Only four teams remain in the quest for the Lombardi Trophy, some expected to reach this juncture and some not.
With only two games remaining before the Super Bowl, the stakes have never been higher. All four teams know that they are just two victories away from immortality.
The Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills write a new chapter in their epic rivalry, while the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Commanders compete in a final battle for supremacy between divisional rivals.
The divisional round was far less kind than the wild card round, with the prediction record being 1-3. Washington shocked the football world (and drew the ire of former owner Dan Snyder in the process,) while the Los Angeles Rams and Baltimore Ravens were letdowns on the road.
Hoping for a bit more success this time around, here are the predictions on who will square off in New Orleans in two weeks.
Washington Commanders vs Philadelphia Eagles
The projected favorite to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl meets this year’s ultimate Cinderella story.
The Commanders have been through the ringer this century, especially under Snyder’s turbulent ownership. However, this season has felt like the fog finally lifting, and the team is playing to its fullest potential at the best possible moment.
Rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels has become a household name, and the team is now one upset win away from defeating the top three seeds in their conference.
The one issue is that their run defense has been exposed at times, and it now faces its ultimate test with one of the most dynamic running games in the league.
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts is off the injury report and is expected to be fully healthy going into this massive matchup. Hurts at 100 percent, plus the ever-present threat of running back Saquon Barkley, will have to be accounted for all game long.
The Commanders have the firepower needed to make this a nail-biter, but the Eagles have the personnel needed to exploit their biggest weakness early and often. The pivotal third game goes to the Birds.
Predictions: Eagles 27, Commanders 24
Buffalo Bills vs Kansas City Chiefs
In hindsight, this matchup felt like destiny.
Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen are the two best quarterbacks in the NFL right now, and they are set to meet in the playoffs for the fourth time in the last five seasons.
Needless to say, the Bills feel like they have to win this matchup. The Chiefs have defeated them in their last three postseason matchups, and they want to prove they have what it takes to bust through the brick wall that has ended too many postseason journeys.
Meanwhile, the Chiefs are on the verge of history. One more victory will mark their third straight Super Bowl appearance, making them only the fourth team in NFL history to do so. If they win the Super Bowl, however, they become the first team ever to win three straight championships.
It feels like a fool’s errand to bet against the Chiefs, even if their offense has looked off all season. However, the sheer difficulty of what they are trying to accomplish is enormous, and it is easy for them to get caught in the moment too early.
Ultimately, it is too difficult to imagine Allen not getting his signature win over Mahomes at some point, and this feels like the exact circumstances the Bills need to finally break through.
More guts than brains? Maybe, but here is hoping the gut feeling pays off.
Prediction: Bills 30, Chiefs 24
