The Pittsburgh Steelers will take on the New York Jets in a rematch of their Week 15 meeting, which the Jets won 22-17. This is no regular season game though: both teams will be fighting for a spot in the Super Bowl. The Steelers will need a strong performance from their tough rush defense in this game. They allowed the third-least rushing yards per game in NFL history this season at 62.8 yards a game. In last weekend's playoff win, the Steelers held the Baltimore Ravens to a mere 35 yards. They will have to limit the Jets' offense on Sunday if they want to avenge their Week 15 loss.
The New York Jets will look to maximize their ground-and-pound football philosophy as they attempt to manage the clock and move the chains with running backs LaDainian Tomlinson and Shonn Greene. They held the Indianapolis Colts to just three possessions in the second half of their Wild Card win two weeks ago by eating up the clock, and they ran for 120 yards against the New England Patriots last week. The Jets will certainly have to rush for more than 62.8 yards (which is what the Steelers have been allowing this season) in this contest if they want a shot at winning.
Though there's no way to know which side will emerge victorious, one thing is for certain: the playoff atmosphere will bring out the best in both of these teams Sunday night, and they'll put everything on the line as they vie for a Super Bowl spot in Arlington, Texas on February 6th.
New York Jets @ Pittsburgh Steelers (FOX, 6:30 p.m. ET/ 4:30 p.m. MT)