Sunday 22 January 2017 20:12, UK
This weekend is the last hurdle for four teams hoping to represent their fans in the NFL's showpiece event.
The Green Bay Packers travel to Atlanta to take on the Falcons, before the New England Patriots play the Pittsburgh Steelers, hoping to secure their place in Super Bowl LI.
All the talk has been about the four quarterbacks and which two will come out on top, leading their team to Championship glory. However, there are a number of players which could have big roles to play. Sky Sports picks five to keep an eye on.
Having led the NFL in scoring and big plays all year, the Atlanta Falcons offence continues to dominate. Quarterback Matt Ryan has a plethora of weapons, both rushers and receivers, and the team showed their potency as they put 36 points on the Seattle Seahawks last weekend.
While Julio Jones is the most notable, Taylor Gabriel continues to be a play-maker for Atlanta.
After being released by the Cleveland Browns, Gabriel was picked up by the Falcons, and has become the perfect accompaniment to Jones.
He has scored six touchdowns in his last 10 appearances, and is Ryan's favourite option when throwing deep. Against a depleted Packers secondary, this could be the perfect game for him.
The versatile defensive back doesn't get the credit of bigger personalities like Ha Ha Clinton-Dix or Julius Peppers, but he is a play-maker all the same.
With the Dallas Cowboys at Green Bay's 19-yard line, Hyde read Dak Prescott's pass, jumping the route to make the interception. He has four in his last six games, including a game-winning pick against the Detroit Lions, which secured the NFC North.
Green Bay's secondary is perhaps its biggest weakness, but with Hyde coming up with big-time plays, they stand a chance against the Falcons' point scoring machine.
After going undrafted in 2011, three franchises passed on Hogan before he settled in Buffalo. The Patriots secured his services this year, and the wide receiver has enjoyed a career-best season, averaging 18 yards per catch (second in the NFL).
Hogan has started 14 games and, most importantly, has the trust of quarterback Tom Brady. He can make plays downfield, pairing up with Julian Edelman's short yardage gains.
New England will next face the Steelers, who rank third in defending passes longer than 20 yards. The Patriots lead the league in pass completion over 30 yards, so something has to give. Hogan could be the difference.
In an offence that boasts arguably the best wide receiver and running back in the NFL, the defensive side of the ball is often overlooked.
However, in their nine-game unbeaten run, which led them from a 4-5 record to winning the AFC North and catapulted the organisation into Championship Sunday, Pittsburgh are conceding less than 16 points a game.
The oldest defensive player in the NFL has been a big part of that rejuvenation. At 38 years old, linebacker James Harrison is performing as well as he did in 2008, when he was crowned Defensive Player of the Year.
Harrison led his team with six tackles, and registered Pittsburgh's only sack, as they went on to beat the Kansas City Chiefs 18-16 last weekend.
Tom Brady showed his mortality under pressure against the Texans, and Harrison's influence will be key for the Steelers if they are to make a ninth Super Bowl.
The second half of the season has produced a different Patriots defence. In their seven-game winning streak to end the season, they allowed an average of less than 13 points a game, while producing 14 turnovers.
A key part of their steady improvement has been the emergence of linebacker Dont'a Hightower, who was recognised as one of the league's top run-stuffers when he was selected for this year's Pro Bowl.
It will be Hightower's aim to stop running back superstar Le'Veon Bell on Sunday night. Bell has over 350 yards and two touchdowns in his last two play-off games, but if the Patriots captain can shut down the opposition run game, it will force quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to throw downfield, and give New England's secondary a chance to make plays.
Sky Sports is your home of NFL. Watch both Championship match-ups live on Sky Sports 1, on Sunday January 22, from 7:40pm.
