Patriots faced only one top QB this season



... and Ben has to make them pay for that 

The New England Patriots ride into the AFC Championship Game in their home stadium tomorrow on an eight-game winning streak. However, as many writers have noted over the past week, their defense has played against only one top quarterback.

That was Russell Wilson of Seattle, who led the Seahawks to a 31-24 victory over the Pats in Foxboro in October.

The Patriots defense is ranked first in the NFL in scoring defense, but the lack of a victory against a top QB leaves a question mark in the minds of many people.

Here is the list of QBs they have faced during that winning streak with their QB ratings in the game beside it.

Colin Kaepernick, 49ers, 90.7
Ryan Fitzpatrick, Jets, 69.6
Jared Goff, Rams, 63.6
Joe Flacco, Ravens, 83.5
Trevor Siemian, Broncos, 84.6
Bryce Petty, Jets, 60.0
Matt Moore, Dolphins, 105.6
Brock Osweiler, Texans, 72.2

SB Nation 

In addition, remember that the Pats faced Landry Jones, not Ben Roethlisberger, in the first meeting between the Steelers and NE. So, that is why the performance of Roethlisberger tomorrow is so important. He has to mix the run and pass, and most important, score touchdowns to keep ahead of Tom Brady.

ESPN notes, "The Patriots did not face a single quarterback who ranked in the top 12 in DVOA (Defense-adjusted Value Over Average) in 2016, so Roethlisberger (ranked ninth) will be their first, while Ryan (first) or Rodgers (eighth) would be a second should the Patriots advance to the Super Bowl."

Weak Schedule

In fact, Football Outsiders.com has rated the Patriots schedule the easiest in the NFL in 2016 with the perennially weak AFC East helping that. The Buffalo Bills did upset the Pats for one of their two losses, but that was an anomaly.

However, the Steelers did not have a difficult schedule this year either. Here is a list of the teams that the Steelers have beaten on their winning streak.


Browns
Colts
Giants
Bills
Bengals
Ravens
Browns
Dolphins (playoff)
Chiefs (playoff)

Only the Giants made the playoffs from the regular-season portion of that winning streak.

Advantage for Steelers

The two areas in which the Steelers have the upper hand against the Patriots are receiver Antonio Brown and running back / receiver Le'Veon Bell. New England has no one to match them. The Pats must neutralize them and hope to put pressure on Roethlisberger in order to win the game.

And, of course, the Steelers' defense must play its best game of the season against Brady. That is possible, but they need to avoid mistakes.

Should be a great game.

DVOA

Defense-adjusted Value Over Average is a method of evaluating teams, units, or players. It takes every single play during the NFL season and compares each one to a league-average baseline based on situation. DVOA measures not just yardage, but yardage towards a first down: Five yards on third-and-4 are worth more than five yards on first-and-10 and much more than five yards on third-and-12. Red zone plays are worth more than other plays. Performance is also adjusted for the quality of the opponent. DVOA is a percentage, so a team with a DVOA of 10.0% is 10 percent better than the average team, and a quarterback with a DVOA of -20.0% is 20 percent worse than the average quarterback. Because DVOA measures scoring, defenses are better when they are negative.

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