NFL Championship Sunday MMQB: Eagles’ Mentality, Mahomes’s Historic Start

Welcome back to bye week in the NFL. The matchup is set for Super Bowl LVII after championship Sunday: The Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes finally exacted AFC revenge on the Bengals, and the Eagles punched a ticket back to the Super Bowl for the first time since 2017.

We are trying things a little differently at The MMQB this year with Albert Breer’s Monday-morning column, publishing items as separate stories throughout the morning. Below are links to everything Albert wrote about this round, plus more from our staff.

Super Bowl–Bound Eagles Inspired by Nick Sirianni

Sunday’s NFC championship win wasn’t a classic, but it showed just how tough-minded this Eagles team has become.

Bill Streicher/USA TODAY Sports

“I think in today’s NFL, you gotta be strong, but you gotta be someone who relates to everybody and is humble. And he’s got a group of players that are humble, team-oriented and quietly very confident.”

Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie tells Albert Breer why Sirianni connects so well with his players, and how the franchise built a team with Jalen Hurts leading.

Championship Sunday Takeaways: Mahomes’s Career Start, 49ers Considered Wildcat

Mahomes threw for two touchdowns and 326 yards in Sunday’s win over the Bengals. 

Jay Biggerstaff/USA TODAY Sports

Albert Breer hears from the Chiefs GM on Mahomes’s injury, and why Andy Reid saw no other option than to play the QB. Plus the rest of the takeaways, including the implications of a potential Aaron Rodgers acquisition. 

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NFL Coaching Carousel: Could the Broncos Land Jim Harbaugh?

Greg Penner reportedly traveled to Ann Arbor to meet with Harbaugh last week despite the coach previously saying he would remain at Michigan.

Junfu Han/USA TODAY NETWORK

What Albert Breer knows about the openings in Denver, Indianapolis, Houston and Arizona.

Six From Saturday: Draft Prospects Who Could Make Noise at the Senior Bowl

Kenny McIntosh was the national champs’ starter and leading rusher, and he had 43 catches on top of that. 

Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports

Albert Breer’s weekly draft notes include seven prospects who could put on a show at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala., this week.

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More From the MMQB Staff

A record broken. A forgotten star reemerges. An x-factor’s big night. Will these predictions come true Feb. 12?

David Eulitt/Getty Images (Mahomes); Mitchell Leff/Getty Images (Hurts)

Conor Orr: Thirteen Highly Specific Predictions for Super Bowl LVII

Michael Rosenberg: The Bengals Know Loss Wasn’t Joseph Ossai’s Fault

Greg Bishop: In the End It Was Mahomes, Ankle and All

Conor Orr: The Eagles Have the Secret Sauce

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MMQB Podcast

Listen to Gary Gramling and Conor Orr break down all the games and every major story line on The MMQB Podcast, in your feed every Monday morning.