CHARLESTON, S.c.. — It’s rare that the four best teams are left standing come conference championship Sunday, but that is the case this year. These two games could be incredible heavyweight fights in two of the best stadium atmospheres in the NFL in Philadelphia and Kansas City.
What stands out to me is the difference in the quarterback matchups in the two games. In the AFC Championship, it’s a quarterback rematch between Joe Burrow and Patrick Mahomes. Since 2002, this is the fourth quarterback matchup to be featured multiple times in the AFC Championship game. On the other side, Brock Purdy vs. Jalen Hurts is the 21st consecutive different quarterback matchup in the NFC Championship.
Regardless, the intensity of these two games should be off the charts with so much on the line, even to the point of legacies of players and head coaches. A loss would make Patrick Mahomes 2-3 in AFC Championship games and a loss would make Kyle Shanahan 1-2 in NFC Championship games.
NFC Championship: San Francisco 49ers @ Philadelphia Eagles – 3 p.m. on FOX (Kevin Burkhardt, Greg Olsen, Erin Andrews, Tom Rinaldi)
Radio: Westwood One (Kevin Harlan, Kurt Warner, Ross Tucker)
This is a really unique matchup. These two teams did not play in the regular-season, marking the first NFC Championship to not be a rematch of the regular season since 2017. Ironically, Philadelphia won that 2017 NFC Championship over Minnesota.
Another element to this game is the quarterback matchup between the 49ers Brock Purdy and the Eagles Jalen Hurts. This is the 21st consecutive year in the NFC Championship that there is a different quarterback matchup. Purdy and Hurts don’t have a lot of experience, but they are talented. And they’re led by respective offensive-minded coaches and coaching staffs, plus they’re surrounded by talented skill groups and protected by solid offensive lines.
What we learned from the 49ers Divisional win over the Cowboys: It wasn’t pretty, but the 49ers got it done. It was the 49ers defense that rose to the occasion, intercepting Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott twice and holding them to just 76 yards rushing.
It was a struggle offensively for the 49ers, led by rookie quarterback Brock Purdy. But when they needed to make a play, they did. On their final scoring drive, the 49ers took almost eight minutes off the clock and converted two third downs.
What we learned from the Eagles Divisional win over the Giants: The Eagles flat out dominated the Giants. That game was over early. Philadelphia ran for 268 yards while quarterback Jalen Hurts threw for two touchdowns and added another on the ground.
The Eagles defense also had a strong night, holding the Giants to just 227 total yards and sacking quarterback Daniel Jones five times. It was a fourth down stop and an interception on the first two possessions that swung all the momentum into their favor.
49ers offense vs. Eagles defense: The key here is can the 49ers run the ball. The Eagles defensive front led the NFL with 70 sacks, and the 49ers struggled to run the ball last week against Dallas. In addition, watch the 49ers receivers against the Eagles strong secondary.
Eagles offense vs. 49ers defense: The matchup is on the right side with Eagles right tackle Lane Johnson against 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa. Whoever wins this matchup could very well decide this game. The 49ers defense is suffocating, but they haven’t faced an offense as dynamic as Philadelphia this season.
Game pick: Eagles 20 49ers 17
I think this game is going to be a smash mouth, in-your-face kind of game. After all, these are two of the best defenses and running games in the NFL.
The difference in this game, though, is the 49ers traveling all the way out east, something they have not done since week six of the regular-season.
AFC Championship: Cincinnati Bengals @ Kansas City Chiefs – 6:30 p.m. on CBS (Jim Nantz, Tony Romo, Tracy Wolfson)
Radio: Westwood One (Ian Eagle, Tony Boselli, Laura Okmin)
I can’t think of anything better than a rematch in prime time in one of the most raucous environments in the NFL. Joe Burrow and Patrick Mahomes are two of the best, if not the best two quarterbacks, in the NFL, and this looks like the next Brady-Manning rivalry in the NFL.
The storylines going into this game are plentiful, headlined by Patrick Mahomes’s ankle injury. Is he 100 percent? And if not, how does change the dynamic of the game? And the Bengals are riding into this game with a ton of momentum and a mission for redemption. So much more is on the line this year than there was in last year’s AFC Championship game, even to the point of legacies.
What we learned from the Bengals Divisional win vs. Bills: The Bengals played with a high amount of confidence and a chip on their shoulders in this game. The most impressive takeaway from this game was the Bengals offensive line playing as well as they did despite missing three starters. The Bengals defense also played spectacularly against the Bills, holding their high octane offense to just 10 points and 64 rushing yards. Meanwhile, the Bengals ran for 172 yards in the treacherous weather conditions.
What we learned from the Chiefs Divisional win vs. Jaguars: We learned that Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is one tough dude. Playing through a high-ankle sprain, Mahomes still threw for two touchdowns and just under 200 yards despite missing the second quarter. Tight end Travis Kelce continued his greatness in the postseason, hauling in 14 catches for 98 yards and two touchdowns
The Chiefs defense also stepped up with two fourth quarter turnovers to help put the game away. It was a hard-fought win, one that took everything they had to reach their fifth straight AFC Championship.
Bengals offense vs. Chiefs defense: The matchup of the game is on the inside, with the Bengals interior line against Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones. The Bengals will, once again, be starting three backup offensive linemen in this game. They performed well last week at Buffalo, and if they play at that level today… good night. Why? Because the Bengals receivers will make plays against the Chiefs corners and secondary. And the Bengals have shown in the last two games against the Chiefs that the can run the ball too.
Chiefs offense vs. Bengals defense: The Chiefs offense is still really good, even without Tyreek Hill. However, in critical junctures against the Bengals, they have come up short. That’s because Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo has crafted three great gameplans against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs offense. Once again, the big matchup is the Bengals defense against Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. He’ll get his touches, but he hasn’t burned the Bengals in the previous three matchups. In fact, it was his fumble that swung the momentum of the regular-season game just eight weeks ago. Can Anarumo keep Kelce in check for a fourth straight game? The answer to that question may very well define tonight’s game.
Game pick: Bengals 34 Chiefs 31 in OT (Evan McPherson from 45 yards after each team scores a touchdown)
I think this game is going to be a heavyweight fight, a shootout. Burrow and Mahomes are going to throw haymaker after haymaker at each other, but the Bengals are playing with a certain kind of motivation that is hard to stop. They’re out for something, redemption. And as we’ve seen in the last three matchups, Burrow has been the more clutch quarterback than Mahomes. That will continue tonight.
Let me be Frank and Cut to the Chase 