A trip to Super Bowl LVIII is on the line Sunday, with the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens battling for the Lamar Hunt Trophy in the AFC Championship Game, and the Detroit Lions and San Francisco 49ers dueling for the George Halas Trophy in the NFC Championship Game.
Which teams will come out on top? We here at The Comeback take our best shot at predicting the Championship Sunday results.
AFC Championship Game
Michael Dixon: It’s hard to go against Patrick Mahomes. Anyone who can confidently do that has simply not been paying attention to his career. It’s also hard to ignore that, after struggling through the final weeks of the regular season, the Chiefs seem to have flipped a switch in the playoffs. That said, none of it necessarily means they’ll win on Sunday.
Baltimore has the best-rushing offense in the NFL. That can help the Ravens not only move the ball, but also keep Mahomes on the sidelines. It also figures to be a raucous M&T Bank Stadium, and if it ends up being a close game, Justin Tucker is not Tyler Bass. Expect a close game here. Mahomes will do his damage. But I ultimately believe that the Ravens keep Mahomes and the Kansas City offense in check just enough to get back to the Super Bowl.
Prediction: Ravens 34, Chiefs 31
Matt Clapp: The Ravens have the best record in the NFL this season and beat the 49ers on the road by 14 points in a Christmas showdown.
Baltimore is a complete football team, with the defense ranking first, the offense ranking fourth, and special teams ranking third by DVOA (Defense-adjusted Value Over Average). Lamar Jackson has been sensational as a dual-threat quarterback and is a lock to win his second NFL MVP award. And the Ravens are at home in what’s sure to be a very raucous environment at M&T Bank Stadium.
Everything says to pick the Ravens in this game, especially against a Chiefs team that has shown flaws throughout the season.
And yet, I can’t get myself to bet against Patrick Mahomes! He’s a Michael Jordan, LeBron James-esque force, unlike any individual player we’ve seen in football.
Prediction: Chiefs 24, Ravens 21
Sam Neumann: Baltimore is the best and most complete football team that Kansas City has and will face this season. Sure, they’re humming and have saved their best football for last, but we can’t discount the fact that Baltimore has put together one of best seasons in recent memory on the back of the likely NFL MVP — Lamar Jackson — and one of the league’s best defenses.
You could argue that the Ravens have the best two coordinators in the NFL, Todd Monken and Mike Macdonald, respectively. And top of having an All-Star coaching staff and one of the best rosters in Pro Football, they have reached unprecedented heights, which include nine two-plus touchdown wins over teams with winning records.
It’s hard to fathom betting against Patrick Mahomes — and I very well could regret doing so. I wouldn’t be surprised if Kansas City has another rabbit to pull out of its hat, even with mediocre receiver play, but Baltimore is the better team in every facet that matters. In order to win, Kansas City is probably going to need Jackson to have one or two turnovers, Isiah Pacheco to run for over 100 yards, and Travis Kelce to have another vintage game.
Of course, it’s entirely possible that happens on top of Mahomes being Mahomes. But this just seems like we’re destined to have Baltimore playing for its first Super Bowl since 2012-13. And why shouldn’t we feel that? Jackson is playing at an otherworldly level and finally has the weapons and offense around him to put those playoff narratives to bed.
Prediction: Ravens 28, Chiefs 26
Arthur Weinstein: Everyone is touting the dream matchup between quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson. That has to fire up both defenses, which ranked No. 1 (Baltimore) and No. 2 in the NFL in the fewest points allowed this season. Both teams are tough against the pass but soft against the run. Ravens running back Justice Hill could be a surprise, given Kansas City has struggled defending backs in the passing game.
The Chiefs have had their time in the spotlight in recent years; this just feels like the Ravens’ turn.
Prediction: Ravens 27, Chiefs 20
Chris Novak: At this point, the Kansas City Chiefs might as well be like the 2000 New York Yankees. Nothing that’s happened thus far this postseason really reflects just how out of sync the Chiefs appeared at times this season. They’ve conquered through their first two tests and a sense of “inevitability” has come over this team.
I think that while Lamar Jackson and Baltimore have had a great year, I will not go against conventional wisdom. Give me the Chiefs.
Prediction: Chiefs 27, Ravens 23
Andrew Bucholtz: The Ravens stand out as a complete football team. This regular season saw them finish fourth in points for (483), first in points against (280), and first in net points (+203). And they were dominant last week in a 34-10 win over the Texans, while the Chiefs barely edged out the Bills.
Contrary to comments from some people who should know better, Lamar Jackson is very capable of beating teams as a passer, and when you add in his rushing abilities and their strong group of running backs, that offense is tough to stop. But it’s the defense that’s really impressive; they’ll face a tough test against Patrick Mahomes and company, but what they’ve done to date suggests they’ll get there.
