We’re in the NFL’s Final Four now, and by the end of this weekend we’ll know what Super Bowl LVII will be in Arizona.
As usual, we expect some crazy things to happen when these conference championship games begin. So, here we are again with our bold predictions: three each for NFC and AFC games.
NFC Championship Game: 49ers in the Eagles
Brock Purdy struggles hard, throwing two interceptions
Brock Purdy did a miracle job: He went from last pick of the 2022 tournament and third-string quarterback to a 7-0 starting quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers with a 116.0 passer rating in that stint since Week 14, the highest in the NFL and the best passer rating for a player. Of the 49ers in seven games since Hall of Famer Steve Young in 1996-97. It’s great. One of his most impressive traits is the ball safety with 14 touchdown passes and only two interceptions, none in the playoffs.
Birdie’s perfect run would come to a halt, however, as he went up in flames Sunday in Philadelphia against the Eagles, the team with the most sacks in football this season, 75, including playoffs (third most in a single game). season in NFL history including the postseason) and the second-highest pressing average in the NFL (39%). The rookie performed well under pressure in his first six starts, posting a passer rating of 121.2 when under pressure.
However, when facing Defensive Player of the Year Micah Parsons and Dallas Cowboys Up front, Purdy wilted when he completed just three of 11 passes when under pressure for a 39.6 passer rating. The Eagles’ pass rush has to be more difficult to contain for the 49ers offensive line because it isn’t centered around one player for the most part. Philadelphia has four players with double-digit sacks this season — linebacker Hasson Reddick (16.0), defensive tackle Javon Hargrave (11.0), defensive end Josh Sweet (11.0), and defensive end Brandon Graham (11.0) — the most in NFL history.
|
percentage companies |
54% |
27% |
|
Yards / Att |
8.3 |
2.2 |
|
Traffic classification |
121.2 |
39.6 |
* Eagles: Second highest average in pressure (39%) and most sacks (75) this season
When Purdy makes his eighth career start Sunday, he will become the fifth rookie quarterback to start a conference championship game, joining Shaun King in 1999. hackerBen Roethlisberger in 2004 SteelersJoe Flacco in 2008 crowsand Mark Sanchez in 2009 Planes. These quarterbacks went 0-4 combined while throwing four touchdowns and two passing interceptions. Purdy would run that record to 0-5 and add more interceptions to those cumulative box points.
Jalen Hurts has 4 TDs, over 350 yards
The 49ers defense is the best in the NFL in terms of scoring – 16.3 points per game allowed – and total yardage – 300.6 total yards per game – but much of what they do depends on the NFL’s sacks leader, defensive end Nick Bosa (18.5), creating pressure and kicking sacks. This defense would be a little on alert after taking on a Dallas Cowboys team a week ago who played mostly without their MVP running back (Tony Pollard) and quarterback Dak Prescott who was only He had eyes for one wide receiverCeeDee Lamb.
Their challenge this week to Philadelphia Eagles Jalen Hurts, one of three quarterbacks in NFL history to total over 3,500 passing yards and over 750 rushing yards in a single season, presents an entirely different set of problems for San Francisco’s vaunted defense as a true duo. -the threat. Plus, the Eagles can smooth out the prolific pass rush of the 49ers with the best offensive line in football.
The success of the Eagles offensive line this season
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Individual offensive towel liners combined with the fewest sacks (14) and lowest pressure rate (3.5%) allowed this season
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Center Jason Kelsey and right tackle Lynn Johnson did not allow any sacks between the two
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First in the passing category and third in the running block category, according to Pro Football Focus
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The entire offensive line was selected to the Pro Bowl or was named an alternate
Hurts and the Eagles are one of the NFL’s most multifaceted offenses: They either have had 300-plus rushing yards or 200-plus rushing yards in five of Jalen Hurts’ last six starts. In short, they were pretty much taking turns batting in the air versus the ground. This week, it looks like air is going to be the move.
The Eagles yardage tunnel starts at Hurts since Week 12
|
Twelfth week |
137 |
363 |
|
Week 13 |
386 |
67 |
|
Fourteenth week |
184 |
253 |
|
Fifteenth week |
309 |
112 |
|
Eighteenth week |
207 |
135 |
|
Sectional tour |
148 |
268 |
Another reason Hurts can accumulate rushing yards on Sunday is that he has led the NFL in completion percentage (50%), passing touchdowns and passer rating on throws of 25 yards or more on the field this season. On the flip side, the 49ers had one of the worst deep pass defenses in the league ranking 25th or worse in all of the above categories.
Passing over 25 yards down the field this season, including the playoffs
|
percentage companies |
41% ** |
50%* |
|
TD-INT |
5-2** |
1-10* |
|
Traffic classification |
106.6 ** |
125.0* |
* Leads the NFL. ** 25 or worse in the NFL
Between the great protection up front and the sensitive secondary from the 49ers, Jalen Hurts rolls against the 49ers for four total touchdowns and over 350 total yards.
AJ Brown has nothing to complain about, gets 150 yards, TD
AJ Brown He seems visibly upset On the sidelines of the Eagles in the Central Philadelphia Blow New York Giants in the divisional round, 38-7. He only had three catches for 22 yards in the run-heavy approach that night. Still, it will be all smiles for Brown, whose 1,496 yards this season set a single-season record for the Eagles, going up against the aforementioned injury-prone minor 49ers.
