Let's get way ahead of ourselves and predict the four teams appearing in the AFC and NFC Championship Games for the 2024 NFL Season. The 2024 season cannot get here fast enough. I am dying for more football, but we still have to get through the summer. At the moment, there are some obvious teams in the NFL that are simply a tier or two above their opponents.
And given how good some of these teams have been in recent years, it's a no-brainer to expect them to be playing football games in late January. Could the AFC and NFC Championship Games in 2024 be a rematch of the games we got in 2024? Not so fast.
Way too early predictions for the AFC and NFC Championship Games in 2024
AFC: Kansas City Chiefs @ Houston Texans
It's time for the Houston Texans to put the NFL on notice. I love everything about this team - they're young, explosive, and are just simply fun to watch. I'm all-in with Houston this year, as CJ Stroud is my MVP pick and the Texans are my Super Bowl pick.
GM Nick Caserio has gone all-in this offseason, signing EDGE Danielle Hunter in free agency and also swinging a trade for WR Stefon Diggs. There isn't a lot to dislike about anything with the Texans roster. As for the Kansas City Chiefs, it seems pretty easy to plug them into the AFC Championship Game, as they have made it there every year that Patrick Mahomes has started for them.
But they obviously have not won it every year. The Texans will get to play this game at home, so the home crowd is going to be enough of an advantage to put the Texans over the top.
NFC: San Francisco 49ers @ Detroit Lions
In a rematch of the 2023 NFC Championship Game, it's time for the Detroit Lions to make their mark and host this game. I believe the Lions have the best roster in the NFL, and I don't see any weaknesses. GM Brad Holmes again had to re-do the secondary, but this time it feels solidified.
The Lions ceiling hasn't been realized yet - as for the 49ers, this team has made two Super Bowls since 2019 and have lost both of them. You have to wonder if head coach Kyle Shanahan just might not be capable of winning the big game. One thing is for sure, though, is that he's got no issues getting his team to the conference championship game at least.
But this time, the Lions are going to get the better of the 49ers and make it to the Super Bowl.