After the blood, sweat, and tears of a long off-season, training camp, and a grueling regular season, only four teams remain in the fight for the Lombardi trophy. Conference Championship week presents an interesting battle among teams that played a total of three times in the regular season. It is an interesting battle at the quarterback position, with Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen facing off as two of the four best in the league. However, Jayden Daniels and Jalen Hurts are the upstarts seeking to challenge their supremacy. Sunday will mark another chapter in these rivalries, and legacies will be etched in history based on the outcome. In this article, we preview and predict the winners of conference championship weekend.
1. Washington Commanders at Philadelphia Eagles-Sunday, 3 p.m. ET (Fox)
Last Saturday night was an absolute stunner in Detroit. Jayden Daniels and the Commanders delivered a virtuoso performance to knock off the top-seeded Lions in their backyard. This week Daniels will face a much stiffer test against the Eagles’ defense. The teams split their head-to-head matchups in the regular season. Daniels struggled in the road matchup of the series by throwing for 191 yards, one TD, and one interception. However, he bounced back at home with a five-touchdown performance to lead his team to a comeback 36-33 win.
The Eagles’ defense will play more zone coverage because Daniels torched the Lions, who tried to blitz the rookie QB. It means Daniels will have to be patient with the football, and Jalen Carter will be a force to stop in getting to the quarterback. However, I think the Eagles have the advantage through Saquon Barkley. The Commanders have struggled to stop the run, and Barkley has tallied 296 rushing yards and four touchdowns in those matchups. I think Daniels will play well in this game, but the Eagles will get more pressure and force more turnovers. I think Jalen Hurts makes enough plays in the passing game, and the Eagles hold off the Commanders in a thriller.
Eagles 29-Commanders 27
2. Buffalo Bills at Kansas City Chiefs Sunday, 6:30 p.m. ET (CBS)
Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes share an interesting history head-to-head. Allen is 4-1 in the regular season, while Mahomes is 3-0 in the playoffs. The Bills won the regular season matchup in Orchard Park, but what will haunt Allen is the 13-second game in 2021. He had his team in position to win the game, only for his special team and defense to give up a game-tying kick.
The Chiefs went back to basics last week by feeding Travis Kelce with seven catches for 117 yards. The Bills’ defense must make this the focal point of their defensive strategy this week. The game will be decided on who runs the football better to take the pressure off their quarterbacks. Allen has a slight advantage in running, but Mahomes has a knack for picking up 1st downs with his legs at the right time. Kansas City has the home crowd and psychological advantage, but I think Josh Allen has shown this year he can do whatever it takes to get his team over the line. Bills exorcise their demons and get revenge in a nail-biter.
Bills 24-Chiefs 23