The Final Four is synonymous with College Basketball as the semifinal round that decides who will be crowned the NCAA Men and Women’s champion. In about two months the Final Four will tip off in Glendale, Arizona with the goal and aspirations of every team to make the trip to the desert. This weekend, the NFL’s version of the Final Four kicks off in Baltimore and San Francisco with the winners facing off in Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas the site for Super Bowl LVIII. Ironically, the two games will feature the first seed versus the third seed in both conferences. The game will feature the preeminent MVP favorite Lamar Jackson will face last year’s winner, Patrick Mahomes. In the other game, Jared Goff will face off against a team he rivaled while playing with Los Angeles in the San Francisco 49ers. In this article, we preview and predict the two matchups on Championship Sunday.
1. Kansas City Chiefs at Baltimore Ravens- Sunday, 3 p.m., CBS
This will be the headline matchup of the two games, and if you had to pick one to watch, then this would be the game to be on the couch. The battle between Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes is must-see television. This will be the fifth matchup of the two superstar quarterbacks, and Mahomes leads the head-to-head 3-1 from the previous four games. Jackson has struggled in those matchups by completing 56.2 percent with four touchdowns and two interceptions. On the other hand, Mahomes has been stellar by completing 71.8 percent of his passes, averaging 370 passing yards with 12 TDs and two interceptions in those games.
Mahomes was exceptional last week against the Bills in commanding the offense, making big plays, and elevating his teammates in his first road playoff matchup. The scary part for the Ravens was that his side-kick Travis Kelce played his best game of the season when it mattered most, finishing with five receptions for 75 yards and two touchdowns. The Chiefs appeared to enjoy being underdogs on the road, and it is a similar narrative as they head to Baltimore this Sunday. However, I think Lamar Jackson has been remarkable this season, and last week, he turned a 10-10 halftime score into a blow-out by engineering three straight touchdown drives. Jackson has better weapons with Odell Beckham and Zay Flowers and a better defense that throws every scheme against elite quarterbacks. The defense will not shut down Mahomes, but they will make the key stop in the fourth quarter.
The Ravens’ advantage is the Chief vulnerabilities in the running game by allowing 182 rush yards to the Bills. I think Jackson and the Ravens have a better running game, and it will allow them to have a better time of possession and keep the ball away from number 15. It will be a classic thriller, but I think Jackson will prevail at home and head to his first Super Bowl.
Ravens 30-Chiefs 27
2. Detroit Lions at San Francisco 49ers-Sunday, 6:30 p.m., CBS
The last time these two teams faced off was in September 2021, when the 49ers won a shootout 41-33 on the road at Ford Field. Unfortunately, the season ended with the 49ers losing to the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship Game, who went on to win the Super Bowl. The teams have evolved since the last matchup because the Dan Campbell era was just starting, and the 49ers would let the disappointment fuel their desire to build an ultra-talented roster. The Lions will be confident after back-to-back playoff wins at home, while the 49ers survived a tough battle with the Packers in rainy conditions.
The biggest storyline looming over this game is the health of Deebo Samuels. Samuels exited last week’s game against Green Bay with a shoulder injury, and his status for Sunday’s game is still uncertain. Samuels is an X-factor if he plays because the 49ers struggle without their superstar Wide Receiver. In the 2023 regular season, the 49ers 3-game losing streak coincided with the absence of Deebo. The good news for the 49ers is that Brock Purdy rallied his team on the final drive last week to propel them to victory.
However, the Lions would have noticed that when Purdy was put under pressure last week by the Packers, he made errant throws that should have been intercepted. The problem for the Lions is that I don’t think they will generate consistent pressure on Purdy away from their stadium. I think Christian McCaffery and George Kettle will feast in this matchup, but the Lions’ talent on offense will make this game a shootout. The 49ers’ defense will make one more play than their counterpart, and the home team will head to Las Vegas.
49ers 33-Lions 31
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