Photo credit: Gary A. Vasquez (USA Today)
By Matthew Brooks (@brooksie1219)
It is hitting the point in the season where things start to get really bittersweet really quickly for fans of the NFL. On one hand, we are at the part of the season that everything has led up to, but on the other hand, that means it’s all coming to a rapid end, and September is a long way away.
But we’re not there yet, there still needs to be an AFC and an NFC champion crowned this coming Sunday, to determine the participants in the 58th Super Bowl.
Last week on my predictions I went three of four, but things went a little differently than most anyone thought, particularly in San Francisco. So let’s see…
AFC: No. 3 Kansas City Chiefs at No. 1 Baltimore Ravens — 3:00 pm ET (CBS)
Unfortunately, much of the narrative around this game is being clouded by immature football fans whining about Taylor Swift as if her presence in Baltimore will literally affect anything in their lives at all. That isn’t even to mention the horrific AI images that circulated X (formerly Twitter) this past Wednesday. Weeks like this remind me that the NFL fandom as a whole has a long way to go.
But lost in the haze of it all is the actual football implications of this game, which are massive and historic. It is the first playoff meeting of two of the NFL’s premiere quarterbacks, Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes. Mahomes has been called the “face of the league” but that might become a two headed beast if Jackson is to defend his home turf on Sunday.
The Ravens were my pick to win the Super Bowl from the start of the playoffs, and I’m sticking with them confidently, even if the Chiefs seem to have worked through their struggles and hit their stride at the right time. I think this becomes the first game of the entire season where the Chiefs surrender 28+ points, and that their run ends in Baltimore.
Excluding week 18 when they rested their starters as the guaranteed top seed in the conference, they are 14-3 this season. They are 5-2 in their division, and 9-1 outside of it. That one loss was in overtime, in week three. They have a 6-1 record this year against teams that would go on to make the playoffs. This Baltimore Ravens team has risen to the occasion so many times this year. They are battle trained and tested. If this team goes on to win it all, they might be in contention for one of the best seasons of all time.
The Chiefs on the other hand? A season marked by struggles and inconsistencies. They were 1-4 this regular season against teams that went on to make the playoffs. Have they looked better in the playoffs? Sure. I have a ton of respect for Andy Reid and how he’s been able to turn things around for them this season. But right here, right now, this is the Ravens moment, and they are going to get to the Super Bowl.
NFC: No. 3 Detroit Lions at No. 1 San Francisco 49ers — 6:30 pm ET (Fox)
In the AFC, I don’t know that we learned anything major about any of the teams through the first two rounds of the playoffs. Everyone knew the Ravens were going to get to this point and they did, and a Chiefs/Bills rematch to face them was predictable.
I do not share the same sentiment about the NFC. Obviously, the big shock of this year’s playoffs was the Packers incredible run where they shocked the world and beat Dallas, and then took on the first seeded 49ers last week and played them competitively, bringing it down to the last drive.
I don’t want to disrespect Green Bay here, they clearly had a team that everyone underestimated. But even still, I saw enough last week for me to change my mind and give Detroit the ticket to Vegas.
Will Detroit be able to handle all of the weapons that San Francisco has? Probably not. But Hutchinson will bother Purdy enough to force him to get the ball out quickly, make hasty decisions, and limit explosive plays downfield.
On the offensive side of the ball, they have the best tight end in football right now, and an explosive young running back who has been rock solid throughout the playoffs. It almost makes you forget about Amon-Ra St. Brown, who is quietly averaging 94.7 yards per game on the season, and is matching that production in the playoffs. Look for him to have 100+ yards and a touchdown in a shootout Lions win that will send them to their first ever Super Bowl appearance.
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