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IMMEDIATE RELEASE NFL PRESS BOX NOTES – AFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME WHAT A COMBINATION!: The Pittsburgh Steelers (16-1) and New England Patriots (15-2) have combined for 31 wins this year, including playoffs. That total is the most combined victories in history for any AFC Championship Game participants. Following is a list of the most combined victories of teams playing in the AFC Championship Game:
DYNAMIC DUO: New England Patriots head coach BILL BELICHICK and quarterback TOM BRADY will seek to improve upon the NFL’s best coach-quarterback playoff record since 1970 when they face Pittsburgh on Sunday. Belichick and Brady are one of two coach-quarterback combinations since ’70 with undefeated postseason records. Head coach-quarterback combinations with the best playoff records since 1970 (minimum five games):
RETURN ENGAGEMENT: For the 10th time since 1990 when the NFL adopted its current playoff format, teams that met at least once during the regular season will meet in the AFC Championship Game. If Pittsburgh defeats New England, it will mark the seventh time the team that won the regular season meeting(s) won the AFC Championship. AFC Championship Games that were rematches of regular-season meetings:
* Met twice during season. Teams split; ** Met twice during season. Tennessee won both games. YOUNG ONE: With a victory in Sunday’s AFC Championship Game, Pittsburgh’s BEN ROETHLISBERGER will become the youngest starting quarterback in history to advance to the Super Bowl. His opposing quarterback Sunday, New England’s TOM BRADY, is the third youngest to start a Super Bowl. Following are the youngest quarterbacks to start a Super Bowl:
* As of Super Bowl on February 6. Roethlisberger also brings to Sunday’s game the longest regular-season winning streak of quarterbacks in a conference championship game. Each of the players on the list below advanced to the Super Bowl. The longest single-season quarterback winning streaks heading into a conference championship game:
RUNNING THE TABLE: The Pittsburgh Steelers are trying to become the 10th team in NFL history to go 10-0 at home in one season including the playoffs. Seven of the previous nine teams have won the Super Bowl. The teams with a 10-0 home record and their Super Bowl result:
FIRST IMPRESSIONS: New England’s COREY DILLON rushed for 1,635 yards in his first year with the Patriots after being acquired from Cincinnati. That total is the second highest all-time by a veteran running back in his first year with a new team. Following is a list of the top five RBs who have gained the most yards with their new teams:
LAMAR HUNT TROPHY: Pro Football Hall of Famer JOE NAMATH will present the winner of the AFC Championship Game Sunday with the LAMAR HUNT TROPHY. In 1968, Namath led the New York Jets to a 16-7 Super Bowl III victory over the Baltimore Colts, the first Super Bowl title won by an AFL club. Hunt, the owner of the Kansas City Chiefs and founder of the American Football League, helped professional football attain its stature as America’s No. 1 sport. In the 10-year history of the AFL, his team posted the most wins (87) and earned berths in two of the first four Super Bowls, including a victory in Super Bowl IV. Hunt was the first figure from the AFL to be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1972. |