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Eagle-Tribune Pro Football Writers Bill Burt and Hector Longo will be hosting their first-ever Super Bowl Spectacular today, from 2 p.m.-5 p.m. on WCCM-AM radio 1110.
Special guests like New York Giant Zak DeOssie and former Patriots great Steve Grogan are scheduled to talk about and break down Sunday’s Super Bowl XLV between the Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers.
Many surprises are on tap. So tune in, call in and talk Steelers, Packers and even some New England Patriots with two of New England’s most experienced and knowledgeable football writers, today on WCCM-AM radio 1110.

AFC Championship, N.Y. Jets at Pittsburgh: How could a guy pick the Jets to score six points and lose by five-plus touchdowns one week pick those same Jets to beat the Steelers in Pittsburgh? Because. The Jets showed me something against the Patriots, which I believe would beat the Jets seven or eight times out of 10. As much as I appreciate the Jets a week later, I am not a fan of the Steelers. I believe they are over-rated on both sides of the ball. Their defense is a shell of its former great self and their offense is mediocre. I see the Jets doing to the Steelers what they did to the Patriots, and that’s make it 7-3 game at halftime and then make plays in the second half to win it. I’m not saying Mark Sanchez is great. But he is good enough to jump on the shoulders of this defense and beat a decent Steelers team.
Prediction: Jets 23, Steelers 17

NFC Championship, Green Bay at Chicago: I see a blowout. These are two different teams … one very good and one mediocre. The Packers, particularly on defense and at quarterback easily beat the opposition today. The Bears are a decent team. They are predicated solely on their defense. If they play really well, the Bears can win. I believe the Packers will force three or four turnovers and move the ball at will against this defense.
Preditiction: Packers 31, Bears 13

It isn’t often I will side with the Jets when it comes to the Patriots, but in this instance I am J-E-T-S Jets! Jets! Jets.
A few Patriots after the game, particuarly Deion Branch, alluded to a few of the Jets as being classless after their celebration.
Jets future Hall of Fame cornerback Darrelle Revis commented with “Move on Patriots” and take the loss like men.
He’s right. Celebrations on the field are off limits. Win the game and dance all you want.
In fact, after the game I was impressed with the Jets summation of the game and the Patriots. There was no rubbing their noses in it.
The Jets were the better team and they celebrated like the better team.
Enough said.

OK, so I hung around the Jets Bart Scott for too long Sunday afternoon, here are some great snippets from him that you may have seen or missed after the Jets knocked off the Pats, 28-14.
On the visit by Dennis Byrd to the team on Saturday … “Just tremendous. To know what that man has been through, how could you not be inspired?”
On the Pats ill-fated choice to go with the fake punt .. “I guess you have to ask the guru (Bill Belichick) on the other side.”
On Rex Ryan … “I love that man to death, he’s the reason I came from the confines of Baltimore, uprooting my family for pretty much the same money.”

On the Pats and Brady … “We were determined to not be stopped by one man.”
On the Pats being puppies when it comes to the postseason … “Did you check the numbers of the playoff experience on their roster, we were the experienced group in the playoffs. Last time I checked, Tedy Bruschi, Rodney Harrison, Richard Seymour weren’t on that sideline.”
On the Pats trying to talk smack with them … “I’m a boxing guy, when you saw Marvelous Marvin Hagler acting out of character, trying to dance in the ring with Sugar Ray when that was his game. It was the same thing. They bought into our game, and we’re good at it. We can talk and play, I don’t think they can.”

On the 45-3 blowout … “We were upset because we came here and got embarrassed. We knew we could play better. That’s one of the best quarterbacks in the game, but you guys forget, you can go man for man on the roster, I guarantee you’l l find a lot more playmakers on our side. Our playmakers showed up today.”
On the teams’ two different philosophies … “What they were able to do, throughout the course of the regular season, was tremendous, we’re just trying to be the best team right now.”
On forgetting the last game … “We knew that team wasn’t 42 points better than us. You don’t fear somebody you’ve beaten once this season.”
On the lack of respect the Jets got pregame … “We’re an 11-5 team, a team that went into Pittsburgh and battled, they act like we weren’t worthy to be on the same field with those guys. No chance? What do you mean, no chance? That’s ridiculous! And (all the doubters) should be ashamed of themselves.”

A quick interaction with a reporter talking about this defense:
BS: “Last time I checked we were the No. 3 defense in the league. People seem to forget that. Like we can’t get any sacks. How many times we get him today?”
Reporter: “5”
BS: “Is that OK?”
Reporter: “Yeah”
BS: “That’s what I thought, but we can’t rush the passer.”
On the Pats defensive gameplan to stop Brady: “Hitting him, getting him off his spot, stopping the run in a light box, staying relentless, staying consistent in the game plan and believing.”
On his team stepping up with the injuries … “Take a guy like Isaiah Truffant, who came in the game. Who’s that guy? He played in the UFL. But he came in and contributed, set the edge, and Woodhead got his head knocked off because of it.”

Call is humor.
Patriots wide receiver Wes Welker was among three players interviewed this morning and it was probably more than a coincidence that he used one particular word about fvie times.
The word?
Foot.
The Gresh and Zo show on the Sports Hub, 98.5 FM, played clips of the press conference.
Indeed. It comes on the heels — pun intended — of Jets coach Rex Ryan’s embarrassing foot fetish videos with the missus.
Anyway, it was a nice attempt at humor which no doubt had coach Bill Belichick’s blessing.
Here are the questions and his “foot” answers:

Q: I know you are excited to play football every game no matter what the situation is but considering last year when you were forced to sit and watch the playoff game, is there a little bit more excitement for you because you are getting back in the playoffs?

WW: It is definitely a little bit different especially [last year] I had my foot up in the air trying to get the swelling to go down and things like that. [I’m] definitely excited about getting the opportunity to go out there and have some fun and get in the playoff atmosphere. This is what it’s all about. This is where you want to get to. This being my seventh year in the league now, and understanding what this means and how rare of an opportunity it is – [we’ve] got to make sure we take full advantage of it.

Q: How frustrating was it to not be on the field last year? You haven’t played a playoff game since Glendale in 2007. How did it feel not being out there last year?

WW: It was tough. It was definitely hard to watch, especially the way the game went. I am definitely excited to be out there and these are the types of games you play for. This is what you spend all year getting ready for and you want to go out there and put your best foot forward.

Q: You guys were on such an impressive role heading into the last 5 – 6 weeks of the season, how do you guys feel you will handle the bye week, are you afraid that you have lost any momentum at all?

WW: To be honest with you, I feel like our practices have almost simulated a game as well as we could have. We really got after it during the bye week and even this week of really concentrating and practicing hard and making sure that every play, even in practice… you never know when you will get the chance to run it again before the game, so you want to make sure that you are putting your best foot forward out there and making it happen.

Q: How does the playoff atmosphere translate to practices this week of preparation, do you sense it?

WW: Yeah, absolutely. [We’re] really moving forward and we’re going out there being good little foot soldiers. We are making sure we are going out there doing everything coach [Belichick] asks us to do: making plays and doing everything necessary to get ready for the game.