As the NFL playoffs continue, all four divisional round games have been completed, and the conference championship game matches for next weekend have already been determined. The 49ers and the Lions will meet in the Bay Area for the NFC Championship Game, with the winner advancing to the Super Bowl. The AFC Championship Game will be hosted by the Chiefs, while the Ravens will be on the other side of the bracket.
In preparation for the two games, Seth Walder analyzed the four teams’ chances of winning and advancing to Super Bowl LVIII, while Stephen Holder highlighted the most important aspects of both matches with game lines being provided via sportsbooks in massachusetts.
AFC Championship Game
(3) Kansas City Chiefs at (1) Baltimore Ravens
When: Sunday, Jan. 28 at 3 p.m. ET (CBS)
Opening line: BAL -3 (44.5)
What to know: A top-tier quarterback and a top-tier defense seem to be the perfect combination for a playoff victory. Now we get at the Ravens, who are one of just four teams since the 1970 merger to have an NFL scoring defense that ranks first and a quarterback named to the first team All-Pro. Previous three teams to accomplish this feat—the 1972 Dolphins, the 1978 Steelers, and the 1996 Packers—all progressed to win the Super Bowl.
That’s why next Sunday, the odds are in the Ravens’ favor. After quarterback Lamar Jackson’s historic performance (two rushing touchdowns and two passing touchdowns) against the Texans and the Ravens’ defense restricting Houston to its second-lowest yardage total of the season (213), this seems to be a fully-formed squad.
After beating the Bills on the road in another exciting meeting between the rising rivals, the Chiefs aren’t going to let anything deter them. Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs will face Lamar Jackson and the Ravens in the AFC playoff championship game, providing fans with another top-tier quarterback showdown after Sunday’s Josh Allen vs. Patrick Mahomes.
In AFC championship games starting with Mahomes, the Chiefs have a 3-2 record. One major change, however, is that the Chiefs have what is widely considered to be the finest defense in Mahomes’ tenure. In terms of total defense and yards allowed, they were runner-up at the end of the season. No Kansas City team has been higher than seventh in either metric in Mahomes’ tenure. — Holder
NFC Championship Game
(3) Detroit Lions at (1) San Francisco 49ers
When: Sunday, Jan. 28 at 6:30 p.m. ET (Fox)
Opening line: SF -7 (51.5)
What to know: A Super Bowl victory has eluded the 49ers since 1994. With that in mind, in Super Bowl XXIX, quarterback Steve Young completed a trio of touchdown throws to Jerry Rice. The Niners, nevertheless, will be playing in their eighth NFC Championship Game since 2011. In those contests, San Francisco has a 2-4 record, with three of the losses occurring since coach Kyle Shanahan took over in 2019. Should the team beat Detroit, Shanahan will have the opportunity to surpass Bill Walsh in terms of the greatest playoff victory % in club history.
In the meanwhile, quarterback Brock Purdy is working to leave his mark on the game after suffering an elbow injury that forced him to miss last year’s conference championship game. A victory here would be a huge boost to his career. However, the Lions are not the only ones attempting to change the past. For the first time since 1957, the Lions have won two playoff games. This is something that most fans have never seen firsthand. Plus, the Lions’ powerful attack should challenge the 49ers’ top-tier defense.
Leading the charge is quarterback Jared Goff, who has been one of the most impressive tales of the NFL season thus far. The former Rams quarterback has a shot at making it to his second Super Bowl after leading the Lions to a victory against Tampa Bay on Sunday with 287 passing yards and two touchdown touchdowns. If he takes the Lions to the Las Vegas Super Bowl – A Super Bowl with the “Black National Anthem”, they might just build him a statue in the Motor City. — Holder
