Championship Sunday Picks!

Championship Sunday has arrived and we are down to the NFL's version of the final four. Three of the four teams were not in the playoffs last year, so there is some hope for teams like the Broncos to turn their fortunes around quickly. I always like to rank the four possible Super Bowl matchups from best to worst as we head into the Championship games. Here is how I would rank them:

1) Chiefs vs. Packers-Rodgers against Mahomes, Andy Reid going for his first Super Bowl, and a rematch of Super Bowl I.

2) Chiefs vs. 49ers- You still have Mahomes and Andy Reid, and then you add an historic franchise like the 49ers with all their Super Bowl history

3) Packers vs. Titans- You have Rodgers, the Green Bay fanbase and national appeal and the underdog story of the Titans, with Ryan Tannehill going back to Miami for the Super Bowl.

4) 49ers vs. Titans- The history of the 49ers against the underdog story of the Titans.

Here are my picks for Championship Sunday....

Last Week’s Record: 1-3 
Playoff Record:4-4 
Overall Record: 123-127-13
(HOME TEAM IN CAPS) 

AFC Championship Game 
(6)Tennessee at (2) Kansas City 

A Case for the Titans: We have seen wild card/low seeded team get on a run like this in playoffs in recent history. Look at the 2007 Giants and the 2010 Packers and you can see the path for Titans and how they can get to the Super Bowl. Amazingly, they went into Foxboro and beat the Patriots, and then went into Baltimore and knocked off the 14-2 Ravens. They definitely believe they can go into Arrowhead and beat the Chiefs. They have momentum, they have motivation, they believe, and that could be very dangerous. They are the underdog, so the pressure will be on KC and Andy Reid-not Mike Vrabel and the Titans. Plus, Derrick Henry is having one of the alltime greatest postseasons in terms of rushing and they might be able to ride him one more time on the way to the upset and a surprise Super Bowl berth.

A Case for the Chiefs: Sometimes you need breaks and things to go your way if you are going to win a Super Bowl. The Chiefs got that this year so far. They got the bye in the playoffs and the #2 seed after Miami upset New England in Week 17. Then, the Ravens got upset by Tennessee during the Divisional Round, so now Kansas City is hosting the AFC Championship Game at Arrowhead Stadium. They avoided playing NE and Baltimore in this playoff run. Andy Reid is due to get back to another Super Bowl and have a chance to win one. They were so close last year when they lost in overtime at home to the Patriots, so it has been a mission for them this year to get back and win the AFC Title, and now they are home to do it. Plus, this will be Tennessee’s fourth straight road game counting Week 17. That is definitely going to play a factor for them. Throw in the fact that KC has the best QB on the planet right now in Mahomes, and all signs point to the Chiefs winning on Sunday and heading to the Super Bowl.

Prediction: KANSAS CITY (-7) over Tennessee: It was a nice story but Tennessee’s run is going to end on Sunday. The Chiefs haven’t made it to the Super Bowl since Super Bowl IV in 1969. They finally get that elusive AFC Championship and raise the Lamar Hunt trophy in front of their home crowd.
Final Score: Chiefs-31 Titans-17

 NFC Championship Game 
(2) Green Bay at (1) San Francisco 

A Case for the Packers: They have Aaron Rodgers, and if you watched the Divisional Playoff win over Seattle, you can see that Rodgers still has it and can make the big-time throws in the big spots in the big games. He is still at an elite level, and he can still put this team on his back and win a game. Of course, he will have motivation for knocking off the franchise that passed him over for Alex Smith, but I would expect Rodgers to play well and that gives Green Bay a chance to win. The Packers got whipped pretty bad in San Francisco by the 49ers earlier this season, so I think they will use that as motivation and play a much better game this time around. Their defense can hang with the 49ers offense. If they get a lead early, then the 49ers might play tight. The Packers also got destroyed in their most recent NFC Championship Game appearance three years ago at Atlanta. You have to think the Pack will come to play on Sunday in San Francisco.

A Case for the 49ers: I know that Matt LaFluer has led the Packers to a 13-3 record and a spot in the NFC Championship, but the coaching edge in this game is decidedly in the favor of Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers. I would feel very confident in Shanahan in this spot. The 49ers, pound for pound, are just the better team. Look at easily they handled the Packers in the regular season. The Packers have had some tough spots and looked pretty bad on the road a few times this year at San Fran and at Los Angeles. The Niners looked really sharp and convincing in their win over Minnesota last week. You know the crowd will be electric for this one as well. It is the first time the Niners are hosting the NFC Championship Game since 2011. They have more talent, they look confident, and maybe it is just their time to start their run. They were the best team in the NFC wire-to-wire this year, and it wouldn’t surprise anyone to see them cement that on Sunday.

Prediction: Green Bay (+7.5) over SAN FRANCISCO-Everything points to the Niners winning this game: Better team, better coach, and home field advantage, but I just have a sneaky suspicion that Aaron Rodgers and the Packers find their way to pull off the upset. I think they will survive the onslaught at the beginning of the game and they make the Niners nervous and then pull it out late. Just a hunch.

Final Score: Packers-23 Niners-20