There were plenty of entertaining games in the Divisional Round of the NFL Playoffs last weekend, and coincidentally, the Nos. 1 and 3 seeds survived in both conferences.
Kansas City managed to do what it always does and reached the AFC title game for the sixth consecutive year. They will try to take out the Baltimore Ravens for a chance to defend their championship last year.
On the NFC side, the 49ers get the chance to atone for last year when they lost both quarterbacks in a loss to Philadelphia. They will battle the upstart Lions, who haven’t been to the conference title game in 32 years.
AFC Championship
Kansas City Chiefs (13-6) at Baltimore Ravens (13-5)
Sunday, 2 p.m., CBS
Patrick Mahomes has been to the AFC Championship Game every year he has been Kansas City’s starting quarterback. The 27-24 win over the Bills in the divisional playoffs was the first time Mahomes had to go on the road in the postseason in his career.
The task won’t be easy as the Ravens have the same style of opportunistic defense they have had for the better part of 25 years, dating back to Ray Lewis and Ed Reed.
But all eyes for Baltimore will be on Lamar Jackson, the likely league MVP, to see if he can finally reach his first Super Bowl and break the recent stranglehold Mahomes and the Chiefs (except for one year from Joe Burrow and the Bengals) have had on the AFC.
Jackson presents a dilemma for any defensive coordinator because he has improved enough as a passer this season to be a true dual threat QB with the ability to make teams pay for spying him as a runner.
Mahomes, of course, is Mahomes, and no doubt will make a great play or two that can sway a big game in his factor. It could come down to which defense can contain the other team’s star quarterback better.
Prediction: As hard as it is to go against Mahomes, maybe this is Jackson’s time to break through. Ravens 26, Chiefs 24.
NFC Championship
Detroit Lions (14-5) at San Francisco 49ers (13-5)
5:30 p.m., FOX
This sure looks like the 49ers’ chance to atone for last year losing Brock Purdy to an injury early in last year’s title game loss to the Eagles. The 49ers have so many weapons at Purdy’s disposal from all-purpose running back Christian McCaffrey to receivers Deebo Samuel (if healthy) and Brandon Aiyuk to tight end George Kittle, that it almost seems unfair to have to cover all these guys.
Defensively, the 49ers are solid as well, though for quite a while Packers QB Jordan Love had them on the ropes in Saturday’s divisional game.
Still, the 49ers will be favored Sunday against what might be the best story in the league this season – the long-suffering Detroit Lions, who have not won a championship since 1957, but are on the doorstep behind a quarterback in Jared Goff that the Rams could not wait to discard three years ago.
The Lions aren’t the league’s most talented team, but they do seem to find a way to win and are playing with a lot of confidence. That will certainly be put to the test Sunday in the Bay Area.
Prediction: While my head says the Niners will finish the job they started last year, there’s a part of my heart that says the Lions do the unthinkable and reach the Super Bowl. Lions 27, 49ers 23.