NFL fans would have a hard time creating a more intriguing championship weekend than the one on deck.
On the AFC side of the brace is a final showdown between defending champion Kansas City Chiefs and rookie Buffalo Bills. If Buffalo wants to reach the Super Bowl for the first time since the 1993 campaign, he will have to go through the powerhouse that holds the Lombardi Trophy, which looks set to win several championships in the immediate future.
On the NFC side, two of the most legendary defenders in NFL history will enter the historic scene at Lambeau Field when Tom Brady’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers clash with Aaron Rodgers’ Green Bay Packers.
Assuming Patrick Mahomes plays after being excluded from Sunday’s victory over the Cleveland Browns with a concussion, all four defenders were at least discussed as MVP candidates at one point this season.
Here is a look at the key information for both games, as well as the predicted winners.
NFC Championship Game
Matchup: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Green Bay Packers
Meeting: Sunday, January 24
Time: 15.05
Channel: Fox
Odds: GB -4, by DraftKings
Prediction: Packers 31, Buccaneers 24
Green Bay seemed totally unstoppable for most of the year, except for the loss of 28 points in Week 6 against Tampa Bay. The Packers had no response to Ronald Jones II, who ran 113 yards and two touchdowns, and watched Brady throw touchdowns for Rob Gronkowski and Tyler Johnson.
Still, it was Tampa Bay’s most impressive defense, as Rodgers launched for 160 yards, zero touchdowns and two interceptions, one of which Jamel Dean returned for a touchdown.
Everything Green Bay has done since that defeat blew up for most of the league on the way to NFC seed number 1. Rodgers will likely win the MVP trophy, while Davante Adams has established himself as the best wide receiver in the league.
What’s more, the Packers defense has given up less than 20 points in each of their last four games and is up to the challenge when it comes to slowing Jones down.
It will be cold. The Packers are in shambles. They are likely to be even more motivated to atone for their embarrassing display the last time they met the Buccaneers.
And they have Rodgers.
Look for a different result this time.
AFC Championship Game
Matchup: Buffalo Bills in Kansas City Chiefs
Meeting: Sunday, January 24
Time: 6:40 pm ET
Channel: CBS
Odds: KC -2.5, by DraftKings
Prediction: Chiefs 30, Bills 17
Before those games, the biggest storyline of the week will be Mahomes’ health.
This prediction that the Chiefs will win is based on the assumption that he will play, and Buffalo will win if he does not play. While Chad Henne had a key fight and finished on the fourth down to knock out the Browns in the fourth period on Sunday, winning an entire game against a robust Bills team without Mahomes will be very difficult for the Chiefs.
As in the NFC Championship Game clash, fans have seen this clash during the regular season.
Kansas City overcame Buffalo by nine points in Week 6, with Mahomes meeting Travis Kelce for two touchdowns and Clyde Edwards-Helaire, who did not play on Sunday against the Browns, running 161 yards.
Most impressive, the Chiefs held Josh Allen for 122 yards.
While asking Kansas City to restrain Allen and Stefon Diggs at that level again may be unrealistic, their defense just needs to be solid to guarantee victory. After all, Mahomes had no problem sharing Buffalo’s secondary with 21 of 26 passes during the regular season, and that happened while Tyreek Hill had only 20 yards of reception.
Hill will be your typical explosive self and Mahomes will guide the Chiefs for a second consecutive Super Bowl appearance.
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