Aggressive defenses love to bring pressure

Blitzes are about deception, timing and execution, and in this year's AFC Championship Game, nothing will be more important than how each team handles the other's blitzes.

Pittsburgh's blitz package is the more complex of the two, but the one thing common to both teams is that they play extremely aggressively with their safeties. Steelers SS Troy Polamalu plays more like a rover back -- he can blitz, cover the slot receiver or tight end, play zone coverage, or come on a delay to the quarterback. Denver safeties John Lynch and Nick Ferguson also will be sent frequently on blitzes, with Lynch often coming outside and Ferguson coming up the gut.

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