Oct 22, 2016 5 min read

PITTSBURGH – What was supposed to be a preview of the AFC Championship game at Heinz Field has turned into something of a mismatch.

New England’s Tom Brady returned to the lineup for the Patriots three weeks ago after being suspended for the first four games of the season because of his role in Deflategate.

But Ben Roethlisberger won’t be in the lineup today when the Steelers (4-2) host the Patriots (5-1) in a meeting of the two teams with the best records in the AFC.

Roethlisberger suffered a meniscus injury in last week’s 30-15 loss at Miami and will sit out after having a minor surgery last Monday.

Instead of a marquee Brady vs. Roethlisberger matchup, it will be in Landry the Steelers trust.

Backup Landry Jones will be tasked with leading the Steelers against the Patriots in a quarterback matchup, that looks to be a mismatch.

Jones is 1-1 in his career as a starter, with the one win coming last season against Cleveland in a game in which he started but Roethlisberger played the majority of the game after Jones was injured in the first quarter.

Brady owns a 196-60 record as a starter.

Jones has thrown 56 career passes in the NFL. Brady has completed 57 passes in 75 attempts in two games this season.

Brady is, well, Brady. Jones is a guy Steelers fans love to hate.

That’s OK with the soft-spoke Jones. He feels he’s ready whether Steelers fans want to see him or not.

“For me, this is a huge game for my career and the direction I want to go,” Jones said. “I’m just excited for the opportunity and excited to get out there and actually get in there and play.”

That the opportunity comes against Brady, a player some feel is the best quarterback of all-time or at least his generation, is a plus.

“I grew up watching the dude, so it’s just another exciting opportunity to go out there and play against one of the guys I grew up watching,” Jones said.

The Steelers would prefer it had not happened, but they’ve become accustomed to it. In the past two seasons, the Steelers have played 24 games, including the playoffs. They have had Roethlisberger, wide receiver Antonio Brown and Bell on the field together at the same time in five of those games.

But now that it has occurred, the coaching staff had to prepare a game plan to give Jones and the offense the best chance to succeed.

That could mean the Steelers leaning heavily on Bell, but it could have meant that even if Roethlisberger had played.

“Oh, my God,” New England head coach Bill Belichick gushed when asked about Bell. “He can do it all. However he gets the ball he’s really dangerous.”

That’s what the Steelers are hoping as they try to ease what’s asked of Jones.

“We are going to game plan as best we can to the strengths of our players, and the same goes for the quarterback, obviously,” said Steelers offensive coordinator Todd Haley.

The Patriots present some unique problems, especially for a Pittsburgh team that allowed 222 rushing yards last week to the Dolphins.

In addition to Brady, the Patriots feature an offensive attack with two players who are well known in the Pittsburgh area. All-Pro tight end Rob Gronkowski played his final season of high school football at Woodland Hills, while running back LeGarrette Blount was with the Steelers in 2014 before being released midway through the season.

Blount was released by the Steelers after walking off the field with time still on the clock during Pittsburgh win in Tennessee after getting on carry on a night Bell ran for 204 yards.

Bell and Blount were both suspended when these two teams met last season, a 28-21 Patriots’ win at New England, for their part in a traffic stop in which they were found to be smoking marijuana. Blount was suspended one game and Bell, who was driving, got two.

This time around, the two players, who remain friends, will both be on the field.

“He might have a little extra,” Bell said of Blount, who has six touchdowns this season. “He wasn’t mad at me for the game I had. He just wanted to play and show the team he’s able to help contribute.”

Now, he’ll get that chance, albeit in another uniform.

“He may have more animosity about it than we do,” Steelers linebacker Arthur Moats said. “No matter who’s lining up there on Sunday, they’re going to have to pay.”

In four games against the Steelers, Gronkowski has 26 receptions for 403 yards and seven touchdowns. … Jones has completed 15 of 22 passes for 270 yards and two touchdowns at Heinz Field. … Belichick is 9-10 against the Steelers, counting his time in Cleveland. Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin is 2-4 against the Patriots. … Bell reached 3,000 rushing yards and 1,500 receiving yards for his career in his 38th game last week at Miami, making him the fastest player to those two marks in NFL history. Edgerrin James did it in 42 games for the Colts.