jets also have some playoff demons to exorcise there. Until Week 15, New York was 0-7 in Pittsburgh, including a disappointing overtime defeat in the 2004 postseason, when Doug Brien missed two field goals in the closing minutes of regulation. Westhoff said Brien hit the first kick — a 47-yarder — "pretty good," but ended up clanking it off the crossbar. Brien smashed the second one, a 43-yarder as regulation expired, but he hooked it.

"Neither one was the easiest kick to make in the first place," Westhoff said. "The field was very poor at that time. It was as tough as it gets."

Soldier Field, sitting next to Lake Michigan, has a similar reputation.

After being re-sodded before the regular-season finale in 2006, the Bears slipped and slid to a 39-14 victory in the NFC championship over New Orleans, which fumbled four times and lost three.

Earlier this week, Green Bay wide receiver Greg Jennings was critical of Soldier Field after watching Seattle players slip in the snow in the Seahawks’ playoff loss last weekend.

"It’s rough," he said. "It’s probably one of the worst — probably the worst — in the league."

Bears quarterback Jay Cutler and linebacker Brian Urlacher have made similar comments.

According to the National Weather Service, the temperature is expected to be in the upper teens at kickoff in Chicago, with wind chills in the upper-single digits.

"You know it’s going to be cold," Bears kicker Robbie Gould said. "You know it’s going to be windy. You know the conditions on the field aren’t going to potentially be great."

Gould joined the Bears in 2005 — coincidentally replacing an injured Brien, who was cut by the Jets a few months after his bad day in Pittsburgh — and tries not to even think about the conditions when he lines up.

"I’ve done this a million times," he said. "I’m going to continue doing it, so I’m confident to go there and do my job on Sunday. I’ve got a lot of great guys around me that aid in that process."

Mason Crosby has been kicking in Green Bay for four years, so cold and windy conditions are the norm for him. Plus, he has been to Soldier Field once a season since coming into the league, so he tries to maintain his usual routine — no matter how bad the field may be.

"It’s like any other game, go out and hit some balls, see if the wind’s blowing in any way," he said. "Then, trust it once game time comes and know you’re going to hit the ball and it’s going to go where you need it to."

-- Dennis Waszak Jr.

Bundle up: Chilly weather for championship games

Temperatures in the teens, wind chills near zero, maybe even a snow shower. Now that’s a real Winter Classic. Frosty forecasts were in play Sunday for the AFC and NFC championship games, with players and fans ready to bundle up in Chicago and Pittsburgh.

Could be around 13 degrees at kickoff when the New York Jets take on the Steelers at Heinz Field. Might drop to about 8 under partly skies by the time they finish well after dark.

"It’s shaping up as one of the coldest games here that I can remember," meteorologist Brad Rehak of the National Weather Service in Pittsburgh said Friday. "Going back to the 1970s with the Raiders-Steelers games."

Rehak would know — he’s a longtime Steelers season ticket-holder who plans to be in the stands. Wind chills, he said, would be about zero all game.

Quite a bit colder than when the NHL held its annual Winter Classic game at Heinz Field on Jan. 1. It was 50 degrees and rainy during Washington’s win over the Penguins.

The conditions figure to be a bit warmer in Chicago when the Green Bay Packers play the Bears at Soldier Field. Maybe in the upper teens for the afternoon kickoff with wind chills in the upper single digits, and possibly some brief, passing flurries.

"It won’t be something like the legendary Ice Bowl," said meteorologist Richard Castro of the National Weather Service in suburban Chicago.

"Besides, the Packers and Bears are used to this. I always figure football players are accustomed to inclement weather," he said.