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5 Keys To A Steelers Victory In AFC Championship Game

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - The Pittsburgh Steelers and New England Patriots will meet in the AFC Championship Game on Sunday.

It will no doubt be a great and exciting game between two of the best teams in the league.

With that in mind, what do the Steelers need to do in order to punch their ticket to the Super Bowl?

Here are five keys to victory:

1) Good Ben Has To Show Up - Ben Roethlisberger has been inconsistent down the stretch, throwing 6 touchdowns and 8 interceptions in his last 5 games. The Steelers have been able to overcome that in each of those games, but they won't be able to get past New England with those numbers.

2) Get To Brady - The Texans were able to stay in the game last week against the Patriots in the first half because of all the pressure they got on Tom Brady, mostly from Jadeveon Clowney. The Steelers need to keep consistent pressure on Brady for all four quarters and they have the linebackers to do that in James Harrison and Bud Dupree.

3) Steelers' Offensive Line - They are the best offensive line left and maybe the best in all the NFL. The big five up front have played a huge role in opening holes for Bell and keeping Ben clean. Both of those things need to happen again this week.

4) No Special Teams Breakdowns - Dion Lewis is an electric returner for the Patriots and took a kick to the house last week against the Texans. The Steelers just shut down one of the best in the league last week in Tyreek Hill. They'll have to bring their "A" game again this week.

5) Big Plays From Someone Other Than Brown Or Bell - Bell is one of the most dominant forces in the league and Antonio Brown has carried the Steelers' receiving corp. The Patriots are good enough to do damage to both of them, meaning the Steelers will need to find an unsung hero who will step up and make a game changing play at some point.

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