Lions (3) @ 49ers (1)
Sunday@ 6:30
This NFC championship game matchup is highly anticipated with the winner heading to Super Bowl 58 in Las Vegas. The Lions are coming off an eight-point win over the Baker Mayfield-led Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In this Divisional Championship Matchup, Jared Goff threw two touchdown passes to Josh Reynolds and Amon-Ra St. Brown with two further touchdown runs coming from both Craig Reynolds and Jahmyr Gibbs. The Bucs had the ball with a chance to score, but a Mayfield interception led to a Detroit victory. They will head to Levi’s Stadium in San Francisco and face the #1 seed, the 49ers. The 49ers are coming off a 24-21 win over the underdog Green Bay Packers (7). The game went back and forth but a missed field goal and a Jordan Love interception led to the 49ers taking the win. Star wide receiver Deebo Samuel was injured early in the game, potentially weakening the 49ers star-studded offense before this NFL championship game. Running back Christian McCaffery led the 49ers to a win with two touchdowns, with George Kittle also getting in on the scoring. This great matchup will certainly lead to a strong NFC candidate in the Super Bowl this February.
Prediction: Lions win, 24-21
Reason: Although the 49ers are one of the strongest overall teams in the NFL, Deebo Samuel’s injury will weaken the San Francisco team, leading to a Detroit victory and a first-ever Super Bowl berth for Jared Goff and Dan Campbell’s team.
Chiefs (3) @ Ravens (1)
Sunday @ 3:00
The AFC Championship should prove to be entertaining, with the powerhouse Baltimore Ravens playing at home against the revived Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs, coming off a 27-24 win against the Bills, are looking to continue their good play against the NFL-best Baltimore Ravens. The dynamic duo, Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce led the Chiefs to victory, with Mahomes tallying 215 passing yards and 2 touchdowns, both to Kelce. The Ravens, meanwhile, dismantled the Texans defense, winning handily by a score of 34-10 in Baltimore. Baltimore was able to stifle QB CJ Stroud and WR Nico Collins, limiting the Texans’ main source of points. Looking ahead, the matchup could come down to the battle of the Chiefs offense vs. the Baltimore defense. Despite some early season woes, the Chiefs offense has flourished in the playoffs, with a combined 53 points so far. In their only game so far, the Raven’s defense held the Texans to only 10 points, shutting down Stroud. In addition, their offense dominated in the run-and-pass game, with MVP-candidate QB Lamar Jackson throwing for 152 yards and running for a whopping 100. One thing that can be made certain is both Andy Reid, the coach of the Chiefs, and John Harbaugh, the Ravens coach, will bring their best play on Sunday, with one of the teams getting a chance to play for the Super Bowl LVIII crown.
Prediction: Ravens win, 31-28
Reason: While Patrick Mahomes is firing on all cylinders, not even Taylor Swift could save the Chiefs from the powerhouse that is the Ravens offense, namely Lamar Jackson. Even though it should prove to be close, and one of the best games of the year, I think the Ravens barely escape with a win, sending them to the Super Bowl.
