Are you ready for some playoff football, Chiefs Kingdom?
The Kansas City Chiefs are back for the third round of the playoffs after defeating the Jacksonville Jaguars in the AFC divisional round. They’ll face the Cincinnati Bengals at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday, Jan. 29 at 5:30 p.m. CT for their matchup in the AFC Championship Game.
Just as we did last weekend with our predictions post, the Chiefs Wire staff will share predictions for both the AFC and NFC title games. Below you’ll find all of our picks for the playoff games on Sunday, as well as our thoughts on which teams will advance to play in Super Bowl LVII:
Charles Goldman's prediction:s
Playoff win-loss record: 9-1
Eagles (1) vs. 49ers (2): 49ers 27, Eagles 24
I’m not sure the Eagles have faced a team so far this season with the number of weapons the 49ers have on offense. They can beat you on the ground with McCaffrey and Mitchell or dice you up through the air with Samuel, Aiyuk and Kittle. Their defense has the horses in the trenches to challenge a talented Eagles offensive line and force errors from Jalen Hurts.
Chiefs (1) vs. Bengals (3): Chiefs 31, Bengals 27
I picked the Bengals in USA TODAY Sports Weekly, but after practices and media all week, I’ve decided to flip my pick. Patrick Mahomes appears unhampered by his ankle injury. The entire team seems locked in and set on flipping their fortunes against Cincinnati while paying them back for the upset a year ago. All the bulletin board material and being a home underdog at one point this week, it’s providing extra motivation for a squad that really didn’t need it. They feel like a powder keg that’s ready to explode in the best way possible.
Super Bowl LVII: Chiefs vs. 49ers
A rematch of Super Bowl LIV wouldn’t be as fun as seeing Andy Reid face his former team and the Kelce brothers face off, but I think it might be a favorable result. The Chiefs beat the 49ers badly earlier this season and I think they’ve got the firepower to win again in the biggest game of the season.
Wesley Roesch's predictions:
Playoff win-loss record: 10-0
Eagles (1) vs. 49ers (2): Eagles 27, 49ers 20
This is really a tough one to predict, but I think it ultimately comes down to offensive firepower. Both teams have the pieces, but I like the better QB in Jalen Hurts winning a good matchup against a Niners defense that has shown it can give up points against the right offense.
Chiefs (1) vs. Bengals (3): Chiefs 31, Bengals 27
Each of the Chiefs’ three losses against the Bengals could have gone the other way if things would have swung in the Chiefs’ favor. This time around, the Chiefs are mostly healthy (except for Mahomes’ ankle, but he appears to be good enough to play) while the Bengals are missing two starting offensive linemen. The Chiefs have also committed just 1 offensive turnover in their last 4 matchups, so don’t expect Travis Kelce to put the ball on the ground as he did last time.
Super Bowl LVII: Chiefs vs. Eagles
This has been my dream Super Bowl matchup for the majority of the season. Andy Reid vs. his old team, Kelce vs. Kelce, Mahomes vs. Hurts… there’s so much potential for this one to be a classic.
Ed Easton Jr.'s predictions:
Playoff win-loss record: 7-3
Eagles (1) vs. 49ers (2): Eagles 17, 49ers 10
The Eagles will be prepared for the great 49ers’ defense by securing big plays down the field with their air attack. On defense, the team will force rookie sensation Brock Purdy into uncomfortable passes and capitalize on his mistakes.
Chiefs (1) vs. Bengals (3): Chiefs 28, Bengals 24
The Chiefs will finally get their revenge with a victory over the Bengals, ending the three-game skid. Patrick Mahomes will silence any doubters regarding his ankle and will be the sharpest he’s been all year. The Kansas City defense will have extra inspiration to annoy Joe Burrow throughout the game leading to another game of takeaways.
Super Bowl LVII: Chiefs vs. Eagles
The world appears ready for the Kelce Bowl as the brothers could likely faceoff for the Lombardi trophy. The additional storyline of Chiefs coach Andy Reid against the franchise where he started his head coaching career.
Nick Roesch's predictions:
Playoff win-loss record: 8-2
Eagles (1) vs. 49ers (2): Eagles 24, 49ers 20
The 49ers’ defense almost always keeps them in games, and I think it will in this NFC Championship matchup. Unfortunately for San Fransisco, I believe luck is about to run out on Brock Purdy. The Eagles’ defense is plenty talented enough to force Purdy into a couple of mistakes, and those mistakes will be costly. Philidelphia plays a clean, business-like game and advances.
Chiefs (1) vs. Bengals (3): Chiefs 31, Bengals 30
I have to believe Steve Spagnuolo and the Chiefs’ defense have cooked something up to get pressure on Joe Burrow. They now have three games of tape on the Bengals’ offense over the course of the last year and missing multiple starting offensive linemen has to catch up with Cincinnati at some point.
Offensively for the Chiefs, their biggest struggle is always self-inflicted errors. This can’t be a game where they rack up 10 penalties or turn the ball over multiple times. The Chiefs have had success running the ball against the Bengals’ defense in their previous matchups, so the run-pass balance will be key.
As for the elephant in the room, I don’t expect Patrick Mahomes’ ankle injury to be a factor, barring someone rolling up on it again. I think the Chiefs will capture a late fourth-quarter lead and put the game away this time.
Super Bowl LVII: Chiefs vs. Eagles
This is the best of all the Super Bowl LVII matchups in my opinion. Kelce vs. Kelce, Andy Reid vs. his old team and a matchup against two No. 1 seeds. The hype and the game should both deliver.
