{"id":11208,"date":"2017-01-23T12:21:50","date_gmt":"2017-01-23T17:21:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonprofootball.com\/?p=11208"},"modified":"2017-01-23T15:10:11","modified_gmt":"2017-01-23T20:10:11","slug":"afc-championship-takeaways","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2017\/01\/23\/afc-championship-takeaways\/","title":{"rendered":"New England Patriots AFC Championship Takeaways"},"content":{"rendered":"

The New England Patriots are Super Bowl bound once again.<\/p>\n

The Patriots defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 36-17 at Gillette Stadium, marking their eighth Super Bowl appearance in the last 20 seasons. Tom Brady<\/a><\/strong> completed 32 of 42 passes for 384 yards and three touchdowns in his all-time record 24th<\/sup> postseason victory. For one team, a familiar sense of triumph. For the other, another playoff run fallen short.<\/p>\n

The game was a legendary showdown between two of the best quarterbacks of the 21st<\/sup> century. Brady was aiming to continue his dominance of both the Steelers and the postseason, while Ben Roethlisberger<\/a><\/strong> looked to solidify himself as an all-time great with a fourth Super Bowl appearance. There was certainly a lot on the line, and the AFC\u2019s two best teams didn\u2019t disappoint, with New England emerging victorious. Here are three Patriots\u00a0takeaways from Sunday night\u2019s AFC Championship.<\/p>\n

New England Patriots AFC Championship Takeaways<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Tom Brady, Chris Hogan Lead Relentless Offensive\u00a0Attack<\/strong><\/h3>\n

They don\u2019t call him \u201cSeven-Eleven\u201d for nothing.<\/p>\n

Chris Hogan<\/a><\/strong> seemed to find the open field all night, setting a Patriots playoff record with 180 receiving yards on just nine catches. Hogan also\u00a0had two touchdowns, including a 34-yard grab on the famed “flea-flicker” play. He was Tom Brady<\/a><\/strong>\u2019s favorite option with 12 total targets on the night.<\/p>\n

With a six-point spread, the game was expected to be more evenly matched. But Hogan\u2019s name stood out as an X-factor. Still, Brady was at his best even when he wasn\u2019t looking to throw\u00a0to number 15.<\/p>\n

Brady connected with eight other receivers, including Julian Edelman<\/a><\/strong>, who had eight\u00a0receptions and 118 yards. Edelman and Hogan\u2019s combined 298 receiving yards are the most by a wide receiver duo in conference championship history.<\/p>\n

Brady and company\u00a0spread the field right out of the gate, ditching their oft-conservative first quarter game plan. They set the tone through the air, and Pittsburgh\u2019s secondary was slow to the ball throughout the game.<\/p>\n

Without Bell, Steelers Fail to Make a Sound<\/strong><\/h3>\n

To say Pittsburgh\u2019s offense lacked a spark was an understatement. The Steelers offense failed to make any kind of an\u00a0impact Sunday night.<\/p>\n

First-team All-Pro running back Le’Veon Bell<\/strong> <\/a>went down in the first half with a groin\u00a0injury and did not return. He tallied just six rushes for 20 yards, and no receptions. After rushing for 167 and 170 yards, respectively, in the Steelers first two playoff games, his absence was certainly a factor.<\/p>\n

The lack of a running game placed too much pressure on Roethlisberger\u2019s air attack. New England was able to drop five to seven men in coverage nearly every play, and despite Big Ben\u2019s 314 yards, the Patriots defense\u00a0made timely break-ups, and scored ten points off of two key turnovers. Forced to throw close to the goal line, the Steelers scored just one touchdown in three trips inside the 20-yard line.<\/p>\n

Backup running back DeAngelo Williams<\/a><\/strong> had just 34 yards on 14 carries. New England\u2019s stout defensive front held Pittsburgh to their lowest rushing total in a game this season (54 yards).<\/p>\n

Near-Flawless Execution<\/strong><\/h3>\n

After an extremely sloppy showing in the divisional playoff round against the Houston Texans, Bill Belichick\u2019s team was highly efficient in every phase of the game against the Steelers Sunday night.<\/p>\n

New England had no turnovers\u00a0but forced\u00a0two Pittsburgh turnovers. They held the Steelers to just nine points in the red-zone, and committed only two penalties for a total loss of ten yards.<\/p>\n

Coming off a game in which he was frequently knocked down, the offensive line kept Brady relatively upright. He was sacked just twice, and only hit on one other occasion. With solid protection, Patriots receivers exposed holes in Pittsburgh\u2019s zone coverage throughout the game.<\/p>\n

Brady was careful, but efficient. He did not make a single dangerous throw into heavy coverage, and carefully chose times to throw the ball away. He made pre-snap adjustments all night, recognizing favorable matchups underneath the Steeler defensive backs, who often gave New England receivers a lot of room with which to work.<\/p>\n

Pittsburgh simply lacked the aggressiveness needed to win in Foxboro. The Patriots had the upper-hand from the very first play of the game and never let up on the gas.<\/p>\n

New England’s defense\u00a0was finally tested by an elite quarterback, and the unit\u00a0passed that test\u00a0with flying colors. Against an evenly explosive offense, the Tom Brady-led attack was flat-out better. But one obstacle remains. For Brady, immortality is just a victory away.<\/p>\n

Super Bowl 51 between the Patriots and the Atlanta Falcons will\u00a0take place on Sunday, February 5th<\/sup> at NRG Stadium in Houston, TX.<\/p>\n

Main Photo<\/p>\n

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Embed from Getty Images<\/a><\/div>\n