Broncos coach Vance Joseph knows the two participants in the AFC title game very well. As the defensive coordinator in Miami, he faced the Patriots and Dolphins twice this year.
So I asked Joseph during his visit this week to PFT Live which team has the edge.
“I’ll tell you this about the Patriots, it’s the most efficient football team in the NFL,” Joseph said. “So if it’s there to get, that team’s gonna get it. Pittsburgh is probably the most resilient team in the NFL. It never looks pretty. They always have little lulls during the season but it’s a tough, gritty football team.
“So that being said I’m not sure who’s gonna win. It’s gonna be a great game between two different styles of football teams. One team’s very efficient and one team’s a tough, resilient bunch that won’t take ‘no’ for an answer so it’s gonna be a good football game. Tom Brady is obviously a great player, Hall of Fame player so is Big Ben [Roethlisberger]. With Pittsburgh’s weapons, they’re gonna be able to score points with [Le’Veon] Bell and [Antonio] Brown. You know, I think whoever scores the most points wins Mike, how about that?”
It’s no surprise that Joseph chose his words carefully; he’ll be competing with both teams soon. In a way, he already is.
But his points are valid. He’s basically saying that the Patriots are the better overall football operation, but that the Steelers can never be counted out. In other words, “That’s why they play the games.”
On Sunday night, they will. Hopefully, it will be a great one.