The day has finally come. The day that the AFC and NFC’s best teams will be determined. Can Joe Burrow and the Bengals make their second-consecutive Super Bowl appearance? All four teams in contention have been to Super Bowls in the past five seasons. The Eagles won Super Bowl LII over the Patriots, the Chiefs fell to the Buccaneers in Super Bowl LV, and the 49ers lost to the Chiefs in Super Bowl LIV. So who will come out on top? Let’s make our predictions:
NFC Championship: San Francisco 49ers (13-4) at Philadelphia Eagles (14-3) (-2.5)
The 49ers are the hottest team in the NFL, they have not lost since Week 7. They’re looking for their first Super Bowl appearance since Super Bowl LIV. If they can get past Philadelphia and punch their ticket to Glendale, they can win their first Super Bowl championship since Super Bowl XXIX (1994), which would tie with the Steelers and Patriots for the most all-time. Rookie quarterback Brock Purdy can go from Mr. Irrelevant to the Super Bowl in less than a year, which would be extremely impressive.
This is a battle between the two best defensive teams in the league. The 49ers’ defense is led by Defensive Player of the Year frontrunner Nick Bosa, along with linebacker Fred Warner, and safety Talanoa Hufanga. The Eagles, on the other hand, have a defense led by linebacker Haason Reddick, and cornerbacks James Bradberry and Darius Slay. Don’t forget about interceptions co-leader C.J. Gardner-Johnson.
The Eagles are looking for their first Super Bowl appearance since winning the Lombardi Trophy in Super Bowl LII. They have a strong offensive line with Lane Johnson, Jason Kelce, and Landon Dickerson. They all do their job protecting Jalen Hurts, who was one of the best quarterbacks this season. That may be thanks to wide receiver A.J. Brown, who was traded to Philly from the Titans. They started the season 8-0 and got here by getting their third win over the Giants, this time in the NFC Divisional Round.
I think the Eagles have the better offense, but both teams have weapons on both sides of the line of scrimmage. I’ll take the 49ers, who are red-hot.
Tune in to the NFC Championship at 3 p.m. ET on FOX.
AFC Championship: Cincinnati Bengals (12-4) at Kansas City Chiefs (14-3) (-1.5)
This is the most intriguing matchup out of the two games today. It already has drama. It began in the AFC Divisional Round, where Bengals cornerback Mike Hilton said to a camera, “We’ll see y’all in Burrowhead.” Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones ended his press conference saying the same thing, letting Hilton know the Chiefs have heard them. Chiefs linebacker Willie Gay Jr. was asked what impresses him about the Bengals’ offense. He responded with, “Nothing.” Get your popcorn ready, as this is a rematch of last year’s AFC Championship.
If the Bengals can make it to their second-straight Super Bowl appearance, they’ll have a shot at their first-ever Super Bowl championship. However, they will need to beat MVP frontrunner Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs in Kansas City. The Bengals beat the Ravens and upset the Bills to get back to the AFC Championship game, and they’re led by three Pro Bowlers: quarterback Joe Burrow, wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase, and defensive end Trey Hendrickson. They’re almost as hot as the 49ers, where the team’s last loss came during Week 8. Their team doesn’t stop at just three Pro Bowlers, as running back Joe Mixon and receivers Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd. The Bengals are the sixth-best scoring defense, but they are up against one of the best offenses in the league.
The Chiefs have Patrick Mahomes, which is already an advantage. He has a great offensive line, headlined by center Creed Humphrey, tackle Orlando Brown Jr., and guard Joe Thuney. Despite losing star receiver Tyreek Hill, tight end Travis Kelce has made up for the production, along with a handful of other receivers. Their defense is not as strong, losing Tyrann Mathieu and Charvarius Ward in the offseason. The defense is led by Chris Jones, the top defensive tackle this season. It’s likely to be a barn burner in Missouri tonight, but with the possibility of Travis Kelce being out, I think the Bengals come out on top.
Tune in to the AFC Championship at 6:30 p.m. ET on CBS and Paramount+.
Calhoun's Corner 