Last weekend was interesting…and uninteresting. The results of the Jaguars/Chiefs game were expected, but boy, Jacksonville had opportunities to keep the game close and pull out some surprises. Unfortunately, Pat Mahomes’ had a high ankle sprain before halftime and hasn’t looked the same for the rest of the game. The Eagles/Giants game was anything but good. Philly was dominant from start to finish. The Bills/ Bengals game was disappointing. Joe Brrr was on point as the game wore on and the run game took down Buffalo’s defense on nearly every drive. Finally, the Cowboys/Niners game was entertaining from start to finish. Honestly, Dallas could’ve won the game outright, but good ol’ Dak exposed himself with two turnovers (which I called the Dallas Charity Association founded by Dak Prescott), and Tony Pollard’s injury affected the offense for the rest of the game.

Now, we head into the conference championship with the Niners/Eagles rematch from the 2021 regular season, while the Bengals and Chiefs meet once again for the fourth time in two seasons.

NFC CHAMPIONSHIP

#2 49ERS AT #1 EAGLES – 12PM PT/3PM ET [FOX]

The 49ers and Eagles meet for the third time since 2020, including the 49ers playing in Philadelphia for the second straight time. However, this isn’t the first time that Brock Purdy and Jalen Hurts clashed. They met once in Norman, Oklahoma in a barnburner that Jalen Hurts won after Purdy and the gang came up short of a comeback from a failed two-point conversion play. The 49ers won a slugfest against the Cowboys thanks to the defense and the run game. With time, Brock Purdy got going and stayed poised the rest of the way. Meanwhile, the Eagles manhandled the Giants for 60 minutes. Jalen Hurts played well whether he was healthy or not while the defense put New York’s offense on ice for the majority of the game.

The last two meetings were a bit of a slugfest, especially last season when Jalen Hurts became the full-time starter. This is potentially low-scoring and it’s hard to say if the total will cover with how even both teams are. Defense, special teams, and the run game will be the focus of this matchup. It literally comes down to QB play and who dominates the trenches. The Eagles have leverage at home and seems a bit more dominant, but San Francisco was at the Link last year and handled themselves just enough to come away with a close victory. The gang will have Brock Purdy ready for this moment and the team comes away with a victory being a bit better in the trenches.

MY PICK: 49ERS

AFC CHAMPIONSHIP

#3 BENGALS AT #1 CHIEFS – 3:30PM PT/6:30PM ET [CBS]

Who would’ve known that Cincinnati and Kansas City would clash again in the AFC Championship in the same place just like last year? Ever since year 2022 began, Joe Burrow and the Bengals are 3-0. No matter how dominant Kansas City is, they can’t seem to escape the claws of Cincinnati. Last week, Cincy traveled to snowy Buffalo and handled the Bills from start to finish. The run game destroyed Buffalo’s defense left and right, Joe Burrow was on point for most of the game, and the Bengals defense gave the offense fits. Meanwhile, Kansas City had the early lead against Jacksonville and kept it the whole way despite Jacksonville trying to claw back. Mahomes and the offense carved up their defense for a bit until Pat Mahomes suffered a high ankle sprain. Mahomes was limited, and the offense suddenly slowed down and the team narrowly escaped Trevor Lawrence’s comeback attempts.

During the week, Mahomes seemed fine and moving normally. I have heard he had a little gimp from time-to-time during warmups, but he should be good to play though. As for the matchup, while the Bengals have a 3-0 stranglehold over Kansas City since 2022, they dominated the Chiefs since 2008 (7-1). The last three meetings came down to exactly a field goal. It also included Cincy’s “never give up” mentality and their defense’s impactful plays and turnovers (which won them the last two meetings). Kansas City may be the host, but they are in an uphill battle against the hottest AFC team in the NFL. It could come down to three points once again, and the Bengals feel confident enough on all sides of the ball to win and make their second straight appearance in the Super Bowl.

MY PICK: BENGALS

Before we dive into the Super Bowl, here are some interesting matchups depending on the results of Sunday’s games.

If the Eagles and Chiefs win:

THE KELCE SUPER BOWL

If the Eagles and Bengals win:

JOE BURROW VS. JALEN HURTS: PART 2

If the 49ers and Chiefs win:

THE SUPER BOWL 54 REMATCH

If the 49ers and Bengals win:

49ERS VS. BENGALS: PART 3