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Home , Aaron Rodgers, Brian Urlacher, Jermichael Finley, Mark Sanchez, Rex Ryan, Ted Thompson

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The NFL conference GREEN BAY 21, PITTSBURGH 24, road championships CHICAGO 14 N.Y. JETS 19 to XLV

Steelers vs. Packers Gold rush STEELERS, PACKERS ADVANCE TO THE

DREW SHARP THINKS THE DECENT GUYS WIN OCCASIONALLY Kickoff: 6:30 p.m. Feb. 6 Rodgers hangs tough Where: Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, Texas and rightfully earns TV: Fox. 1 Line: Packers by 2 ⁄2 trip to the big game Key players ometimes, there’s justice. Those who quietly Spersevere rightfully earn their due. kept his mouth shut and his AARON focus clear during the melodrama in RODGERS Green Bay. He didn’t act like a fool or embarrass QB, PACKERS himself or his employers once he got the start- Rodgers has been ing job. His reward three years later is a Super hot in the playoffs. Bowl, as well as official entry into the elite quar- The Bears held him terback club. in check, but the The decent guys win occasionally. sixth-year quarter- It’ll be Green Bay versus Pittsburgh in Super back has accounted Bowl XLV. From a more narrow perspective, for eight passing and rushing touch- it’ll be Rodgers versus Steelers’ downs combined. . And you’ll hear the word “redemption” thrown around quite liberally in the next two weeks regarding Roethlisberger, CLAY who missed the first four games of the season MATTHEWS serving a league suspension for a pattern of LB, PACKERS off-field conduct detrimental to the NFL’s im- Matthews, the son age. of line- I’m always amused at how some deem an backer Clay Jr. and athlete’s successes as somehow more heroic nephew of Hall of when it comes following off-field problems of Fame lineman Bruce, their own creation. How does getting back to the led the Packers with Super Bowl almost a year following allegations 13.5 sacks this of sexual assault in Georgia prove that Roethlis- season, then added berger now “gets it” and has matured? 3.5 sacks in his It doesn’t. three playoff games. Rodgers’ road taken is more a redemptive story because he found himself wrapped in a BEN conflict not of his own doing. He could’ve crum- bled under the duress of replacing franchise ROETHLISBERGER icon Favre. If Rodgers failed, the front office and QB, STEELERS coaching staff that sided with him over Favre Roethlisberger was suspended for the would’ve crumbled as well. first four games of People got so swept up in the 2010 for violating CHARLES KRUPA/ “redemption” nonsense that they ignored Rod- the NFL’s personal Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger beats Jets LB Bryan Thomas (58) and DT Sione Pouha (91) on a 2-yard run. gers’ truly remarkable work with a Green Bay conduct policy, but offense that lost its leading rusher, Ryan Grant, he made up for it, in the season opener for the entire year and its piling up 3,200 The NFC The AFC rising star , , not long passing yards and 17 ❚ WHAT HAPPENED: It turns out everyone ❚ WHAT HAPPENED: The Steelers si- after that with another season-ending injury. in the There were times this season when Rodgers remaining 12. who thought Green Bay quarterback Aaron lenced ’s wild bunch with a Rodgers would be the game-changer was return for a touchdown and a was Green Bay’s most reliable running threat. right. He just did it on defense. With a 14-0 goal-line stand in the fourth quarter. Vick got the starting Pro Bowl nod over Rod- TROY lead in the third quarter, Rodgers threw an Pittsburgh was dominant in the first half, gers. to Brian Urlacher on third-and- jumping out to a 24-3 lead. Rashard Men- Idon’t think Rodgers minds such a ridiculous POLAMALU goal but ran him down near midfield and denhall had 95 of his 121 yards and a slight now. He’s aiming for the bigger prize. S, STEELERS just barely prevented him from scoring by touchdown in the first two quarters. New Rodgers ran for a touchdown in the Packers’ You might know this throwing him off-balance with his attempt York scored 19 straight points, which 21-14 NFC Championship victory at Chicago. big-haired Califor- at a . All Chicago QB could included a safety and a 4-yard touchdown nian from his sham- do was watch as little-known backup Caleb reception by Jerricho Cotchery with 3:06 Perhaps more important, he made a touchdown- poo commercials, Hanie actually made it a game, leading the to go in the game. But the Steelers got saving tackle on the Bears’ Brian Urlacher fol- but it’s his turnover- Bears on two touchdown drives in the two first downs to chew up the rest of lowing one of Rodgers’ two . generating potential fourth quarter. the time remaining. It’ll be the Packers’ first Super Bowl since that could have 1998 when, as the defending champions, they Rodgers and the lost to and Denver. Packers tearing out ❚ A CUT BELOW: ❚ B.J. AND THE ❚ MISCUE: The Late in the fourth, They should be the dominant team in the their hair. Cutler left with a BEAR(S): Hanie Jets had only one he rolled right and NFC North for the foreseeable future, consider- knee injury early in and Co. had a MARK HOFFMAN/McClatchy-Tribune turnover, but it hit ing Rodgers is only 27 years old and two of their Overheard the third quarter. chance to tie the Packers QB Aaron Rodgers runs for was costly. With for a 14-yard gain top defensive players, Clay Matthews The Bears strug- game after the 1:13 left in the first with less than 2 Aaron Rodgers: “It’s 25 yards during the second quarter. and defensive tackle B.J. Raji, are second-year gled without him, Bears’ defense half, quarterback minutes left to what I’ve dreamt He rushed for 39 yards and one TD. players. turning first to finally got a few was seal the win. about since I was a former Michigan stops, but the sacked by Ike That doesn’t bode well for the Lions. kid, growing up in QB Todd Collins, quarterback threw Road warriors Taylor, who also ❚ FAMILIAR TER- But Championship Sunday once again un- Northern California forced a fumble. derscored the importance of making the right who lasted two a ball straight to With their win Sunday, the Packers RITORY: The Steel- watching Joe Mon- William Gay decision regarding your franchise quarterback. possessions before Packers defensive became just the fourth NFL team ers advanced to tana and Steve scooped up the ball Hanie, a 2008 lineman B.J. Raji, since 1940 to win three road playoff their eighth Super Green Bay general manager Young.” and ran 19 yards undrafted free who lumbered 18 games in a single season (the Jets, Bowl, tying the tasted the sweet nectar of exoneration with for the touchdown. Our pick agent out of Colo- yards into the end if they won Sunday, would be the mark set by the Rodgers leading the Pack back to the Super rado State, came zone to give the fifth). The list: Cowboys, the team Bowl. Thompson stood his ground, never once The matchup seem in. The Packers Packers a 21-7 ❚ LIKE CLOCK- hosting this year’s YEAR TM SB W/L blinking when Favre changed his mind about pretty even, with were surprised lead. WORK: Big Ben big game. two dominate QBs Cutler didn’t re- 1985 N.E. L, 46-10 retirement again …and again …and again. Oth- Roethlisberger ers along the Frozen Tundra froze in fear as and strong defenses. turn. ❚ OVERHEARD: 2005 PIT W, 21-10 wasn’t at his best, ❚ OVERHEARD: But this will be the “You know if he “You have to give 2007 NYG W, 17-14 but he saved his Favre matriculated to the neighboring enemy “We knew we in 2009 and — but for a vin- Steelers’ third Super doesn’t come back credit to our de- 2010 G.B. W, 21-14 best pass for last. were going to have Bowl in six years, so it had to be seri- fense. I didn’t play He finished 10 of a chance to run the tage late-game Favre interception — nearly saw we will give them ous, not to come my best game,” 19 for 133 yards ball well,” Men- him to get another Super Bowl before Rodgers the edge. Steelers back and play in Rodgers said. Football bonanza and two intercep- denhall said. would see his first. 24, Packers 20 this game,” More coverage of the NFC and AFC tions, though his But it all worked out. Championship games. 6B mobility did give Both Rodgers and Thompson are certainly said. -- FREE PRESS NEWS -- FREE PRESS NEWS SERVICES the Jets trouble. SERVICES entitled to rub it in, if they choose.