Championship Sunday Picks

As we head into Championship Sunday and the final four teams are left, I always like to rank the possible Super Bowl matchups that could potentially take place based on the four teams left. They are ranked in order of most favorable to least favorable, and a lot of it is based on storylines, legacy, history etc...

1) Buffalo vs Philadelphia: The Bills going for their first ever Super Bowl win against the Eagles, who are looking for their second Super Bowl victory.

2) Kansas City vs Philadelphia: The Chiefs are going for the three-peat, which has never been done in Super Bowl history, and it's a rematch of the Super Bowl from two years ago.

3) Kansas City vs Washington: The Chiefs are going for the three-peat against the underdog in Washington. Jayden Daniels goes up against Patrick Mahomes in a passing of the torch type of game.

4) Buffalo vs Washington: The Bills going for their first Super Bowl victory against the upstart team in Washington. Josh Allen against Jayden Daniels. A rematch from Super Bowl XXVI. 

Now, onto the picks for the AFC and NFC Championship Games...

Last Week's Playoff Record: 2-1-1

Playoff Record: 3-6-1

Overall Record: 147-127-11

(HOME TEAM IN CAPS)

NFC Championship Game

(6) Washington Commanders at (2) Philadelphia Eagles

A Case for the Commanders:  After their huge upset over the Lions last week in Detroit during the Divisional Playoffs, you have to make the case that the Commanders can go all the way to the Super Bowl. No one picked them to beat the Lions, and they pulled it off. Jayden Daniels is playing lights out, and he is making the leap into one of the best QBs in the league in only his rookie year. It's pretty amazing to watch how good he has been all year long. Washington is the underdog again, and they are still playing with house money. This is their first appearance in a NFC Championship Game since 1991. Their season is a success no matter what happens.

A Case for the Eagles: They got a break when Detroit was upset by Washington, and the Eagles get to host the NFC Title game. They have been one of the five Super Bowl contending teams all year long, and now they get a chance to advance to the Super Bowl with a home win over a division rival. It just seems like it played out perfectly for the Eagles. Saquon Barkley was amazing again last week in the win over the Rams. No matter how much the Eagles offense has struggled the last month, they always have Barkley to fall back on. He is playing at that high of a level. He can take this game over himself and put the Eagles on his back.

Prediction: Washington (+6) over PHILADELPHIA: The Eagles find a way to win a close one over Washington, and they advance to the Super Bowl for the second time in three years and the fifth time in franchise history. 

Final Score: Eagles-27 Commanders-23

AFC Championship Game

(2) Buffalo Bills at (1) Kansas City Chiefs

A Case for the Bills: This could be the year the Bills finally knock off the Chiefs. They beat them in the regular season, and it has felt like we were headed to a Josh Allen vs. Patrick Mahomes Championship Game since September. The Bills offense is playing at such a high level and it is really tough to stop Allen. He will not be intimidated by the Chiefs and their crowd in Arrowhead. They have played big games before. The Bills blew that Divisional Game three years ago in KC (The 13 Second Game), but it feels like it is their time for revenge and to slay the dragon.

A Case for the Chiefs: They have found ways to win all year long. No matter the situation or the moment, they have found a way. It feels like Patrick Mahomes is on a mission to get that three-peat, and you have to like what you saw out of Travis Kelce in the Divisional Playoff win over Houston. He looked like he was rested and fresh just for this postseason run. Each week a new player on the Chiefs finds a way to make a big play. Whether it is on special teams or defense, someone always makes that critical play. It just feels like they are about to make history and win three Super Bowls in a row.

Prediction: KANSAS CITY (-1.5) over Buffalo: The Chiefs win a classic over the Bills and advance to the Super Bowl for the fifth time in six years with a chance to go for the three-peat.

Final Score: Chiefs-26 Bills-24