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CNN
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The race for the NFL’s coveted Lombardi Trophy has narrowed to just four teams.
The playoff excitement continues Sunday with the conference championship. First, Brock Purdy and his 49ers will face the Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles. Later that night, Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals take on Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs. All four teams are legitimate Super Bowl contenders and have a chance to win them all.
Here’s what you should know:
In NFC, it’s the 49ers and the Eagles.
Both teams have capable quarterbacks, balanced offensive units, and strong defenses. This game is incredibly well matched and winning is not easy for either side.
Despite being plagued with injuries late in the regular season, Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts has had a great start to the postseason.
In last week’s divisional round, he scored a total of three touchdowns in a big 31-point win over the Giants.
His greatest strength is his ability to cut through defenses with his deep throws. He leads the league in his passing for touchdowns and is the only quarterback in the league to complete 50% of his passes with 25+ yards on the air this season.
This part of his game could be the X-factor against the 49ers’ elite defense.
Conversely, the 49ers defense can battle Hart under pressure. Defying the pressure this season, Hearts gained his 527 yards on his 44.4% pass completion rate, four touchdowns and he had two interceptions.
These numbers aren’t terrible, but they do reflect the weakest part of Hearts’ game. If the 49ers are smart, increasing pressure will be a major part of their plan to stop him.
Even if the 49ers contain Hart, defense alone won’t win this game.
It’s up to rookie quarterback Brock Purdy to lead this team to victory. “Mr. Irrelevant” has won all of his first seven career starts.
With this weekend’s win, he became the first rookie quarterback in history to win a conference championship. It’s a lot of work, but luckily Purdy doesn’t have to do it alone. He has an arsenal of offensive weapons on his side. If he can get the ball to tight end George Kittle and wide receiver Deebo Samuel, points will come.
To see which teams make it out of NFC, tune in Sunday at 3:00 PM ET.
Bengals and Chiefs for the second consecutive year in the AFC. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes will get revenge after last year’s crushing loss at Arrowhead Stadium, as Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow beat Kansas City to his fourth straight win. I’m trying to replicate last year’s final result.
The Chiefs finished the regular season as the No. 1 seed in the AFC. They’re exactly where they want to be right now, with the wildcard stage having him take a week off and taking care of the Jaguars in the divisional rounds.
The only problem is their star quarterback is not 100% healthy.
Mahomes suffered a severe ankle sprain in the divisional round. There’s no doubt he’ll get through the pain, but any problem with his mobility will affect his playmaking ability.
Mahomes will have to figure out how to move the ball around the field. The pressure to protect Mahomes is also on the offensive lineman. Leaving it exposed increases the risk of further injury.
The Bengals are the bottom seed on the away team, but it wouldn’t be right to see them as underdogs.
In the divisional round, they flipped the bill and made it look easy. If that game is what this weekend is going to be like, the Chiefs should be ready to fight.
It is also worth noting that history favors Bengal. Burrow is 3-0 against Mahomes. And in all three games, Cincinnati started the fourth quarter either tied or late.
Even with the Chiefs taking an early lead, the Bengals proved not to count out until the final whistle. On top of that, Burrow is a better quarterback than the last time these two met in his game for the AFC title. His numbers have improved across the board and he has experience playing at a high level.
Ultimately, the Chiefs are an elite team with MVP-qualified quarterbacks, injured or not. The Bengals are a young and talented team with history on their side. Only time will tell which teams have what it takes to reach the next stage.
To see how it all unfolds, tune in on Sunday at 6:00 PM ET.
Here’s how to catch these and other teams in action across the league, wherever you are.
Australia: NFL Game Pass, ESPN, 7Plus
Brazil: NFL Game Pass, ESPN
Canada: CTV, TSN, RDS, NFL Game Pass on DAZN
Germany: NFL Game Pass, ProSieben MAXX, DAZN
Mexico: NFL Game Pass, TUDN, ESPN, Fox Sports, Sky Sports
UK: NFL Game Pass, Sky Sports, ITV, Channel 5
US: NFL Game Pass, CBS Sports, Fox Sports, ESPN, Amazon Prime
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