The veteran running back was a major part of the Patriots starting 3-0 despite missing Tom Brady, rushing for four touchdowns over the three wins and more than 100 yards twice.
Brady is back and the Patriots didn’t need Blount much against the struggling Texans in the last round, a 34-16 win in which he carried the ball eight times for 31 yards.
The Patriots might look to employ the same tactic in the rematch. Blount has been effective all year, and his ability to damage the Steelers again at a reliable clip can keep Big Ben and an explosive offense off the field.
Meanwhile, as the NFL playoffs began, one college program was assured of having an alumnus in Super Bowl LI – LSU. After the Wild-Card Weekend, Auburn and Georgia joined the list.
With the conference championships set for January 22, the number of college programs that are assured of having a former player in Super Bowl LI has grown to 23, and two programs – Oklahoma and Stanford – are assured of having an alumnus on the winning team, reports AL.com.
Among the colleges joining the Super Bowl list was Alabama. At least one Crimson Tide player will go to the NFL championship game from the NFC side of the bracket.