I am absolutely STUNNED

[GM]

Now Roethlisberger will try to become the first rookie QB to lead his team to the Super Bowl -- the Steelers will host the AFC title game for the fifth time in 11 seasons. They have won their last seven wild-card or divisional home playoff games, but are 1-3 in AFC Championship games under Cowher, losing to San Diego (1994 season), Denver (1997) and New England (2001).

He would be the first rookie to take his team to the Super Bowl according to this article from cbssportsline.

I guess this is technically correct, but I was under the impression Tom Brady was considered a rookie when the Pats won their first Superbowl.

Looking up NFL.com, it states in 2000 he was on the practice roster but inactive for 14 of the 16 games that season. In the other two games:

Cincinnati (11/19): Active but did not play. Detroit (11/23): Entered game in the fourth quarter and completed one of three passes for six yards ... Completed his first NFL pass to J.R. Redmond for six yards.

If that means he was not considered a rookie in 2001 then that's splitting hairs IMO.

 

[gambinoshark]

well said cooz..... the steelers/pats are the two best teams in the afc, so i am glad it is them playing for the right to go to the superbowl, and the fact of the matter is the pats are the defending sb champs so until someone beats them, they should be favored....but it just strikes me odd that everyone seems to think this game will be a lock because of dillon, or because ben is a rookie, blah blah blah...

the pats played cath up last game so dillon would not have been much of a factor, and as far as being a rookie, it is the 18th game of the season, and i think he has proven he can win in this league...if it comes down to dillon winning vs. staley/fattass, i'll take my chances with the steelers because of faneca and the o-line of the steelers....

 

[PaTsJaMM]

Gambino you are right that OL scares me. Moreso even than Bettis/Staley. That line and those backs work so well together it's gonna be a nightmare trying to slow them down. I haven't heard yet if Seymour will be playing but I hope so. We're gonna need all the help we can get cuz like someone said earlier we got ran over in that game.

If we can shut your running game down and force Ben to throw I think we'll be in good shape but that's a huge "if".

GL to you!

 

[The Big Tease]

PatsJamm, I have to ask you a question......

You bring merit to the fact that the Steelers almost lost to the Jets, which is fine......but the reason they almost lost to that team is because of an interception by deep in Jets territory returned for a TD, a fumble deep in Jets territory by the surehanded Bettis, a punt return for a TD by the Jets....other than that, the Jets would have been held to 3 points!!

BUT you discount merit to the Steelers win against the Pats because the Pats turned the ball over much in the same manner.

Which is it? Do turnovers have merit, or do they not?

 

[giambi]

41-27 hopefully that cleared it up for you guys I hate the pats but they get no respect I have seen it all year and really realized that after the colts game

 

[gjn23]

giambi--exactly my thoughts for the past two years on the pats.....anybody care to guess their ats record over the past 30+ games??????

 

[PaTsJaMM]

:clap: Congrats to all Pats backers

Hopefully people will continue to disrespect the Pats, because that's when they seem to play their best.

 

[GM]

giambi--exactly my thoughts for the past two years on the pats.....anybody care to guess their ats record over the past 30+ games??????

Not sure about 30 games, but here it is for this season and last...

New England:

2004: 11-3-2 regular season, 2-0 postseason
2003: 14-2 regular season, 1-2 postseason

Total: 25-5-2 regular season, 3-2 postseason, 28-7-2 overall (80%). Not too shabby.

Philly:

2004: 9-7 regular season, 2-0 postseason
2003: 11-5 regular season, 0-2 postseason

Total: 20-12 regular season, 2-2 postseason, 22-14 overall (61%). Not bad either.