With just over two weeks to go until the Super Bowl finale, the NFL playoffs are set for a gripping conclusion as we head into this season’s conference championships.
Sunday promises to be another enthralling day of playoff football, with reigning champions the Kansas City Chiefs first making the trip to the Baltimore Ravens in a blockbuster encounter that pits superstar quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson against one another.
And once that matchup is settled, it’s over to San Francisco as the 49ers look to thwart the Detroit Lions’ fairytale run to a first conference title game since 1992.
So which teams will secure their tickets to Las Vegas this weekend?
Dailymail.com takes a look at the big talking points heading into Sunday’s AFC and NFC Conference Championship games.
The omens are certainly good for Baltimore heading into their showdown with last season’s Super Bowl winners, who are looking to become the first team to retain the Vince Lombardi trophy since the New England Patriots in 2004.
Following a sensational regular season in which they amassed a league-best record of 13-4, Lamar Jackson and Co cruised past the Houston Texans in the Divisional Round, allowing zero offensive touchdowns in their 34-10 victory.
As a result they meet the Chiefs on Sunday with the No 1 scoring defense in the NFL and a first-team All-Pro quarterback at their disposal in Jackson – a combination which has struck gold on every single occasion in the past.
The three previous teams to boast as much – the 1972 Miami Dolphins, the 1978 Pittsburgh Steelers and the 1996 Green Bay Packers – all went on to win the Super Bowl.
Baltimore will be a significant favorite to prevail at M&T Bank Stadium, though Kansas City is still buoyant from its hard-fought win over the Buffalo Bills – who served as the Ravens’ biggest challenger in the AFC up until that point.
Travis Kelce, one of the greatest tight ends in NFL history, looked back to his best in Buffalo after scoring two touchdowns, while the Chiefs have a breakout receiver in Rashee Rice.
The ingredients are there for a potential classic in Baltimore on Sunday afternoon.
All eyes will be on Mahomes and Jackson at M&T Bank Stadium; one a two-time Super Bowl champion and the poster boy of the league, the other a favorite for this season’s MVP award and the best running quarterback the NFL has to offer.
Given Jackson’s strength in running with the football, and the Chiefs’ struggle at containing Josh Allen on quarterback sneaks in their win over the Bills, Andy Reid could have a problem on his hands in Baltimore.
Despite their eventual defeat, Allen had 72 yards on just 12 carries against Kansas City after finding a way to get out of the pocket and gain yards whenever a play broke down.
Nevertheless, while Allen is of course one of the league’s standout quarterbacks, Jackson is the greatest of them all when it comes to running, with his statistics proving as much.
In comparison with the Buffalo man alone, Allen had 111 carries for 524 yards in the 2023 season, while Jackson had 148 carries for a total of 821 yards.
The Chiefs defense will need to up its game when it comes to limiting quarterback sneaks on Sunday, though it will be a gigantic ask against a runner as skilled as Baltimore’s MVP candidate – who is coming off a historic performance against the Texans.
Jackson flexed his muscles at the quarterback of the moment against Houston, registering two rushing touchdowns and two touchdown passes.
With that being said, Kansas City of course has a stellar quarterback of its own in Mahomes, who is 3-2 in AFC title games.
The 28-year-old’s sack rate of 3.9 percent and sack-to-pressure rate of 13.8 percent ranks second in the NFL to Allen, demonstrating the elusiveness he still enjoys under center.
