By Peyton Schultze

If Patrick Mahomes finds a way to play on Sunday, expect a high-scoring affair between two dynamic offenses in the AFC Championship Game (via Sports Illustrated).

The Conference Championships have finally arrived!

Outside of some timely play from the Buccaneers on both sides of the ball and a stunning late-game injury to Patrick Mahomes that still has his status for this weekend up in the air, there were no real surprises in the divisional round among the NFL’s elite who enter this weekend’s conference championship matchups. But even though these teams were mostly expected to end up here, the stakes are as high as ever for all four teams remaining. Can the Chiefs get to their second straight Super Bowl and set themselves up for a reign spanning multiple years? Can Josh Allen and the Bills ride their wave of a momentum to a shocking Super Bowl appearance? Can Brady and the Bucs get to the big stage after a sensational second half of the season? And can Aaron Rodgers finally get back to the Super Bowl after nearly a decade for a chance at his second ring?

All of these questions and more are soon to be answered, and it should be a memorable weekend in the NFL on Sunday. With that said, here is our preview for this week’s conference championship matchups:

NFC Championship Game

Tampa Bay @ Green Bay (-3.5), 12:05 PM PT, FOX

While other young quarterbacks have taken the league by storm in recent years, the 2020 regular season was a reminder that Aaron Rodgers still ranks as the best pure quarterback in all of football. Rodgers is likely the favorite for the MVP award this season with 48 touchdowns for the top-seeded Packers, which makes the Packers a real threat to win their last two games and capture the second Lombardi Trophy of Rodgers’ career. The superstar signal caller has not had to do it all alone this year though, especially with running back Aaron Jones continuing to light up defenses and wide receiver Davante Adams making a real case for the title of the best reciever in the league. With that said, Rodgers will need to have a big game on Sunday in order to get Green Bay back to the Super Bowl, and all eyes will be on the Packers to get the job done against a very difficult Tampa team that presents some concerning matchup problems. With that said, Green Bay’s defense has only improved over the course of the season and is coming off a successful performance last weekend against a creative offensive scheme that the Los Angeles Rams run. However, with quarterback Tom Brady on his way to Lambeau Field this weekend, the Packers’ defense will need to have a monster game that needs a turnover or two to give their offense some help. Rodgers and the Packers will have their hands completely full this weekend against a hot Buccaneers’ roster, but they have some real momentum of their own with their franchise star playing at such a high level.

Tampa Bay has really been the wild card contender among the league all season long, so it was not a major surprise to see them beat the Saints on the road in their third matchup of the season after getting blown out in two prior meetings. Now, as the Buccaneers prepare to head up north to Green Bay in a cold-weather meeting between two all-time great quarterbacks, Tampa will need to replicate some of their late-game magic from last week in order to beat the NFC’s top overall seed. Luckily for the Bucs, they have already played the Packers earlier this season, when they captured arguably their best win of the season and forced Aaron Rodgers into some shockingly poor throws with so much pressure in his face. It would be a major surprise to see Rodgers play so poorly once again, which means that Tampa’s struggling pass defense may need to have their best game of the season on Sunday. The Buccaneers have some real talent on the defensive line that should be able to get to Rodgers early and often on Sunday, but they’ll also need their typically-great run defense to limit the effectiveness of Aaron Jones. Nevertheless, the Bucs’ true strength is the explosiveness of an offense that is popping at the right time. Quarterback Tom Brady has been phenomenal over the past month, and his playoff experience on Sunday could be a major factor in an otherwise tight matchup. With Mike Evans, Antonio Brown, Leonard Fournette, Ronald Jones, and Chris Godwin at his disposal, Brady and the Bucs have one of the most lethal offenses in the league and should be able to move the ball with ease against the Packers’ defense on Sunday afternoon.

AFC Championship Game

Buffalo @ Kansas City (-3.0), 3:40 PM PT, CBS

Both of these teams enter this game red-hot since the last time they met, which could mean a close game that could be decided by one or two plays in the 4th quarter (via USA Today).

Is Kansas City just as good as they were last year, or have they taken a slight step backward? That is the burning question that we are about to find out about on Sunday against a hungry Bills team that could give the Chiefs some real problems, as Kansas City looks to get back to their second straight Super Bowl. The Chiefs have as many great weapons in the league as any team, especially with names running the show like Travis Kelce, Tyreek Hill, Chris Jones, and Tyrann Mathieu. But at the end of the day, quarterback Patrick Mahomes is the game-changer for Kansas City, and his questionable status for this weekend’s matchup makes things very interesting in this AFC Championship Game bout. Nevertheless, the Chiefs can at least fall back on the notion that their defense has certainly improved this season, and that unit arguably put together their best game of the season when these two teams faced off last time during the regular season. The Chiefs’ defense also showed up again last weekend against a scrappy Browns’ team that really gave them a run for their money, but this matchup with the Bills could easily come down to Mahomes. Backup quarterback Chad Henne is capable and had some magnificent moments late in the 4th quarter last weekend, but he would be asked to do a lot this weekend against a Buffalo defense that is timely and can create turnovers. The Chiefs are the favorite among the four teams left, but they’ll need to prove just how great they really are this weekend if they want to advance to the Super Bowl as the AFC’s representative this year.

