NFL fans will push hard to create a more intriguing championship weekend than the one on the deck.
On the AFC side of the bracket is a showdown between defending champion Kansas City Chiefs and emerging Buffalo Bills. If Buffalo wants to win the Super Bowl for the first time since the 1993 campaign, he has to get past the powerhouse with the Lombardi trophy that looks like it will win a number of championships in the immediate future.
On the NFC side, two of the most legendary backs in NFL history will make it into the historic Lambeau Field neighborhood when Tom Brady’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers play away with Aaron Rodgers’ Green Bay Packers.
Assuming Patrick Mahomes plays after being ruled out of Sunday’s win over the Cleveland Browns by a concussion, all four of the backs have been discussed as MVP candidates at least at some point this season.
Here’s a look at the most important information for both games, as well as the predicted winners.
NFC Championship Game
Agree: Tampa Bay Buccaneers by Green Bay Packers
Date: Sunday 24 January
Time: 3:05 pm
Channel: fox
Chances: GB -4, per DraftKings
Prediction: Packers 31, Buccaneers 24
Green Bay looked completely unstoppable for much of the year, except when they lost 28 points in Week 6 against Tampa Bay. The Packers had no answer for Ronald Jones II, who ran for 113 yards and two touchdowns, and watched as Brady threw a touchdown to Rob Gronkowski and Tyler Johnson.
Yet it was the Tampa Bay defense that was most impressive when Rodgers threw for 160 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions, of which Jamel Dean returned for an attack.
All that Green Bay has done is on its way to No. 1 in the NFC since expanding through most of the league. Rodgers is likely to win the MVP trophy, while Davante Adams has established himself as the best wide receiver in the league.
On top of that, the Packers defense has conceded less than 20 points in each of its last four games to present more of the challenge when it comes to delaying Jones.
It’s going to be cold. The Packers are absolutely tearful. They will probably be even more motivated to compensate for their embarrassment the last time they met the Buccaneers.
And they have Rodgers.
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AFC Championship Game
Agree: Buffalo Bills by Kansas City Chiefs
Date: Sunday 24 January
Time: 18:40 ET
Channel: CBS
Chances: KC -2.5, per DraftKings
Forecast: Chiefs 30, Bills 17
In the run-up to these games, the biggest storyline of the entire week is the health of Mahomes.
This prediction that the Chiefs will win is based on a guess that he will play, and Buffalo will win if he does not. While Chad Henne made a major scramble and fourth-round finish in the fourth quarter to ward off the Browns, the Chiefs will be a tough game against a solid Bills team without Mahomes.
Like the NFC Championship Game match, fans have seen this showdown already during the regular season.
Kansas City beat Buffalo by nine points in Week 6, while Mahomes found Travis Kelce twice and Clyde Edwards-Helaire, who did not play Sunday against the Browns, ran for 161 yards.
Most impressive is that Chiefs held Josh Allen to 122 passing yards.
Although Kansas City is asked to keep Allen and Stefon Diggs back to that level again, it may be unrealistic, but its defense only needs to be solid to achieve a victory. After all, Mahomes had no trouble passing Buffalo’s secondary at 21-of-26 during the regular season, and that came while Tyreek Hill received just 20 yards.
Hill will be his typical explosive self, and Mahomes will lead the Chiefs to a second consecutive Super Bowl appearance.
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