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The Conference Championship games of the NFL playoffs are set. The Detroit Lions will play the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship, and the Kansas City Chiefs take on the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship. The winners earn a spot in Super Bowl LVIII.
AFC Championship Preview
Baltimore has home-field advantage in the AFC Championship. They finished the regular season with the best record in the NFL. QB Lamar Jackson is the leading candidate for league MVP. After securing the bye in the first round of the playoffs, Baltimore easily handled the Houston Texans in the divisional round.
Kansas City is in the AFC Championship for the sixth consecutive year. The Chiefs had a down year by their lofty standards, but they easily handled Miami in the wildcard round before winning a thriller on the road in Buffalo to reach the Conference title game.
Baltimore is a 3.5-point favorite at the moment. The two teams did not play each other this season, so we don’t have much of a recent preview.
We know what we’re getting from Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs. The odds of them laying an egg are low. They are going to bring it and probably put 20-30 points on the board.
Lamar Jackson is the player to watch. He’s having a great year, but he’s never pushed his team to the Super Bowl. If the Ravens are going to make it back to the big game, it’s going to be on the arm and legs of Lamar Jackson.
The Raven’s have a defensive advantage, and their D can go a long way toward helping Jackson. You can’t stop Patrick Mahomes, but if they can somewhat contain him, it may be enough.
NFC Championship
The NFC Championship will be played in San Francisco. The 49ers averaged the 2nd most yards per game in the NFL. Brock Purdy was the fifth leading passer, and Christian McCaffrey led the league in rushing. They present a significant challenge for the Lions’ middle-of-the-pack defense.
The Lions’ offense is no slouch in their own right. They finished 3rd in the league in total yards. However, the 49ers had the 8th best defense. QB Jared Goff had a standout year with 4,575 yards passing and 30 touchdowns. Many of those yards were to wideout Amon-Ra St. Brown, who had 1,515 yards receiving, good for 3rd in the league.
However, the 49ers had the 8th best defense in the NFL. They were ninth in sacks with 48, and getting after Goff is going to be critical to their success.
Conference Championship Predictions
The AFC Championship is a tough pick. The Ravens are better on paper and had a better season, but Kansas City has the experience edge. They have been to 6 straight conference championship games for a reason. Its hard to pick against them.
But pick against them I will. I think this is Lamar Jackson’s year. Expect him to have a big game, a statement game. I think the Raven’s defense will do just enough to take a little pressure off Jackson, and the Ravens come out on top. If they can’t put 30 points on the board, I think the game is their’s.
The NFC Championship does not have me as divided. These two teams are relatively close, but with the better defense and home field advantage, I like the Niners. I look for McCaffrey to have a big game, but rushing and receiving. In a big game, you’ve got to get the ball to your playmakers, and McCaffrey is THAT guy for San Francisco. I also like Purdy in the cluth moments of last week’s game against Green Bay.
So there you have it. I think we are going to have a 49ers-Ravens rematch in the Super Bowl. It should be a good one.