Prediction: Ravens 28, Chiefs 24
Ben Koo: It’s hard to bet against the Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes, especially given what we’ve seen the last two games. The Chiefs’ offense seems to have gotten their groove back and the defense has been consistent.
But the Ravens’ ability to bleed the clock with long drives, coupled with a homefield advantage, Justin Tucker, and their talented defense, will punch their ticket to the Super Bowl in what will be a classic playoff game.
Prediction: Ravens 22, Chiefs 20
NFC Championship Game
Michael Dixon: There’s a reason no score was predicted here. To give you a little peek behind the curtain, I’m a 49ers fan. I’m also perhaps the most pessimistic 49ers fan anyone will ever meet. And Brock Purdy’s struggles against the Green Bay Packers, as well as the team’s inability to close out big games that aren’t complete blowouts in recent seasons, give legitimate cause for concern.
That said, looking at things objectively, Detroit is a good matchup for San Francisco. The availability of Deebo Samuel is a huge factor. But even if he can’t go or is a shell of himself, enough the matchups generally tilt in the 49ers’ direction. A better weather forecast in Santa Clara also works in the home team’s favor.
Matt Clapp: It’s been an incredible run for Dan Campbell and the Lions, but they’ll need to take things to another level to come away with a road victory over the 49ers. The health status of Deebo Samuel is a big one to monitor, but I think the 49ers will be able to move the ball and put up points vs. this Lions’ defense with or without the star wide receiver. Getting Brandon Aiyuk more involved than the Packers game (3 receptions, 32 yards) should be a game-plan focus for Kyle Shanahan and Brock Purdy.
In the end, San Francisco has too much firepower on both sides of the ball and gets a home-crowd boost that will make things even tougher on Jared Goff and the Lions’ offense.
Prediction: 49ers 31, Lions 23
Sam Neumann: I don’t feel right picking the San Francisco 49ers, even though I know they’re the better team. Even without Deebo Samuel, whose status for Sunday’s game very much feels like it’s up in the air, the 49ers should be able to drive the football down the field against a rather suspect defense. But what I’m intrigued by here is if Aidan Hitchinson can become a gamewrecker against one of the better offensive lines in football. If the Lions’ front seven is able to pressure Brock Purdy consistently and force him into a couple of mistakes, I like their chances of leaving San Francisco with a win.
That said, dominance in the trenches is paramount, and not just featuring Hutchinson instigating havoc; the offensive line needs to fortify itself like a stronghold, with David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs relentlessly attacking San Francisco’s interior with the running game.
The Lions wear the underdog mantle well. And from my vantage point, I can Jared Goff playing just well enough to secure a win against his boyhood team.
Prediction: Lions 35, 49ers 31
Arthur Weinstein: The 49ers have been the team to beat in the NFC for months now. There’s no reason to change that pick now, even though the Lions have really impressed to get this far.
Detroit has the offensive weapons to keep this close, but the 49ers should have no problem racking up points. If the Lions can force a couple of turnovers, they have a chance, but it won’t be easy facing the best team in the NFC on their home field.
Prediction: 49ers 34, Lions 24
Chris Novak: Detroit has been the biggest story of the NFL season. The Lions are 60 minutes away from their first Super Bowl appearance ever. They obviously have as good a chance to make the Super Bowl as they have in 33 years.
But the Lions are up against one of the best teams in the league the last few seasons. The 49ers have been here before, they’ve experienced it all before, and they’re still an extremely tough unit. I’ll take the Niners. This game will probably play close before the Niners truly break away.
Prediction: 49ers 24, Lions 16
Andrew Bucholtz: The 49ers come into this one as strong favorites, but the Lions are perhaps being overlooked a bit.
The Lions were also 12-5 this season, and their offensive numbers weren’t far behind San Francisco’s (461 points for versus 491). The 49ers look to have the better defense, giving up just 298 points this season versus the Lions’ 395, but Detroit has proven able to make some big plays defensively. And while Brock Purdy has certainly had a strong season for San Francisco, he didn’t look great last week against Green Bay (252 yards and one touchdown), and he tossed four picks against the Ravens on Christmas Day. If he has an off game, this could be a Detroit upset.
Prediction: Lions 24, 49ers 21
Ben Koo: The Niners haven’t shined like many thought they would in the playoffs, but some better weather, homefield advantage, the likely return of Deebo Samuel, and a leaky Lions defense will see them round into form on their way to another Super Bowl.
Prediction: 49ers 34, Lions 24
