2019 NFL Playoffs: Picks, score predictions for Conference Championships

New England Patriots (2) at Kansas City Chiefs (1)

Sunday, January 20, 3:05pm ET

After this past weekend’s showing against the Los Angeles Chargers, you would think the Patriots are more than prepared to shut down Mahomes and the Chiefs offense. However, there’s no way we can make any sort of comparison there.

Kansas City had a historically sensational offense this season. They ranked first in yards per game this season, and were far-and-away tops in terms of scoring. As a result, Mahomes heads into the AFC Championship Game as the leading candidate for the MVP award. Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill also had record-setting performances this season.

Put simply, the Chiefs are going to be a handful no matter how prepared the Patriots are. This certainly won’t be as easy as containing Philip Rivers for 60 minutes.

With that said, it’s not going to be easy for the Kansas City defense to keep Tom Brady and Co. in check either. They may have put together a dazzling display against Andrew Luck, but overcoming the GOAT and his genius head coach is a completely different challenge. They’ll certainly have to create more pressure than the Chargers did on Sunday.

In the end, I think the Chiefs win if they do two things: control the tempo with the ground game and make Brady uncomfortable. They’ve got the tools to do both of those things better than Los Angeles did, which is why I’m rolling with Kansas City to represent the AFC in Super Bowl 53.

Playing at home with the Arrowhead Stadium crowd at their backs will help too.

Prediction: Chiefs win 37-23