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NEW YORK, NY. — The Buffalo Bills visit the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game, meeting in the postseason for fourth time in the past five seasons. The Washington Commanders travel to Philadelphia to face the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship Game, the fifth conference title game between divisional opponents since 2002.
NFC Championship Game (Sunday, 3 p.m. ET, FOX/FOX Deportes)
No. 6 Washington Commanders (14-5) at No. 2 Philadelphia Eagles (16-3)
- Postseason history: Washington defeated Philadelphia, 20-6, in the 1990 NFC Wild Card round, the only postseason meeting between the two franchises, as Mark Rypien threw touchdown passes to Gary Clark and Pro Football Hall of Famer Art Monk, and Pro Football Hall of Famer Darrell Green had one of his six career postseason interceptions.
- 2024 regular season: Philadelphia and Washington split their regular-season meetings, with each team winning at home. In Week 11, the Eagles defeated the Commanders, 26-18, as Saquon Barkley rushed for 146 yards, including two rushing touchdowns in the final five minutes of the fourth quarter to seal the win. In Week 16, Washington overcame a 13-point fourth quarter deficit to defeat Philadelphia, 36-33, as Jayden Daniels threw a career-high five touchdown passes, with three coming in the fourth quarter, including the game-winning touchdown pass with six seconds remaining.
- Divisional opponents in Championship games since 2002: Philadelphia and Washington will mark the fifth Conference Championship game between divisional opponents since 2002. In the previous four such matchups, the division-winning team won three times and each of the four winners went on to win the Super Bowl. The previous matchups: 2021 NFC Championship (San Francisco, 17 at L.A. Rams, 20), 2013 NFC Championship (San Francisco, 17 at Seattle, 23), 2010 NFC Championship (Green Bay, 21 at Chicago, 14) and 2008 AFC Championship (Baltimore, 14 at Pittsburgh 23).
The Dolphins make me cry, the offseason has commenced for the Miami Dolphins
- Washington notes: Washington advanced to the Conference Championship game for seventh time since 1970 (5-1 record) and for the first time since the 1991 season. The Commanders became the sixth team since 2009 and the third team in the past four seasons (2021 – Cincinnati and San Francisco) to make the Conference Championship game after finishing in last or tied for last place in their division the season before.
- The Commanders, who selected quarterback Jayden Daniels with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, are the fourth team in the common-draft era to make a top two selection in the NFL Draft and make the Conference Championship in the same season, joining the 2019 San Francisco 49ers (Nick Bosa), 2006 New Orleans Saints (Reggie Bush) and 1996 Jacksonville Jaguars (Kevin Hardy).
- Dan Quinn: Quinn, who has led the Commanders to 14 wins this season (including the playoffs) after finishing with four wins last season, is the second coach ever to improve a team by 10 wins in his first season with a club (including the postseason), joining Tony Sparano (improved 10 wins in 2008 with Miami). He also became the fourth head coach in the last 15 seasons (2010-24) to lead his team to a Conference Championship appearance in his first season with a club, along with Jim Harbaugh (2011 with San Francisco), Gary Kubiak (2015 with Denver) and Matt LaFleur (2019 with Green Bay).
- Jayden Daniels: Daniels can become the sixth rookie quarterback all-time to start a Conference Championship game, joining Joe Flacco (2008 with Baltimore), Shaun King (1999 with Tampa Bay), Brock Purdy (2022 with San Francisco), Ben Roethlisberger (2004 with Pittsburgh) and Mark Sanchez (2009 with the New York Jets).
- With a win, Daniels can become the first rookie starting quarterback to start a Super Bowl, first rookie starting quarterback to win three postseason games and surpass Ben Roethlisberger (14 wins in 2004 with Pittsburgh) for the most wins by a rookie quarterback, including the postseason, in NFL history.’
- Additionally with a win, Daniels can become the sixth quarterback ever to win three road postseason games in one playoff run, joining Tom Brady (2020 with Tampa Bay), Tony Eason (1985 with New England), Eli Manning (2007 with the New York Giants), Aaron Rodgers (2010 with Green Bay) and Ben Roethlisberger (2005 with Pittsburgh).
- Daniels, who already has the most completions by a rookie quarterback in the postseason in NFL history (46), can become the first rookie quarterback ever with five postseason touchdown passes and with six passing yards, will surpass Russell Wilson (572 passing yards in 2012 with Seattle) for the most playoff passing yards by a rookie quarterback all-time.
- Philadelphia notes: For the first time in franchise history, the Eagles will host a Wild Card, Divisional and Championship game in the same season. Philadelphia has a 4-4 record in Conference Championship games since 1970, including wins in each of their past two appearances (2017 and 2022).
- Nick Sirianni: Including the postseason, Sirianni has won 52 games since being hired as Philadelphia’s head coach in 2021 and is one of two head coaches with at least 50 wins in his first four seasons, including the playoffs, along with George Seifert (57 wins). With a win, Sirianni can join Pro Football Hall of Famer Joe Gibbs and Mike Tomlin as the only head coaches to make the Super Bowl in two of his first four seasons.
- Saquon Barkley: In the Divisional playoffs, Barkley totaled 232 scrimmage yards (205 rushing, 27 receiving) and two rushing touchdowns, the second-most scrimmage yards in a playoff game by a running back in the Super Bowl era, trailing only Pro Football Hall of Famer Eric Dickerson (244 scrimmage yards on Jan. 4, 1986). Including the playoffs, Barkley has the third-most rushing yards (2,329) and fourth-most scrimmage yards (2,638) by a player in a season in NFL history.
