Last week, I went 1-3 in the Divisional Round, as I got the Kansas City Chiefs prediction correct. And just like last season at this time, I’m 3-6.
This week, we are down to the final four, with two Super Bowl berths on the line.
To see the matchups and predictions, simply view the bullet points and text below:
- #6 Tennessee Titans Vs. #2 Kansas City Chiefs-For the second consecutive season, the Chiefs host the AFC Championship Game at Arrowhead, after erasing a 24-0 deficit to win 51-31 against the Houston Texans. As for the Titans, they are back in the AFC Championship Game for the first time since the 2002-03 season, by virtue of their upset win against the Baltimore Ravens. Derrick Henry has been a beast all postseason long, as he has 377 yards in two playoff games this season. He has also been a beast against the Chiefs in his last two games against them, as he has rushed for a combined 352 yards and combined three touchdowns on a combined 46 carries. Plus, he had a stat line of nine carries for 58 yards and two touchdowns against them as a rookie during the 2016-17 season. The Titans are 3-0 in those games, with two of them coming at Arrowhead Stadium and the third being the game in which the Chiefs had their last loss before winning six in a row. The task of stopping Henry will be daunting for Steve Spagnuolo’s defense. Especially if star defensive tackle Chris Jones can’t play in this one. The Titans have defeated three consecutive division winners, with them beating the Texans on the last day of the regular season to claim the sixth seed in the AFC, and followed that up with dethroning the defending Super Bowl champion New England Patriots and upsetting the top-seeded Baltimore Ravens. Will they knock off a fourth consecutive division champion in the Chiefs? Well given what Derrick Henry is capable of, logic suggests to pick them. However, I don’t see the Chiefs squandering this opportunity for the second season in a row, thus them winning to get back to the Super Bowl for the first time in 50 years.
- #2 Green Bay Packers Vs. #1 San Francisco 49ers-Given the furious rally that the Seattle Seahawks were attempting to mount last week, the sense is that the Packers were simply trying to hang on. Especially with how gassed that their defense looked before Seattle’s final drive of the game. As for the 49ers, they were the best team of the four that had the first round bye. Especially on their defensive line, which was buoyed by the return of Dee Ford, a player that they didn’t have in the first game between these two teams. But even without Ford, the 49ers still got five sacks of Aaron Rodgers back in that Week 12 matchup. This game is Aaron Rodgers’ fourth career NFC Championship Game. However, he hasn’t won an NFC title game since the 2010-11 season. The Packers look very overmatched heading into this game and have won games this season that they should have lost. The last time that these two met in this game was back in the 1997-98 season, with the Packers winning 23-10. However, that Packers team was more well-rounded, whereas this Packers team is by far the worst of the four remaining teams in the playoffs. The 49ers will replicate their punishment of Rodgers with their tremendous defensive line and will not allow Devante Adams to go anywhere close to his eight-catch, 160-yard and two-touchdown performance against the Seahawks. Expect Richard Sherman to cover Adams early and often. This game will be a little closer than that 37-8 result from Week 12. But the winner will be the same in the second meeting between these two teams, as San Francisco’s defense will propel them to a seventh NFC title.
Yep, it’s going to be a San Francisco 49ers Vs. Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl this season.
Tune in on January 28 to see how I did with my conference title game predictions, along with my prediction for Super Bowl 54. So long, everybody!