AFC and NFC Championship Games, Previews/Predictions
After a spectacular Divisional Round, the Bengals and Chiefs, and the Rams and 49ers square off on Sunday for the right to play in Super Bowl LXI at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, CA on February 13th at 5:30 PM CT on NBC.
Here’s a look at the respective Championship Games and which teams I like to punch their ticket to the Super Bowl to play for the Lombardi Trophy.
Sunday
AFC Championship Game
Cincinnati Bengals (12-7, 6-3 Away) @ Kansas City Chiefs (14-5, 9-2 Home)
GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, 76,416
2 PM CT
CBS
Jim, Tony, Trace, Evan Washburn, Jay Feely
Ref, Bill Vinovich
Chiefs by 7
The Bengals did defeat the Chiefs at home the next to last game of the season, 34-31, but this one is at Arrowhead. Mahomes, Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelse and company will be too much for this Bengals defense to handle. I like the Chiefs to advance to SoFi.
Chiefs 31, Bengals 17
NFC Championship Game
San Francisco 49ers (12-7, 8-3 Away) @ LA Rams (14-5, 6-3 Home)
SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, CA., 70,240
5:30 PM CT
FOX
Joe, Troy, EA, Tom
Ref, Carl Cheffers
Rams by 3 1/2
The Niners have owned the Rams the last three years winning the last 6 over them. They’ve defeated them twice this season, including a playoff clinching 27-24 victory in the final game of the regular season. it was win or go home for the Niners and they delivered. They’ve been road warriors in the postseason defeating the Cowboys at AT&T, 23-17, and then going to Lambeau with the temperature around zero with the wind chill and defeating ARodg and the Packers, 13-10. Defeating a team 2 times in a season is hard enough, let alone 3 times. The fans will be about 55-45 percent in LA’s favor, though it could be 50-50 because there still are many fans in L.A. who were Niners fans when Los Angeles didn’t have a team before the St. Louis Rams moved to So Cal. And the L.A, Charger fans will be there as well cheering on the Niners. It’s been a real ticket selling war between the 2 fan bases. Matthew Stafford proved he can win in clutch moments with his 44 yard completion to Cooper Kupp with 20 seconds remaining in the game that set up the game winning 30 yard field goal by Matt Gay as the Rams defeated the defending Super Bowl champs the Tampa Bay Bucs and Tom Brady. I like Stafford and the Rams to survive the Niners, barely. I like another Gay field goal to be the difference, with defensive ends Aaron Donald and Vonn Miller and LB Leonard Floyd playing big roles for the Rams, and defensive end Nick Bosa, d tackle Arik Armstead and middle linebacker Fred Warner making it tough on the Rams. The Rams could have some trouble corralling the electric Deebo Samuel, but they’ll do enough to survive and advance to play in their home stadium in Super Bowl LVI. Like a pretty strong defensive battle.
Rams 23, 49ers 20