NFL playoffs: AFC, NFC Championship Game Preview
This weekend, four teams will walk into the Conference Championship Round of the NFL Playoffs. By the end, only two teams will remain to advance and square off in Super Bowl LX.
In the AFC, the No. 1-seeded Denver Broncos and the No. 2-seeded New England Patriots will face off, while in the NFC, the No. 1-seeded Seattle Seahawks and the No. 5-seeded Los Angeles Rams will battle in a rubber match after splitting their first two games this season. Let's take a look at the upcoming matchups.
New England Patriots @ Denver Broncos
A decade ago, the Broncos and the Patriots squared off in the playoffs with Peyton Manning on one side and Tom Brady on the other. Both legends have retired now, and much has changed, but these two storied franchises will clash once more with a Super Bowl berth on the line.
This time, the Broncos were led to this point by starting quarterback Bo Nix, who unfortunately won't be available on Sunday after suffering an ankle fracture on the penultimate play of their Divisional Round victory against the Bills. Instead, backup Jarrett Stidham—who is 1-3 as an NFL starter with eight touchdowns and eight interceptions over the course of his career—will take the reins for Denver.
However, the Broncos bring a formidable defense that finished second in total defense and third in scoring defense in the NFL this season. They also led the league in sacks, making them a serious threat to disrupt any offense. They'll face one of the most dangerous young quarterbacks in the league in Drake Maye, an NFL MVP finalist who passed for 4,394 yards and 31 touchdowns during the regular season while adding 447 yards and four touchdowns in the postseason.
Maye and the Patriots have been just as dominant on offense as the Broncos have been on defense. New England boasted the third-best total offense and second-best scoring offense in the NFL this season. This weekend, whichever of these two elite units wins the battle could ultimately determine who advances to the Super Bowl.
Los Angeles Rams @ Seattle Seahawks
The Rams defeated the Seahawks in a narrow 21-19 victory in Week 11 this season, and Seattle returned the favor in Week 16 with a thrilling 38-37 overtime win on a walk-off two-point conversion. Now, the division rivals will meet one final time for NFC West supremacy and a coveted Super Bowl bid.
The Rams will try to ride their explosive offense to victory. With NFL MVP finalist Matthew Stafford at the helm, the Rams possess both the top-ranked total offense and the top-ranked scoring offense in the NFL. Stafford has been exceptional, passing for 4,707 yards and 46 touchdowns in the regular season with an additional 562 yards and three touchdowns in the postseason.
But the Seahawks are better equipped than anyone to slow down the high-powered Rams attack. Seattle enters with the sixth-best total defense and the league's top scoring defense. If they can manage to contain Los Angeles—which they struggled to do in their first two meetings this season—they have the offensive firepower to pull away. The Seahawks also rank third in total offense, giving them multiple ways to win this game.
With both teams evenly matched and familiar with each other's tendencies, expect a hard-fought battle that could come down to the final possession. The winner will punch their ticket to Super Bowl LX.