Meanwhile, the Buffalo Bills are back in the AFC Championship Game and looking to get back to the Super Bowl for the first time since 1994. Buffalo has been the underdog story that everyone has rooted for all year long, proving to be a very likable team with an explosive offense and a consistent defense that has clicked with every single passing week. Yet the Bills face Patrick Mahomes and the juggernaut Chiefs on Sunday, and while they are a Cardinals’ Hail Mary shy of winning twelve straight games, their previous loss against the Chiefs earlier in the year revealed some concerns. But quarterback Josh Allen has certainly progressed since that last matchup, putting up an MVP-type season and possibly even outperforming Mahomes down the stretch of the regular season. With such a massive build and a superb combination of receiving weapons like Stefon Diggs and Cole Beasley around him on offense, Allen is surrounded by talent and swagger, which he will need plenty of on the road in Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday night. In addition, the Bills’ defense is coming off their best game of the season in the Divisional Round, where they were able to smother Lamar Jackson and the Ravens’ offense all night long. Buffalo has not been an outstanding unit on defense by any means this season, but they do have the fortunes of ranking among the best teams on third-down defense and in the red-zone. If the Bills can apply these same defensive trends on the road this weekend, they have a real chance of upsetting the defending champions and surviving a stunning path throughout the AFC playoff gauntlet.

Predictions for the Weekend and the Super Bowl LV Matchup

Davante Adams has been uncoverable all season long, which could be a huge factor in Sunday’s matchup with the Buccaneers (via The Spun).

Tampa Bay @ Green Bay:

The Packers played their worst game of the season when these two teams last matched up, which could give the Buccaneers some real hope that they could head on the road and win a game in the frozen depths of Lambeau Field. But even though Tampa Bay played so well in that game earlier in the year, we have seen throughout these playoffs what often happens in the second or third matchup between two teams: the results shift.

In addition, although Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski are two veteran players used to playing in the cold, Tampa Bay will certainly not be used to the freezing conditions that are expected for Sunday’s matchup. And in an odd year with limited fans around the league, the Packers may be one of the only teams in the league that still has any sort of true home-field advantage. Tampa’s run defense and pass rush will keep this game close enough, but the combination of Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams will be the factor that gets Green Bay over the top in the end. Expect the Buccaneers’ offense to make a late run in the 4th with Brady always so clutch in second halves of playoff games, but look for Rodgers and the Packers to advance to the second Super Bowl of Rodgers’ Hall of Fame career.

Tampa Bay: 23 Green Bay: 28

Buffalo @ Kansas City:

Is this Buffalo’s moment? The odds are stacked against them with all signs pointing toward Patrick Mahomes starting for the Chiefs on Sunday, but Josh Allen and the Bills have their fair share of tricks up their sleeve as well that could give them a real shot of pulling off the upset.

These Chiefs have been excellent all year long, but they’ve been marked down by one major concern: the lack of ability to completely close out teams. This trend almost came back to bite Kansas City last weekend once Mahomes went down, as Baker Mayfield and the Browns made a strong second half charge that had them one play short of getting a chance at a drive to send them to the AFC Championship Game. The Chiefs have already played the Bills this season, but the Bills from January of 2021 (as they currently stand) will be the best squad that they have faced at any point this year. So with Mahomes limited in practice this week and with Buffalo continuing to dominate teams in their path, will Kansas City be able to survive off talent and skill alone? Head coach Andy Reid is a master game planner, but even he may struggle with finding away to limit the Bills on both sides of the ball late in this one. Look for a wild game that comes down to the 4th quarter, where Josh Allen and the Bills will find a way to take down the defending champions on the road.

Kansas City: 27 Buffalo: 30

Super Bowl LV: Buffalo vs Green Bay in Tampa, FL

A Nod to Drew Brees and Philip Rivers

Two of the best quarterbacks of the recent era, and former teammates with the then-San Diego Chargers, appear to be hanging up the cleats, but could find themselves in Canton, Ohio, in a few years (via AP News).

Drew Brees has long been recognized as one of the greatest quarterbacks of all-time, and the final chapter to his playing career appears to have finally been written with retirement soon on the way. Arguably the most accurate passer in NFL history, Brees became the greatest New Orleans athlete of all-time over the course of his career in the bayou, including leading the once-miserable Saints to their only Super Bowl win over Peyton Manning and the Colts back in February of 2010. Since then, the future Hall of Famer has been a steady and dominance force for the Saints over the past decade and a half, and although his arm started to fade away in this past season, he remains as cherished as any athlete in the area. When he walks away from the sport, Brees appears to have a golden opportunity up in the booth for NBC Sports (possibly with Al Michaels and Chris Collinsworth) and will surely find himself in the Hall of Fame on the first ballot. Perhaps no single player in sports meant more to his city than Brees, and his impact on and off-the-field will long be felt in the area after his retirement.

