NFL Playoffs: Conference Championships preview and predictions
Only one more win is required for each of the four teams remaining to make it to the Super Bowl.
The race to Super Bowl LVIII is on / Governor Tom Wolf via WikiMedia Commons
The number one seeds in their respective conferences, both the Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers, will be expected to tee up a fierce Super Bowl match up.
It’s the Kansas City Chiefs though, and Taylor Swift fans, that hope to disrupt this with championship-winning pedigree on their side.
While the Detroit Lions, after 32 years of playoff failure, are perhaps owed some luck come the postseason and look to make their first Super Bowl.
We preview and predict the Championship games ahead of tomorrow.
AFC Championship Game: Kansas City Chiefs @ Baltimore Ravens, Sunday 8pm GMT
Buckle in folks, it’s time for Lamar Jackson vs Patrick Mahomes for the AFC Championship Game. The last time these two met it was a marvellous spectacle, with the Ravens running out 36-35 winners in a regular season game to remember.
How does Mahomes do it? This is his sixth consecutive AFC Championship Game, in what he has openly stated as the toughest season of his career to date. He has a brilliant defence to back him up, and a resilient offensive line, but the Chiefs have not been firing on all cylinders offensively this season, and everyone knows it.
When it comes to big games however, there is no man you’d want more than Mahomes under the gun or in pistol formation, and no other head coach than Andy Reid pulling the strings. They will face their toughest test yet in this Baltimore defence. The Bills defence may have been tough, but the Ravens are different gravy.
In their divisional round match against the Houston Texans, the Ravens’ defence only allowed three points in four quarters of football. 213 yards in total. That is ridiculous, against a offence that put up four touchdowns the week before.
The Chiefs will be without All-Pro guard Joe Thuney this week, and the interior defensive line of the Ravens will look to feast on that weakness. They still have their main top threat in Travis Kelce, and will look to Rashee Rice to take some of the attention off of him and allow Kelce to flourish. Perhaps we will see another entertaining cameo from brother Jason Kelce too.
most Jason Kelce thing ever pic.twitter.com/LgOiXXKUxu
— alex (@highlightheaven) January 22, 2024
Lamar’s statistics last week were incredible, with two passing touchdowns and two rushing touchdowns, demonstrating just how much of an enigmatic talent he is. He will have his main man TE Mark Andrews back from injured reserve, but will no doubt look to spread the ball between the abundance of talent he now has on offence.
Win: Baltimore Ravens
NFC Championship Game: Detroit Lions @ San Francisco 49ers, Sunday 11.30pm GMT
A first draft pick quarterback (Jared Goff) against a last draft pick quarterback (Brock Purdy). An established NFC Conference contender against one of the most starved franchises in North American sports. The scene is set for the powerful 49ers against the resurgent Lions.
Both have strong and varied offenses with good running games. They tied the NFL for the most rushing touchdowns during the regular season (27).
It will be Detroit’s David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs that will be looking to take advantage of the Niners’ run defense that ranks 25th in rushing yards allowed (128.6) and 28th in yards per carry allowed (4.8) since Week 15.
While it will be San Francisco looking to take advantage of the Lions weak cornerbacks, including Kindle Vildor who gives up a league worst 21.2 yards per reception, as well as utilising NFL rushing yards leader Christian McCaffrey.
49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan will have his Swiss army knife Deebo Samuel to call on, who is said to be available despite leaving the Niners’ Divisional Round win against the Packers with a shoulder injury.
Samuel plays a key role and his team suffers without him. They are 12-2 when he has played this season compared to a 1-3 record without him.
Since 2019, Shanahan’s 49ers have been to three NFC Championship games and a Super Bowl but are yet to close the deal.
They are expected to reach the Super Bowl once more this year and their vast experience should show, with 67% of the players on the 49ers roster having as many playoff wins as the Lions franchise as a whole during the Super Bowl era.
Winner: San Francisco 49ers (but wouldn’t it be great if the Lions won)