He had seven touchdowns of 25 yards or more this season, tied for second most by any player in a season since air yards were first tracked in 2006. He’ll add to that total in a big way.
Most receivers receiving TDs on throws for 25+ yards are on downs since 2006
|
2022 |
Davant Adams |
8 |
|
2022 |
AJ Brown |
7 |
|
2010 |
Mike Wallace |
7 |
|
2007 |
Randy Moss |
7 |
In addition to being a deep passing defense this season, the 49ers have struggled to keep up with wide opponents all season along as they are ranked 25 or worse in several categories while Jalen Hurts is a top 10 rusher when throwing to receivers, including Brown. and DeVonta Smith, the first Eagles receiving duo to each receive over 1,000 yards in the same season in team history.
The NFL rankings target WRs this season
|
percentage companies |
30 |
The tenth |
|
Yards / Att |
25 |
fourth |
|
TD pass |
T 26 |
T-6th |
Despite being the league’s leading scorer and total yardage defense, the 49ers’ top wide receiver has let their opponents go for more than 100 yards in three of their last four games. Brown would do it easily and catch a touchdown or two.
Wide receivers 100 yards vs. 49 since Week 17
|
week 17 in Raiders |
Davant Adams |
7-153-2 |
|
Wild Card Tour vs Seahawks |
DK Metcalfe |
10-136-2 |
|
Marks Tour vs. Cowboys |
Sir Lamb |
10-117-0 |
Asian Championship match: Bengals in heads
Travis Kelsey sets a record for most postseason receptions
Everyone on earth knows that when there’s a Kansas City Chiefs football game, the 2022 All-Pro first team first-team gets a lot of passes. He’s led all tight ends in catches (110), receiving yards (1,338) and receiving touchdowns (12) this season, and is on his way to becoming one of the most prolific post-season pass catchers in NFL history.
His 120 receptions are the second most all-time behind only Goat Jerry Rice (120); 1,389 yards of receiving yard tied for third all-time with Rob Gronkowski. His 14 touchdowns is the third most of all time, but he would vault into second place behind only Rice in that category with just two more points.
Kelsey caught 14 passes, third-most in a playoff game all-time and one fewer than tying the single-game record, for 98 yards and two touchdowns a week earlier in Kansas City’s divisional round victory against the Kansas City Division. Jacksonville Jaguars. with Mahomes less than 100%, he would need to rely more on his safety blanket since he wouldn’t be able to use his scramble magic to create many lanes. Kelce ends up threatening the NFL’s all-time single game record with 20 receptions, one less than the previous Denver Broncos Receiver Brandon Marshall 21 that he had against colts In week 14 of the 2009 season.
Ja’Marr Chase lights KC again (10 catches, 200 yards, 2 TDs)
Chiefs like Ja’Marr Chase have been dominated by one wide receiver: Hall of Famer Lance Alworth. The Bengal connection between Joe Borough and Chase was one Kansas City hasn’t slowed yet in the team’s last three meetings, all Cincinnati wins. Burrow completed over 80% of his passes to his former college teammate for over 400 yards and four touchdowns in the Bengals’ three-game winning streak off Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs.
Joe Burrow targets Ja’Marr Chase against the Chiefs
|
comp / at |
24/29 |
|
passing yards |
417 * |
|
passing yards / Att |
14.4 |
|
touchdown passes |
4 |
|
Traffic classification |
144.0 |
Most scoring yards by any player in a 3-game stretch against the Chiefs since Lance Alworth from 1965-66
Chase’s dominance over the Chiefs’ secondary three games was more prolific than what Hall of Famer John Stallworth could do in his best three against Kansas City as well as Hall of Famer John Elway’s MVP, Rod Smith, in his best three. – The match stretches against their rivals in West Asia.
Most receiving yards in a 3-game span vs. the Chiefs all time*
|
1963-1964 |
Lance Allworth |
480 |
|
1965-1966 |
Lance Allworth |
438 |
|
2021-2022 |
Ja’Marr Chase |
417 |
|
1998-2000 |
Rod Smith |
405 |
|
1982-1985 |
John Stallworth |
400 |
* Including qualifiers
A minor leaguer has allowed the most touchdowns (33) in the league this regular season and the second-highest red zone touchdown rate (67.3%), trailing only Indianapolis Colts (67.9%). Facing one of the NFL’s most suspect minor league teams, the Burrow-to-Chase connection will hit big again and again on Sunday.
Burrow throws the winning TD with just under 13 seconds left, not giving Mahomes enough time
In the most recent postseason, Patrick Mahomes did what seemed impossible, walking Kansas City onto the field to tie an AFC Divisional Division Game against the NFL. Buffalo bills After a Josh Allen touchdown pass gave the Bills a 36-33 lead with 13 seconds left. Lightning usually doesn’t strike twice, nor will it do so after the season. The game would be tied late in the fourth quarter, just as it has been in each of the last three Bengals-Chiefs games, and Joe Burrow would throw a touchdown pass with 11 seconds left to break the tie, giving the Bengals a seven-point edge. Mahomes managed to put Kansas City within field goal range within 13 seconds against Buffalo, but he wouldn’t be able to go the entire length of the court in nearly the same amount of time. Thanks to Joe Cool, the Bengals will raise the Lamar Hunt at Arrowhead Stadium for the second straight season.