NFL Playoffs Conversation: Championship Games

by Eric Fulton & Julian Spivey
*This conversation has been edited for grammar and clarity. 

JS: We have our championship games set. The NFC Championship will feature the Philadelphia Eagles vs. San Francisco 49ers after the Eagles felled the Giants and the Niners bested the Cowboys in a shootout during the Divisional Round. The AFC Championship is an exact rematch of last year’s game with the Cincinnati Bengals going back to Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City to take on the Chiefs. The Bengals really dominated the Bills to get there, and the Chiefs held on against the Jaguars despite an ankle injury to quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Which Divisional Round game was your favorite of the weekend?

EF: Most of the games were not competitive during Divisional weekend. If I had to pick one, it would be Jaguars vs. Chiefs. I thought it was good from start to finish. The Mahomes injury added drama into the game and had Mahomes not gotten hurt, it probably would have been a complete blowout, as well. From that, it was a better game than anticipated.

JS: Yeah we definitely got the short end of the stick as fans during Divisional Round weekend. Which player gets your game ball for the weekend?

EF: I am going with Joe Burrow. He seems not to get phased with being on the road in the playoffs. He led the Bengals to wins at Tennessee and Kansas City for a trip to the Super Bowl last year and it looks as though he could help end the Chiefs’ season for the second year in a row on Sunday.

JS: I saw a lot of talk about how Joe Burrow should now be ranked ahead of Josh Allen as far as active QBs in the league go. What do you think?

EF: He has to be especially given the opportunity Burrow has a chance to lead the Bengals to back-to-back Super Bowl appearances. Allen has only made it to the conference championship game once.

JS: I’ll give my game ball to Patrick Mahomes for his gutsy performance on a bum ankle. Burrow threw for more yards during the Divisional Round, but Mahomes actually had a slightly higher QB rating even with the hurt ankle.

JS: Let’s get into the Conference Games. The NFC Championship game sees the top two seeds in the NFC match up together - the Philadelphia Eagles vs. San Francisco 49ers in Philly. The game will be at 2 p.m. on Fox. How do you see this one playing out?
 
EF: This will be a great game. The 49ers and Eagles are the two best teams in the NFC. Both teams are well deserved to make this game. Wow! This is a tough game to pick. I like both teams. This will be a more defensive game than most people think because both defenses are really good. I just have a funny feeling that San Francisco is going to make one big play on defense that will turn things around. I am going with the Niners in a very close game. 28-24.

JS: This is an old-school match of offense versus defense and should be a fun one. The Eagles were the second-best offense in the league this year (behind the Kansas City Chiefs) and first in the NFC. The 49ers weren't so shabby either, though, ranking as the sixth-best offense. The 49ers were the no. 1 ranked defense this season, whereas the Eagles defense was eighth. So, both of these squads are pretty well-rounded. The 49ers haven't lost since October 23 against the Chiefs (whom they'd rematch with in the Super Bowl if both they and KC win this weekend). That's 12 straight wins. The Eagles have been the hottest team in the NFC all year and have only lost once this season when quarterback Jalen Hurts started. You're right, Eric, this one is so tough to predict. I want to ride with the team that's been clicking the entire year and it will also make things more fun to differ, so I'll take Philly to win.

JS: The AFC Championship game, which will be at 5:30 p.m. on Sunday on CBS is an exact rematch of last year's AFC title game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Kansas City Chiefs. Is it going to play out like last year with the Bengals pulling out the upset (though they are now favored in the odds), or will the Chiefs get their revenge?

EF: Patrick Mahomes has been incredible in his brief career in the NFL. The Chiefs under coach Andy Reid have been one of the top teams in the NFL. Seems like we should pencil in Arrowhead Stadium to be the host of the AFC championship game every year with it now being the fifth year in a row. The Chiefs are 2-2 in the previous four games. As much as I like Mahomes, Reid and the Chiefs, Burrow has their number lately, winning the last three matchups between the two teams. I think Burrow and Cincinnati will make it four in a row over Kansas City.

JS: I’m worried about Patrick Mahomes’ injured ankle. I know he practiced this week and he’s going to play, but I just don’t know what impact it’s going to have. Even Mahomes and Chiefs at 100 percent have lost three straight to the Joe Burrow-led Bengals. I haven’t picked against the Chiefs one time in the last couple of years we’ve been having this playoff conversation, but that run is over now. I also think the Bengals will win the AFC title and make their second consecutive Super Bowl appearance, which is absolutely wild to me saying about a team who couldn’t win even one playoff game for decades recently.

So, there you have it. Eric believes Super Bowl LVII will be a match between the San Francisco 49ers and Cincinnati Bengals, which has happened two previous times in Super Bowl XVI (1982) and Super Bowl XXIII (1989) with the 49ers winning both. I’m predicting the Bengals will take on the Philadelphia Eagles, which will be a first-time Super Bowl matchup.