New England Patriots, Pittsburgh Steelers have been here before

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Coach Bill Belichick and handful of New England players held press conferences on Wednesday in front of an AFC Championship Game backdrop at Gillette Stadium.

A few feet to their right was the Lamar Hunt Trophy, between helmets for the Patriots (15-2) and Pittsburgh Steelers (13-5).

It was a visual realization of the spot the two historic franchises find themselves in this week, on the doorstep of a trip to Houston for Super Bowl LI.

Though the Patriots are heading into their NFL-record sixth straight AFC title game — and 11th overall since 2001 — Belichick made a point to acknowledge that there is nothing old hat about being included in the final four contenders this weekend.

“It’s always an honor to be participating in the AFC Championship game,” Belichick said before a packed house in the media workroom in Foxborough. “We have a great history and a great deal of respect for the Steelers, the organization, coach (Mike) Tomlin, their staff, their players.

“They’re a good football team, playing very well at the right time of the year now, the second half of the season. They have a good winning streak.”

Although New England dispatched the Steelers in Pittsburgh, 27-16, on Oct. 23, that victory came against a Steelers team without Ben Roethlisberger that was in the midst of a four-game midseason losing streak.

Since then, Roethlisberger has guided the team to a Wild Card berth and nine consecutive wins, including playoff dismissals of the Miami Dolphins and Kansas City Chiefs. Pittsburgh has also made great strides on defense.

“I think the game earlier in the season is not really that relevant,” Belichick said. “I mean, it is, but it really isn’t. There’s a lot of water under the bridge since then.

“What the Steelers have done in the last two-and-a-half months is really what we’re probably going to see Sunday night, and that’s what we’ve got to be ready for.”

What New England must be ready for is its defense to be tested by a star-studded Steelers offense that has scored on each of its first three possessions in its first two postseason games.

Roethlisberger is the two-time Super Bowl champion leading the charge and making plays to All-Pro wide receiver Antonio Brown, but it’s not a stretch to say running back Le’Veon Bell is the centerpiece of the offense.

Bell has carried the ball 29 and 30 times, respectively, the last two weeks for a total of 337 yards (a 5.7-yard average) with two touchdowns.

Bell’s production, value and unique style make him a key point of contention for Belichick’s team’s team, a defense that finished the regular season No. 1 in the NFL in points allowed and tied for third in run defense.

“Defensively, we have to do a great job of playing team defense,” Belichick said. “That includes everybody. And Bell has great vision, patience, and they have a very good offensive line, and a good scheme, so they make it hard to penetrate. They do a good job of getting on the blocks, staying on them and eventually, Bell does a good job of creating space or finding space or making it look like he’s going to go to one spot and kind of enters in another gap.

“No one guy can stop the running game. You’ve got to have team defense and multiple players playing good technique, playing the right responsibility and then tackling is an issue. Even if you play well, you’ve still got to get him on the ground, and that’s hard.”

While the defense has its challenges against Pittsburgh’s Killer Bs, Tom Brady and the Patriots’ offense needs to bounce back from a disappointing performance against the Texans.

While Houston didn’t have the offense to take advantage of New England’s three turnovers and sputtering consistency in the passing attack last Saturday night, Brady knows a repeat of such a performance could spell the end of the season.

“We have to play our best game of the year,” Brady said. “I think that’s what it comes down to. We’ve got to all do whatever it takes to be at our best for those three hours on Sunday night.

“They put a lot of pressure on you in a lot of areas. They’re tough to prepare for. We’re going to have to just rise to the occasion.”

An occasion Belichick, Brady and plenty of other Patriots have been in often in recent years with mixed results. New England is 2-3 in the last five consecutive AFC title games, although the mark is 2-1 at home.

“It’s the two best teams in the AFC,” Belichick said. “You earn your way to this game. There’s no other way to get there. You’ve got to earn it, and you’ve got to earn it on the field. You’ve got to go out there and beat somebody — you’ve got to beat a lot of people to get to this game.

“Both teams have done that, so that’s the matchup. We’re glad to be in the game, proud to be playing in it. We earned it, they earned it, and we’ll play Sunday night and see how it comes out. Great to be part of this game.”