NFL Conference Championship Predictions

Once again, the Divisional Round did not disappoint. I obviously was not happy with many of the results, but at least my bracket held up for the most part. I'm pretty good at predicting these NFC matchups, but I'm striking out on the AFC. I guess I have too much faith in the underdogs. We get two heavyweight matchups this week between New England vs. Denver and Los Angeles vs. Seattle. It really does feel like 2015 all over again. The Patriots and Broncos are familiar foes dating back to the Brady-Manning rivalry. I would've loved to see the Texans and Bills facing off in this game, but the football gods had other plans. My championship pick Rams are still alive (somehow). I'll have to pull for them the rest of the way, and as a 49ers fan, I just want anybody but the Seahawks to win. So, let's take an unbiased look at these Championship Sunday matchups.

Sunday Jan. 25th

AFC: New England Patriots @ Denver Broncos (3:00 PM)

Alright, alright you win. I finally have to respect the Patriots again. I've doubted them all season long, but they continue to pull off improbable wins in dominant fashion. They took down a generational Houston Texans defense in the Divisional Round thanks to Texans QB C.J. Stroud's 4 interceptions. Pats QB Drake Maye played a pretty sloppy game too, but they capitalized on Houston's mistakes. That was the difference maker in that wet, snowy, miserable game. Kudos to the new Brady-Belichick dynasty of Drake Maye and Mike Vrabel! The Evil Empire has reared its ugly head once again, but they run up against a very good Denver Broncos team. If you read my NFL preseason predictions, you would note that the Broncos were my darkhorse team to win it all (no pun intended). They led the league in sacks (68 total, which is insane) and boast the best pass-blocking O-Line in all of football. Coach Sean Payton specifically tailored this unit to fit his scheme and his QB. Unfortunately, Denver will have to play the rest of the season without their star QB, Bo Nix. He fractured his ankle in that overtime win over the Buffalo Bills leaving backup QB Jarrett Stidham in charge. Stidham has 4 starts in his NFL career. Now, the weight of the AFC Championship is on his shoulders. I would say that this game is going to be a defensive battle, but I thought the same last week about their matchup with the Texans. The Patriots find a way to scheme around the pressure and pull away with the win. Maybe Stidham is the next Nick Foles, but I'm riding the hot hand of Drake Maye.

My Pick: New England Patriots

NFC: Los Angeles Rams @ Seattle Seahawks (6:30 PM)

"The Rams and Seahawks should really be the NFC Championship because of how great that game would be," -Me, a few weeks ago. I originally had these teams facing off in the Divisional Round, but I'm glad we get the real Super Bowl right here. Whoever wins this game wins it all in my mind. Neither team in the AFC is strong enough or experienced enough to take down one of these powerhouses. The Rams come in by the skin of their teeth having won both their Wild Card and Divisional matchups by 3 points each. They are starting to get thin in depth with injuries to their Corners, Linebackers, and a potential WR Davante Adams injury to keep your eye on. The Seahawks are not out of the woods either despite their 41-6 bludgeoning of the 49ers. Their bye week helped, but they lost star RB Zach Charbonnet to a torn ACL and QB Sam Darnold is still working through an oblique injury. He didn't have to do much last week as the run game and defense did the heavy lifting against a banged-up 49ers roster. The Rams front, however, is much more respectable. This is going to be trench warfare. It's the #1 offense (Rams) versus the #1 defense (Seahawks) in the league. Like I said, this is the real Super Bowl. The Rams got robbed on a bad call in overtime of Week 16 in Seattle. I guarantee they remember that loss, and they are not happy about it.

My Pick: Los Angeles Rams

Predicted Super Bowl Matchup

#5 LA Rams vs. #2 New England Patriots

So not only will this game be played to win the Lombardi Trophy, but it is also the battle of MVP-frontrunners. QBs Matthew Stafford and Drake Maye both look to win their first ever MVP award. It's amazing that Stafford never has because of his illustrious career, but that's what happens when you're stuck on the Lions for most of it. He won his first Super Bowl title in 2022 against the Bengals, but Maye is ringless in just his second year of NFL football. He'll have many more chances regardless of this result. This would be a rematch of Super Bowl LIII, the lowest-scoring Super Bowl ever (13-3, Patriots win). In fact, 3/4 possible matchups would be rematches from the past 15 years. The only one that would be different is Rams vs. Broncos. I'm indifferent about all of these teams, but I know they'll be great games. Who do you think takes home the ultimate prize?