Previewing Conference Championship Sunday

Full disclosure: I’m a dork.

The same thing happens every year on Championship Sunday. I wake up, and as I’m going through my morning routine, I inevitably get excited. I think to myself, “Man, this is great. By the time I go to bed tonight, we’ll all know who is playing in the Super Bowl.”

Because the NFL season is quite the slog. From when training camps open in late July until now, there’s endless coverage, analysis and speculation, all with the same overarching theme. When all the dust settles, who will battle for the Lombardi Trophy in early February? After starting in September with 32 teams holding high hopes, we’re now down to the final four.

And let’s be honest, this week is also peppered with a dash of depression. Because this is really the last true football weekend until the fall. The Super Bowl doesn’t really count. It’s more of an overproduced television spectacle at this point than a game watched by true fans.

But it’s easy to fight off the sadness because the two games on Sunday have a high sexy factor. There isn’t a team playing that I would be upset to see win and reach the Big Game. And every possible Super Bowl matchup looks great. Eagles vs. Chiefs? Yes, please. 49ers vs. Bengals? Sign me up. Eagles vs. Bengals? Hell yeah. 49ers vs. Chiefs? Absolutely.

There are potential storylines everywhere. But let’s take a minute to break down what a win on Sunday would mean to all four starting quarterbacks.

PATRICK MAHOMES

Tom Brady’s seven Super Bowl wins seem like an insurmountable feat. I have a hard time imagining another QB even making seven appearances going forward, but Mahomes seemingly has the best chance. If the Chiefs win at home, that would put Mahomes in the Super Bowl for the third time. He also appears to be a lock to clinch his second NFL MVP Award. And he’s just 27 years old. Barring injury, you can easily imagine him playing for another decade, at minimum. With the aforementioned Brady on the way out, the last remnants of the old guard (Brees, Manning, etc) will be mostly swept away, save for Aaron Rodgers. Mahomes will officially be the face of the NFL.

JOE BURROW

I’ve talked about being a Taylor Heinecke guy. Also, a Jared Goff guy. But after watching Joe Burrow take apart the Bills on the road last weekend, it’s official. I’m the biggest Burrow guy out there. I’m not sure if the city of Cincinnati truly understood what they had before now, but they will look back at the 2020 NFL Draft as one of the greatest things to ever happen to the community. The former No. 1 overall pick is an unflappable killing machine. No moment is too big. And what I love about watching him is he seems to be in on the joke. What do I mean by that? Judging by his interviews, you can tell that he’s very aware he’s playing a game. He’s not performing brain surgery. He’s not saving lives. Therefore, he doesn’t take himself too seriously, which is such an amazing asset to have if you can use it properly. And he does. If anyone out there thought last season’s Super Bowl appearance was a fluke, they’re wrong. Mahomes vs. Burrow will become the new Brady vs. Manning. And if you have any appreciation for football, you can’t wait to see how this rivalry plays out. Burrow won the first tilt last postseason and he’s more than capable of doing it again.

JALEN HURTS

He’s had such an amazing road to his first NFL championship game, and to think, he’s only 24 years old. Let’s take a look back. He was a highly rated recruit at Alabama and led the Crimson Tide to the college football playoff twice, only to be replaced by Tua Tagovailoa in the national title game and then was usurped as the starter by Tua the next season. Did Hurts pout? Did he refuse to play? No, he acted like a grownup and accepted his fate, eventually going to Oklahoma as a graduate transfer. After an amazing season, Hurts was drafted by the Eagles, who already had a quarterback in Carson Wentz. We all know how that played out. Since taking over the starting job, Hurts has been the kind of weapon that coaches drool over. He’s a threat with his arm and his legs and led the Eagles to the NFC’s top seed this season. He was named among the finalists for the MVP award and would have been the likely winner had an injury not derailed the last few weeks of the regular season. A win on Sunday would not just cement his status as one of the league’s elite quarterbacks, it would also mean big contract money is coming in the near future.

BROCK PURDY

And to think, just a couple months ago, nobody knew who this guy was. If he strolled into a bar, no girls would want to talk to him.

“You’re the backup? Beat it, loser.”

Now he’s not only starting – granted, due to injury – but he can take a proud franchise back to the Super Bowl. What a ride. And he was literally the last pick in the draft. Mr. Irrelevant. San Francisco has won all seven of his starts and the offense has been fun to watch. If he can somehow play well enough on Sunday to win in Philadelphia – which is no small task – he just might be the quarterback of the future in the Bay Area and will give the organization the option of dangling former first-round pick Trey Lance as bait in the trade market. How about that?

CHAMPIONSHIP SUNDAY FAN FICTION

49ers vs. Eagles

Betting line: Philadelphia -2.5

The Eagles will want to be on defense first. Their main task will be to confuse Purdy. The Cowboys were able to get some pressure on him last week and while Purdy didn’t turn the ball over, he didn’t have the constant easy passing lanes he enjoyed over his previous starts. Philly Defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon might choose to not blitz and let his front try and get pressure on Purdy without bringing extra rushers. What you don’t want to do is allow gaps in the middle of the field, which will let Purdy connect with tight end George Kittle, who can then run up yards after the catch. The 49ers are going to rely on Christian McCaffrey to make way in the running game, which will open up the play action pass. These two offenses can put up points, but both defenses are also stout. Yards will be hard to come by. Expect a low-scoring first half. In the fourth quarter, I expect Hurts to connect with wide receiver A.J. Brown on a big play. Fellow receiver DaVonta Smith will also get open at some point. The Eagles’ home crowd will force Purdy into some communication errors and that will be the difference here.

Winner: Eagles.

Bengals vs. Chiefs

Betting line: Kansas City -1

I neglected to mention that Pat Mahomes will be playing with a high ankle sprain. And while the news this week is that his recovery is going well, that could all be a smokescreen. Mahomes was great at avoiding sacks this season, but if his movement is affected by the injury, Cincinnati might be able to either get to him or force him into hurried throws. And regardless of how much talent you have, if you’re irresponsible with the ball, it’s going to bite you. Meanwhile, Joe Burrow’s connection with wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase has been prolific and the latter has put up big numbers over the past two postseasons. Since starting 2022 with an 0-2 record, the Bengals have gone 14-2 since and they’re looking like the best team in the league. And being on the road for this game won’t make a difference. If they were able to take apart a Bills team in Buffalo during a snowstorm, Sunday’s game isn’t much to worry about. The Bengals will control the tempo with their running game, Burrow will spread the ball around to his many receivers and the defense will make enough stops to get back to the Super Bowl.

Winner: Bengals.

Enjoy the games!