As for Rivers, the former Charger became one of the most entertaining players to follow in all of sports over the course of his career. Everything about the gunslinger was must-see TV: the odd throwing motion, the lucrative fist pumps, the G-rated banter on the sidelines, and a pure will to win for a team that was off-and-on for most of his career. Statistically speaking, Rivers is also one of the greatest passers that the league has ever seen, ranking 5th all-time in both passing yards and passing touchdowns. He was not a perfect player by any means, often times struggling with late leads in the back half of his career and failing to consistently hang with the likes of divisional rivals such as the Broncos and Chiefs in the AFC West, but he was a consistent presence who will make a strong Hall of Fame case. Rivers was also the very first athlete we ever covered on this site, so the respect is very high for this brash competitor who now takes on an immediately unique role as a high school football coach for St. Michael Catholic High School in Fairhope, Alabama.

Congratulations to Brees and Rivers on excellent careers, and we will next see you in Canton in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Hall of Famers Soon to be Decided

Peyton Manning is as close to a Hall of Fame lock as any player in the history of the league, and appears to be on his way to a knock on his door in the next couple of weeks (via InsideHook).

Speaking of the Hall of Fame, there should be some big news regarding some of the game’s best ever in the coming weeks. Now that the Hall of Fame’s Selection Committee has officially met to discuss and decide on the inductees for the Class of 2021, we can only stand-by and wait for the announcement of what figures to be one of the greatest classes in the history of the sport. It has been an odd year for the league, especially after the Class of 2020 had their own ceremony postponed to a later date, but the festivities appear to be on the way soon enough for some of the best players in NFL history. With that said, here’s a look at our predictions for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2021:

Peyton Manning (1998-2015; Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos)
Arguably the greatest quarterback to ever play in the NFL, Manning was destined for greatness from the moment he entered the league. Almost single handedly changing the Indianapolis Colts franchise and then capturing a second late-career Super Bowl during his time with the Denver Broncos, Manning finished his career as one the greatest players that the sporting world has ever seen. Manning also helped the change the game offensively in a major way, orchestrating a fast-paced and dynamic offensive attack that is seen throughout the pass-heavy schemes of the modern-day NFL. It feels like “The Sheriff” has already been suited for a gold jacket for the past decade, and he is a standout player in a class of so many outstanding talents.
Charles Woodson (1998-2015; Oakland Raiders and Green Bay Packers)
Woodson may have had a tough time standing out over in Oakland while playing in the golden age of safeties, but he is truly one of the best defenders to ever play in the sport. Versatility and smarts were the name of the game for the superstar safety over the course of his career, and while he won a late-career Super Bowl with Aaron Rodgers and the Packers, he will be forever remembered as a player who embodied the true spirit of the Oakland Raiders. Woodson makes a strong case for the greatest Raider of all-time and possibly even one of the best safeties of all-time, and it is fitting that he is a first-ballot lock for the Hall of Fame alongside his former Heisman rival in Manning.

Calvin Johnson (2007-2015; Detroit Lions)
It is hard to live up to any sort of high-profile nickname in sports, but Calvin Johnson made his own mantra look small in comparison to his immense talent on-the-field. “Megatron” was simply one of the most dominant wide receivers that the game has ever seen, consistently putting up video-game numbers year after year with nobody in sight who was actually capable of guarding him. If there was any answer for him, it surely was not discovered while he was still playing, as Johnson was able to dominate defensive backs every Sunday, especially in his legendary 2012 regular season. His career ran far too short with an early retirement, but outside of Barry Sanders, he is the greatest Lion player of all-time and an easy first-ballot addition to the Hall of Fame.
Jared Allen (2004-2015; Kansas City Chiefs, Minnesota Vikings, Chicago Bears, and Carolina Panthers)
Few players have had more fun while playing on the field than former All-Pro pass rusher Jared Allen, a rare combo of speed and strength on the defensive line for four teams over the course of his illustrious career. Allen had a great tenure with the Chiefs, but is truly a Viking great at heart, thriving with the city on and off-the-field as a special pass rusher who loved to dominate offensive lines on an almost weekly basis. He was a marquee player with such attraction over the course of his career that he seems like a lock here, even on the first ballot in an insane class full of ridiculous talent.

John Lynch (1993-2007; Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Denver Broncos)
Lynch has had to wait a long time to finally get his credit and get into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but the eighth time on the ballot should finally do the trick for one of the most physical players that the sport has seen. The hard-thumping safety combined such sheer force with a bright smile off of the field, making Lynch a great ambassador for the league and fan favorites on both the Buccaneers and Broncos over the course of his career. He has now turned in a great service to the league in his time after his career as a successful executive with the 49ers, but he should be rewarded for an awesome playing career with a gold jacket this season.

Tony Boselli (1995-2002; Jacksonville Jaguars and Houston Texans)
Tackles are such a hard position to judge on the field due to such an unflashy style of play, but Tony Boselli made things look so easy with such impressive domination in the run game and in pass protection. As the mainstay of the sneaky Jaguars in the late 90’s, Boselli rose to high status as one of the greatest offensive linemen to ever lace up the cleats with such force against opposing defenses. He has probably already had to wait long enough now, and he’ll enter the Pro Football Hall of Fame as the first Jaguar to enter the Hall of Fame in franchise history.

Conference Championship Weekly Wonder