The Jets may not be playing in Sunday’s AFC and NFC Championship Games, but we’ll still go ahead and take a shot and picking who will be playing in two weeks in Las Vegas at Super Bowl LVIII. This should be an exciting day of football with two really good games, so let’s get after it.
AFC Championship: Chiefs at Ravens, 3:00, CBS
There are some who will argue the winner of this game will go on to win the Super Bowl. The NFC will certainly have something to say about that but the AFC title game will be a clash of the titans. The Ravens have powered behind their excellent defense and likely MVP winner Lamar Jackson en route to hosting their first AFC Championship Game. You wouldn’t immediately think that for a team that was won two Super Bowls and been in other AFC title games. But all of those games have been on the road. That’s why Baltimore is bringing out all the stops for this one, with Ray Lewis and Ed Reed as the
Legends of the Game, Michael Phelps delivering the game ball and three other Ravens greats — Jonathan Ogden, Anquan Boldin and Terrell Suggs – also being honored.
But of course, they have the defending champs coming to town. All the talk was how Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes had never played a playoff game on the road. He quieted that talk very quickly with his win in Buffalo in the AFC Divisional — with a little help from another “wide right” nightmare for the Bills. You can never count out Mahomes and head coach Andy Reid.
However, you have to wonder how much the Chiefs will miss guard Joe Thuney in this game. Kadarius Toney is also out with a hip injury, but how much of an impact was he really going to make?
The Chiefs are great and it is incredible that they have reached the AFC Championship six years in a row. But this feels like Baltimore’s year.
Prediction: Ravens 27, Chiefs 24
NFC Championship: Lions at 49ers, 6:30, FOX
For the first time in 32 years, the Detroit Lions are playing in the NFC Championship Game. They were tied with Washington for the second-longest drought for championship game appearances. The Browns haven’t reached the AFC title game since 1989.
Just about everything clicked for the Lions this season. Quarterback Jared Goff has stepped up when needed, the running back of David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs has been excellent and the defense has gotten after it.
The Lions are hoping they get the 49ers team that nearly choked away the No. 1 seed in the NFC Divisional against the Packers last week. That team can’t show up two weeks in a row…can it?
Having wide receiver Deebo Samuel healthy is huge for the 49ers. And let’s also hope quarterback Brock Purdy can finish the game this time after his injury in last season’s title game in Philadelphia turned what could have been a great game into a laugher.
In the end, the 49ers will have the last laugh and head coach Kyle Shanahan will get a chance to right the wrongs from Super Bowls LI and LIV.
Prediction: 49ers 24, Lions 20
