2024 NFL Playoffs: Predicting the outcome of AFC and NFC Championship Games
On Sunday, the AFC and NFC Championship Games take place. Including today, there are just three games remaining in the 2023 NFL Season. Let's predict the outcome of each game, which will determine the Super Bowl matchup. Both games feature the No. 3 seed versus the No. 1 seed, as the three-seeded Detroit Lions and Kansas City Chiefs will travel to face the one-seeded San Francisco 49ers and Baltimore Ravens.
The latter two teams are the favorites, but anything can happen. The Lions have rattled off to wins during their playoff run thus far, taking down the Los Angeles Rams and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Chiefs have beaten the Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills to advance.
The QB matchups look like this:
Jared Goff vs. Brock Purdy
Patrick Mahomes vs. Lamar Jackson
The AFC Championship Game is at 3:00 PM EST on Sunday, January 28th, and the NFC Championship Game is on 6:30 PM EST on the same day. Let's try and predict the outcome of each game!
2024 NFL Playoffs: Predicting the outcome of AFC and NFC Championship Games
AFC Championship Game
This is an interesting matchup. The Chiefs did not look their usual selves during the regular season. They started the year 6-1 but managed to finish 11-6, so they split their last 10 games. The offense has been inept at times, but their defense is one of the best in the NFL. They have looked like the Chiefs of old in the playoffs, but they've also faced a Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills defense that were both missing their best players.
Facing a mostly-healthy Ravens defense in Baltimore is a totally different task. Then there's the other side of the coin, the Ravens offense versus the Chiefs defense. I'm sure the Chiefs will have a plan in place to at least try to stop Lamar Jackson from gauging them with his legs, but I think the Ravens are a better team overall.
They have better players, a better offense, and a better defense. They have the home-field advantage as well and should benefit from that. While it could be a close game, and while Patrick Mahomes is on the other sideline, I think the Ravens advance to the Super Bowl for the first time since 2012.
Prediction: Ravens win 24-21