Championship Sunday has four superstar QBs and two great games.

The NFL’s Final Four is Sunday with the NFC title between the Green Bay Packers and Atlanta Falcons followed by the Pittsburgh Steelers and the New England Patriots dueling for the AFC crown. Could we have two better match-ups? Absolutely not.

These are undoubtedly the four best teams in the NFL, all division champions and riding combined winning streaks of 29 straight. The four best quarterbacks are also still standing, with Atlanta’s Matt Ryan the current leader for MVP this season, Aaron Rodgers playing the best football of his career the last month and Big Ben Roethlisberger and Tom Brady owning six Super Bowl rings.

Ryan’s Falcons are slightly favored to gain their first Super Bowl appearance over Rodgers’ Packers by virtue of their home field advantage. But take Green Bay off the frozen tundra and put Rodgers in the controlled climate of the Georgia Dome and he may be even more dangerous than Ryan. His sensational play has allowed the Packers to fulfill Rodgers’ prophecy of running the table after a 4-6 start to the regular season with eight consecutive victories.

The Steelers are likely the last team the Patriots want to see in their quest to win their and Brady’s fifth Super Bowl. Big Ben is a durable quarterback who plays as well in cold weather as in warm. He does not play as well on the road, however, with only 9 TD passes and 8 interceptions on his playoff resume away from Heinz Field.

Brady, so far, is the master of the post-season, having been in 32 playoff games and entering his sixth consecutive AFC title match. But he will need help from his cast of unsung receivers and a defense allowing the fewest points in the NFL but vs. the easiest schedule. Ironically, Brady is the only true superstar on his team with Gronk out for the season. The Steelers feature WR Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell in that genre, and the Falcons have one in Julio Jones, if the spectacular wide out can play with an aggravated big toe.

At the end of the day, I like the Packers and Patriots, Rodgers and Brady, to reach Houston for a classic Super Bowl 51.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Related Stories
‹
Chansky's Notebook: 'No. 3, Get in the Game'
Of the 23 football games Notre Dame and Carolina have played over the years, there is nothing that matches 1975, when an unknown quarterback came off the bench to save the Irish from what would have been an embarrassing upset in Kenan Stadium. I was covering for the Durham Morning Herald and wanted to watch […]
Chansky's Notebook: Hurricane Happiness
With the potential for rain Saturday when UNC hosts No. 3 Notre Dame, Art Chansky remembers a rain-aided upset win for the Tar Heels.
Chansky's Notebook: Snap Decisions
Art Chansky says it may be time for Bill Belichick and UNC to make a change at the quarterback position following Saturday's loss at Clemson.
Chansky's Notebook: Maye's Mission
With an upgraded receiver room and a massive target on his back, Drake Maye is poised for a hugely important 2026 campaign.
Chansky's Notebook: Fool Me Once...
Little Kool-Aid will be consumed by Carolina fans before the noon kickoff from Dublin. Fool me once but not again. It is a great trip to Ireland for the Tar Heels fans who bought the plane tickets and hotel rooms to tour the Emerald Isle and see if their team is any better than Bill […]
Chansky's Notebook: Getting Filthy Rich-er
There are seven teams with $40 million plus rosters and five others just behind the tally from college football as the 2026 season begins. The SEC leads payrolls (LSU, Texas, Texas A&M, Georgia, Ole Miss and Tennessee), with four from the Big Ten (Ohio State, Oregon, Michigan and USC), one from the ACC (Miami) and […]
Chansky's Notebook: Power to the People!
Wednesday's announcement of a two-year, two-game series between UNC and NC State in Greensboro sent a clear message.
Chansky's Notebook: The Five Stages
Chapelboro's Michael Koh breaks down the stunning news of Seth Trimble's commitment to Louisville via the transfer portal.
Chansky's Notebook: Carolina Conundrum
There is no question Mike Lombardi will lose his job as football general manager and leave Chapel Hill, writes Art Chansky.
Chansky's Notebook: The One Who Got Away
Mack Brown was a very good football coach. His father was a high school coach in Tennessee, and his older brother Watson preceded him into mid-major positions. The peripatetic Brown held nine assistant jobs and one as a head coach in 15 years before he was 35. That included being the athletic director at Tulane […]
›