This weekend’s Conference Championship games will feature four of the best quarterbacks in the game — the league’s top three MVP candidates in Matt Ryan, Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady, as well as three surefire Hall of Famers in Rodgers, Brady and Ben Roethlisberger — and three of the most celebrated and successful franchises in NFL history (sorry, Falcons).
Three of the six teams that have won four or more Super Bowls will be playing this weekend. The Steelers have won a record six, the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers have won five each and the Packers, Patriots and New York Giants have won four apiece.
Meanwhile, the Falcons are one of 13 active teams without a Super Bowl victory. Ten other teams have been to fewer than two Super Bowls.
Five teams have won 30 playoff games. Three are playing this weekend. Sorry again, Falcons.
The quarterbacks playing this weekend have started a combined 10 Super Bowls. Brady has started a record six, Roethlisberger can become just the eighth quarterback to start four and Rodgers can become the 21st quarterback to start more than one.
Bill Belichick can become the first man to coach seven Super Bowls. As a head coach, that is. He and Don Shula have each coached in five. He and Chuck Noll have each won four. Meanwhile, Mike Tomlin can become just the 12th coach to reach three Super Bowls and Mike McCarthy can become the 24th to coach in multiple Super Bowls.
Eight quarterbacks have passed for 4,000 yards in the NFL playoffs. Three of them — Brady, Roethlisberger and Rodgers — are playing this weekend. Sorry, Matt.
