NFL championship weekend preview & predictions

This installment of the NFL playoffs saw a historically entertaining wild card round before a divisional round that was rather forgettable. But, either way, here we are. The final four. The Chiefs vs Bengals in a rematch from last year, and the Eagles vs the 49ers, a battle of two of the best defenses in all of football. Let’s break down both matchups and predict the winner. 

Starting with the AFC, there’s one big storyline going into the game; Patrick Mahomes’ ankle. The former MVP suffered a high ankle sprain during the divisional round, an injury that normally keeps a player out multiple weeks. Mahomes playing is not a guarantee but, if he does manage to, expect him to be heavily limited, especially in terms of his mobility that makes him so special. What does this mean for the Chiefs gameplan? They will need to establish the run game early, something Andy Reid has shown he can do with this offense. Also, in the passing game, expect Juju Smith-Schuster to get more looks as the Chiefs will be looking to get the ball out of Mahomes hands fast. If Mahomes doesn’t play, backup Chad Henne will replace him, and the Chiefs chances of winning will go down drastically. The Bengals, meanwhile, look as good as ever. Joe Burrow continues to slice up defenses along with his superstar WR Ja’Marr chase, and RB Joe Mixon was able to finally find the end zone in the divisional round. The Bengals defense will surely be looking to bring pressure considering Mahomes’ circumstances, and edge rusher Trey Hendrickson will likely have a big game as a result. As for my prediction, I did roll with the Chiefs in my original playoff predictions article, but I think Mahomes injury will ultimately cost the Chiefs their season. The Bengals will punch their ticket to a second straight Super Bowl with a 31-21 victory. 

Old school football fans will absolutely love watching this NFC title bout between the 1 seeded Eagles and the 49ers. For the Eagles, they took care of business in the divisional round by absolutely demolishing the Giants, but I don’t think it’s anything to take note of because, well, it’s the Giants. Jalen Hurts will have the biggest test of his career with this 49er defense, and he’ll need to not just be good, but be great if Philadelphia wants to win this game. For the 49ers, it’s time to get their core back to the Super Bowl and complete their redemption arc. We know about the defense, and it reminded us again how dominant it is when they completely shutdown the Cowboys offense and forced QB Dak Prescott into two interceptions. On the offensive side of the ball, Brock Purdy remains steady. He’s not losing the 49ers the game, and that’s all they can ask for. I fully expect this game to be a slugfest dominated by both defenses, and I think in the end, the 49ers defense will be just a bit better as they take home a 16-10 win and send themselves back to the Super Bowl. 

The road to Arizona is almost complete for these four teams, and all it takes is one more win. Will the Bengals get a second shot at a ring, or will the Chiefs get one step closer to ring #2? Will the Eagles continue to dominate, or will Brock Purdy continue his unbelievable run? We’ll find out this Sunday as NFL Championship weekend goes under the spotlight of the sports world.