Prediction: The Philadelphia Eagles have announced that quarterback Jalen Hurts (knee) has been removed from the final injury report and is available to play in Sunday’s NFC Championship Game against the Washington Commanders. Jayden Daniels has revitalized the Washington franchise, and his performance will ensure that the game remains competitive for the Commanders. Saquon Barkley serves as a significant differentiator between these two teams and is a candidate for the Most Valuable Player award. Eagles 24 – Commanders 21.
AFC Championship Game (Sunday, 6:30 p.m. ET, CBS/Paramount+)
No. 2 Buffalo Bills (15-4) at No. 1 Kansas City Chiefs (16-2)
- Postseason history: The Chiefs hold a 4-2 record in postseason meetings against the Bills, including three consecutive victories in the 2020 AFC Championship Game and 2021 and 2023 AFC Divisional Playoffs. In the postseason last year, Patrick Mahomes connected with Travis Kelce for two touchdowns in the win.
- 2024 regular season: The Bills have won four consecutive regular-season games against the Chiefs, including a 30-21 win in Buffalo in Week 11 to hand Kansas City their first loss of the season. In that meeting, Josh Allen totaled 317 yards (262 passing, 55 rushing), including the game-sealing 26-yard touchdown run on fourth down with 2:17 remaining in the fourth quarter to secure the victory.
- Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes: On Sunday, Allen and Mahomes are set to become the fifth set of starting quarterbacks to face each other in at least four postseason games since 1950, joining Tom Brady and Pro Football Hall of Famer Peyton Manning (five times), Pro Football Hall of Famers Terry Bradshaw and Ken Stabler (four), Pro Football Hall of Famers Brett Favre and Steve Young (four) and Tom Brady and Joe Flacco (four).
- Buffalo notes: Buffalo advanced to the Conference Championship game for seventh time since 1970 and can advance to the Super Bowl for the first time since qualifying in four consecutive seasons from 1990-93. Since last year’s Wild Card playoffs, the Bills have no turnovers in their past four postseason games, becoming the first team ever without a turnover in four consecutive postseason games.
- Buffalo, including the postseason, leads the NFL with 35 takeaways and has committed a league-low eight turnovers this season, and only seven teams all-time have finished with a better turnover differential, including the playoffs, than the Bills’ current +27. They can become the first team ever to reach the Super Bowl with 10-or-fewer turnovers, including the playoffs.
- Sean McDermott: Including the postseason, McDermott has won 93 games since being hired as Buffalo’s head coach in 2017, tied with Mike Holmgren (93 wins) for the second-most wins by a head coach in his first eight seasons, including the playoffs, in NFL history. Only George Seifert (108 wins) has more.
- Josh Allen: Allen has 83 career victories, including the playoffs, in his first seven NFL seasons. With a win on Sunday, he can surpass Russell Wilson (83 wins) for the second-most wins by a quarterback ever in his first seven seasons, including the postseason. Only Patrick Mahomes (89 wins in first seven seasons) has more.
- Kansas City notes: Kansas City reached the AFC Championship Game for the seventh-consecutive season, trailing only the 2011-18 New England Patriots (eight straight) for the longest such streak in NFL history. The Chiefs are the fourth reigning back-to-back Super Bowl champion to reach the Conference Championship game, joining the 1992-93 Dallas Cowboys, 1988-89 San Francisco 49ers and 1974-75 Pittsburgh Steelers.
- Kansas City can become the fourth team to reach three consecutive Super Bowls, joining the 1990-93 Buffalo Bills (four consecutive), 1971-73 Miami Dolphins (three) and 2016-18 New England Patriots (three).
- The Chiefs have won eight consecutive postseason games, the third-longest such streak all-time (2001-2005 New England Patriots – 10 consecutive wins; 1961-67 Green Bay Packers – nine) and since Week 12, have not committed a turnover in eight consecutive games, the longest such streak in a season all-time (including the playoffs).
- Andy Reid: Reid will be appearing in the Conference Championship game for the 12th time, trailing only Bill Belichick (13 times) for the most Conference Championship games by a head coach since 1970. With a win, he can become the first head coach ever to win multiple postseason games in six consecutive seasons and can join Belichick (nine Super Bowl appearances) and Pro Football Hall of Famer Don Shula (six) as the only head coaches all-time to appear in six Super Bowls.
- Patrick Mahomes: Mahomes enters the AFC Championship Game tied for the second-most postseason wins by a starting quarterback (16) and has the second-highest postseason passer rating (105.6, minimum 150 attempts), fifth-most postseason touchdown passes (42) and eighth-most postseason passing yards (5,312) in NFL history.
- Travis Kelce: Kelce recorded 117 receiving yards in the AFC Divisional playoffs, his ninth career postseason game with at least 100 receiving yards, the most in postseason history. In NFL playoff history, he enters Championship Sunday with the most receptions (172) and second-most receiving yards (2,020) and touchdown receptions (20), trailing only Pro Football Hall of Famer Jerry Rice (2,245 receiving yards and 22 touchdown receptions) in both categories.
Prediction: My selection is based on the fact that the Chiefs will be playing at home. Even if Lamar Jackson and the Ravens were the visiting team instead of the Bills, I would still make the same choice. The Chiefs’ prospects for achieving a three-peat are still very much in play. Chiefs 27 – Bills 25.
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