OPENING LINE – Steelers by 4.
RECORD VS. SPREAD – Jets 11-7; Steelers 10-6-1.
SERIES RECORD – Steelers lead 16-4.
LAST MEETING – Jets beat Steelers 22-17 at Pittsburgh on Dec. 19, 2010.
LAST WEEK – Jets beat Patriots 28-21 in divisional playoff; Steelers beat Ravens 31-24 in divisional playoff.
JETS OFFENSE – OVERALL (11), RUSH (4), PASS (22)
JETS DEFENSE – OVERALL (3), RUSH (3), PASS (6)
STEELERS OFFENSE – OVERALL (14), RUSH (11), PASS (14)
STEELERS DEFENSE – OVERALL (2), RUSH (1), PASS (12)
STREAKS, STATS AND NOTES – Steelers and Jets meet for second time in postseason, with last game a 20-17 overtime victory by Pittsburgh in 2004 after New York’s Doug Brien missed two potential winning kicks in final 2 minutes of regulation. … In last regular-season meeting, Jets rushed for 106 yards – most Steelers have allowed this season. … Jets are making second straight trip to AFC championship game after falling in Indianapolis last year. … With victory, Jets would set franchise record for wins in a season. … New York’s December win in Pittsburgh marked first for franchise in state of Pennsylvania after going 0-11 at Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. … Jets coach Rex Ryan is only second coach to lead a team to conference championship game in each of first two seasons, since Super Bowl era began in 1966, after inheriting team that failed to make playoffs year before becoming coach. Baltimore’s Don McCafferty (1970-71) is the other coach. … Ryan also joins McCafferty, Oakland’s John Madden (1969-70), San Francisco’s George Seifert (1989-90) and Dallas’ Barry Switzer (1994-95) as only coaches to make it to conference championship games in first two seasons. … Mark Sanchez joins Steelers’ Ben Roethlisberger (2004-05) as only QBs to start and win four postseason games in first two seasons. With another win, Sanchez would have five road postseason victories, most in NFL history. … WR Santonio Holmes makes his playoff return to Pittsburgh after being selected MVP of 2009 Super Bowl. Holmes was traded to Jets in offseason. … Jets DL Trevor Pryce will play in fifth AFC championship game, one short of most among active players (Mike Vrabel). … Jets will have former DE Dennis Byrd, paralyzed in a game in 1992 who later learned to walk again as their honorary captain for coin toss. … Steelers advanced to AFC championship game for second time in three years, and 15th time in team history – topping Dallas for most conference title matches in NFL. They are 7-7 in AFC championships, 5-5 at home. … Su nday will be Pittsburgh’s 52nd playoff game, second only to Dallas’ 58. … Steelers’ six Super Bowl titles are most of any franchise. … Pittsburgh has won eight of its last nine postseason games. … Coach Mike Tomlin, in his fourth season, is 4-1 in the postseason with Steelers. … Roethlisberger threw two TD passes vs. Ravens, marking sixth multi-TD game of postseason career, and improved to 9-2 in playoffs. He has led Steelers to four AFC title games in seven seasons as starting QB. … WR Hines Ward had three catches vs. Ravens, tying John Stallworth’s team record for consecutive playoff games with a reception with 15. … TE Heath Miller has been one of Roethlisberger’s favorite targets, with 19 of his 31 postseason catches going for first downs or TDs. He missed last game vs. Jets with concussion. … LB James Harrison tied team’s postseason record with three sacks vs. Ravens. … S Troy Polamalu missed teams’ last meeting with right Achilles’ tendon injury. Former teammate Holmes called the disruptive Polamalu “the greatest player I’ve ever played with or even seen play in person.”
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