Who Advances to the NFL’s Conference Championship Games?

NFL

This year’s NFL Wild Card Round is officially in the books. 14 teams have now been cut to eight teams, then after Saturday and Sunday’s games, those eight teams will come down to four. In the AFC, the top four seeds remain with both matchups being highly anticipated. While in the NFC, the first, second, fourth, and sixth seeds remain. Which teams from the AFC and the NFC will advance to their respective Conference Championship games? Will there be any upsets?

AFC

The first matchup from the AFC will be at 4:30 p.m. EST between the Houston Texans and the Kansas City Chiefs. After receiving the bye, and virtually not playing their starters in the past three weeks, the Chiefs will have to prove once again that no matter the situation, they can get the job done. The Texans are coming off a 32-12 Wild Card Round victory over the Los Angeles Chargers. Houston’s defense picked the ball off four times and may look to neutralize Patrick Mahomes and what he can do on the field, whether that’s in the run or pass game. Kansas City may be the decisive favorites, however, Houston is looking to show they can go further than the Divisional Round with their young and hungry team. It would be a huge upset if the Texans could pull off the victory at Arrowhead Stadium. The second AFC matchup occurs on Sunday at 6:00 p.m. EST with the Baltimore Ravens heading to Buffalo to take on the Bills. Both Baltimore and Buffalo crushed their Wild Card opponents with both teams knowing this Divisional Round game will be a true test of who is the better team. Buffalo’s defense held the Denver Broncos to just seven points in their 31-7 Wild Card win, while Derrick Henry ran 186 yards with two touchdowns in Baltimore’s 28-14 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. Can Josh Allen overcome the Ravens, and enter his second AFC Championship Game? Allen last played in the AFC Championship back in 2021 when the Bills took a 38-24 loss to the Chiefs. Not only is he looking to win his first NFL MVP Award, but his first Super Bowl championship as well.

NFC

On Saturday, the first NFC matchup is between the Washington Commanders and the Detroit Lions at 8:00 p.m. EST. Detroit received the first seed and the Bye Week during the Wild Card Round after they defeated the Minnesota Vikings during Week 18. That win gave them the NFC North and that much-needed Bye Week. With the roster decimated by injuries, the Lions hope that most of their guys will get the thumbs up come Saturday’s big game. Washington is coming off a thrilling Sunday Night Football victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where a shaky field goal kick in the closing moments gave them a 23-20 win on the road. Rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels is showing the league why he’ll be one of the brightest quarterbacks in the years to come, but he’ll face his biggest challenge yet in the 15-2 Detroit Lions. If the Commanders can pull off an upset, it would be for the history books. The final game would air Sunday at 6:00 p.m. EST. This matchup would have the Los Angeles Rams heading to Philadelphia to play the Eagles. Philadelphia cruised by in their Wild Card Round game with a 22-10 win against the Green Bay Packers while Los Angeles pulled off a 27-9 win over the Minnesota Vikings in Glendale Arizona due to the Los Angeles fires happening. The Rams got a huge win over the 14-3 Vikings and will now look to ride that momentum against the red-hot Eagles. Will Philadelphia’s play slow down during these playoffs, or can Jalen Hurts and Saquon Barkley lead the team to another victory?

Keith Brunner Jr.

Keith Brunner Jr. graduated in May of 2021 at Pace University with a Film and Screen Studies degree with a concentration in Screenwriting. However, that hasn’t stopped his undeniable passion for sports!

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