With the NFL season almost wrapped up, four teams remain in the hunt for a Super Bowl appearance.
In the first matchup on Sunday, the red-hot Baltimore Ravens will host the Kansas City Chiefs, while later into the night, the Detroit Lions, who have enjoyed a historical run this season, will head to Santa Clara to face the San Francisco 49ers. The winner of both matchups will head to Super LVIII in Las Vegas on Feb. 11.
AFC Championship: Kansas City Chiefs (11-6) at Baltimore Ravens (13-4)
Baltimore will host their first conference championship game since 1971 and the raucous Baltimore crowd will greet Chiefs stars Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce.
The Ravens’ biggest threat to the Chiefs is their electric defense, led by AP First Team All-Pros Kyle Hamilton and Roquan Smith.
With only three points allowed offensively last week, against the superstar Texans offense, the Ravens’ defense hopes to make another statement performance against Patrick Mahomes’s offense.
Even though the Chiefs had a down season compared to their sky-high standards in the past, they still have made a run in the playoffs, aided by their defense and a couple of lucky breaks against the Bills.
While old stars have shined for the Chiefs, new stars such as Isiah Pacheco and Rashee Rice have broken into the fray, as they have played a considerable amount of snaps this year and in the playoffs.
NFC Championship: Detroit Lions (12-5) at San Francisco 49ers (12-5)
At 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, the Detroit Lions will hope to win their fourth playoff game since 1957, as they travel to play the 49ers, who are aided by their third-ranked offense and second-ranked defense.
The 49ers will have to hope for the return of their star wide receiver Deebo Samuel, who is listed as questionable for the game. If Samuel isn’t able to start, AP First Team All-Pros Christian McCaffrey and George Kittle will have to have big days offensively.
The Lions have pulled off a generational season, capped by narrow playoff wins over the Buccaneers and the Rams. In both of these wins, receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown and quarterback Jared Goff had big days.
However, the biggest challenge that the Lions will face is likely the 49ers’ offense, as defenders such as Aidan Hutchinson and Jack Campbell will need to step up to ground the 49ers’ aerial attack, led by second-year quarterback Brock Purdy.
