4 teams remain in the quest for the Lombardi Trophy. In the NFC, a longstanding division rivalry takes new meaning when the 49ers and Rams do battle for the third time this year. In the AFC, star QBs Joe Burrow and Patrick Mahomes face off in a budding rivalry that will hopefully be a back and forth battle for a long time. Who will come out victorious on Championship Sunday?
NFC Championship Game Preview: San Francisco 49ers vs. Los Angeles Rams
The Line: Rams -3.5, -184 ML, O/U 46 (courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook as of Wednesday 1/26/2022)
The 49ers pulled off the impossible and defeated the top seeded Green Bay Packers this past weekend, in Lambeau Field, without ever scoring an offensive touchdown. Hats off to the stellar play of both the special teams unit that came up big in desperate situations and the defense which, outside of the first drive, kept the Packer’s offense to a halt the entire game. Meanwhile, the Rams escaped with a win over Tampa Bay after blowing a huge 27-3 lead in the 3rd quarter. Matt Stafford threw an amazing deep pass to Cooper Kupp with time winding down that gave Matt Gay the opportunity to kick the go-ahead FG to bring them to where they are now.
The 49ers defensive unit is going to need to step up yet again this coming Sunday in the NFC Championship game against their division rivals. Nick Bosa, Arik Armstead and Fred Warner will be tasked with leading this unit against a Rams offense that is more than capable of scoring at will. One of the more intriguing matchups to watch for the 49ers defensively is seeing how their young cornerbacks will match up with Cooper Kupp, OBJ, Van Jefferson and Tyler Higbee. Expect Matt Stafford to test them early and often. What will also be important for the 49ers is trying to stop Cam Akers in the running game. If they can accomplish this, Bosa and Armstead will be able to pin their ears back and make Stafford’s life that much more uncomfortable throughout the game.
The Rams, meanwhile, will look to stop Elijah Mitchell and Deebo Samuel early on the ground and force the 49ers to play from behind. With a defensive tandem in both Aaron Donald and Von Miller up front, containing these two will still be difficult, but can be accomplished. Los Angeles should attempt to force Jimmy G to throw the ball downfield to someone other than Deebo and George Kittle. Jalen Ramsey should draw the assignment against the ever-so-talented Samuel, while Miller and linebacker Leonard Floyd will most likely switch between rushing Jimmy G and attempting to cover Kittle on a regular basis. The Rams’ best chance to win is when Jimmy G is under pressure, as evidenced by his back-breaking interception in the endzone against the Packers.
THE PICK: This game, to me, will come down to a battle of defenses. While it is true that the Sean McVay doesn’t have a very good track record against the 49ers, this game is different. With a trip to the Super Bowl on the line, this is where the stars shine, and the Rams simply have more of them. I fully expect to see Aaron Donald causing havoc and pressuring Jimmy G into throws that he would want back, to say the least. On the flipside, there is just too much firepower offensively for the Rams for the 49ers defense to keep up. After the dust settles and the game is over, the Rams will be headed back to the Super Bowl. RAMS -3.5
AFC Championship Game Preview: Cincinnati Bengals vs. Kansas City Chiefs
The Line: Chiefs -7, -350 ML, O/U 54.5 (courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook as of Wednesday 1/26/2022)
The Bengals continue their magical season after defeating the top seeded Tennessee Titans this past Sunday. Even though Joe Burrow got sacked 9 times in the game, he found a way to get the ball to Joe Mixon and Ja’Marr time and time again, while the defense picked off Tannehill 3 times to seal the win. The Chiefs are coming off a win in arguably the best divisional playoff game of the century so far. Patrick Mahomes had a game for the ages and was simply sensational, especially with 13 seconds left on the clock. He made magic happen in the final two minutes and in overtime in order to have his team in their 4th straight AFC Championship game at home.
When these two teams last met, the Chiefs made the grave mistake of only putting single coverage on Ja’Marr Chase. Burrow, taking advantage of this, found Chase over and over again and made the Chiefs pay for their mistake. This time around, however,
it’s hard to imagine Steve Spagnuolo not double teaming Chase and having safety help at all times. While this may be cause for concern, that means that Tee Higgins and C.J. Uzomah will more than likely be facing single coverage, and those two are more than capable of making big plays. Keeping the offense balanced will also be crucial to the Bengals success. Joe Mixon will be a huge factor in the running game and in the passing game. This game has the potential to end up in a shootout and if their previous game was any indication, Cincy has the potential to go toe-to-toe with the league’s best.
On the other side, Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs offense speaks for itself. Time and time again, just when you think they have hit a slump, they come out firing. The revamped offensive line that was put together last summer, led by acquisition Orlando Brown Jr, kept Mahomes upright when it mattered most against one of the best pass rushes in the league last Sunday against the Bills. If they can keep Trey Hendrickson at bay and give Mahomes time, he can beat any team with his legs, his improvisation plays, or by throwing designed routes to star receiver Tyreek Hill and star tight end Travis Kelce. Not only that, but Mecole Hardman and Byron Pringle have emerged as sneaky threats that will burn defenses time and time again. As long as the Chiefs have Mahomes, they will never be out of a game.
THE PICK: This game has the potential to end up in a shootout, just as the previous matchup did. Burrow has emerged as a star QB that is capable of putting his young receivers in great positions to get them into space and let them shine. The Chiefs, though, have proven time and time again as long as Mahomes is in the game with more than zero second on the clock, they have a chance to win. The Chiefs have so much talent on offense, where everyone is a threat to score. It has been a while since the Bengals defense has faced a QB as good as Mahomes, and it may be a system shock come game time. I think the Chiefs come out firing and never let up. The Chiefs will be going back to the Super Bowl…again. CHIEFS -7