The Conference Championships determined the Super Bowl LVIII showdown between the AFC and NFC champions.
In the American Football Conference, the Kansas City Chiefs faced the Baltimore Ravens. The Chiefs were coming in with MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes leading the No. 1 offense in the league. The Ravens had a stellar defense led by veteran safety Marcus Williams. In the National Football Conference, the San Francisco 49ers faced the Detroit Lions. The 49ers arrived with one of the best defenses in the NFL, which allowed the fewest yards and points. The Lions relied on their quarterback, Jared Goff, and their receiver, Amon-Ra St. Brown.
In the AFC championship game, Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs showed they have what it takes to win challenging playoff games, defeating the Baltimore Ravens and candidate for MVP Lamar Jackson. The Chiefs’ defense rose to the occasion, containing the Ravens’ offensive dynamic.
Meanwhile, in the NFC, the San Francisco 49ers proved their dominance by beating the Detroit Lions. The 49ers offense was firing on all cylinders behind the running game and accurate passing. Defensively, they stifled the Lions, who struggled to move the ball effectively.
Now, Super Bowl LVIII will be a great game between the Chiefs and the 49ers. That has the makings of an exciting rematch between two high-powered offenses led by talented young quarterbacks in Mahomes and Brock Purdy. Let’s remember that these two teams faced just a few years ago on the great stage.
Conference Championships Games
Baltimore Ravens 10–17 Kansas City Chiefs
San Francisco 49ers 34–31 Detroit Lions
NFL Conference Championships Roundup: Ravens 10-17 Chiefs
When and where?
Sunday, January 28th, 3:00 pm ET, 2:00 pm CST, and noon PT at the M&T Bank Stadium
Moneyline odds:
Ravens 1.56
Chiefs 2.74
Where Can I Watch it?
The AFC Conference Championship between the Baltimore Ravens and the Kansas City Chiefs was a game of a lot of tactics and precision. However, the Chiefs managed to take an excellent 17-10 victory, despite playing away from home.
The visitors came into the game looking to reach their second straight Super Bowl, led by quarterback Patrick Mahomes. The Ravens were favored after their 13-4 regular season win behind the candidate for MVP Lamar Jackson. However, the Chiefs’ defense was able to contain Jackson, with 272 passing yards, one touchdown, and one interception.
On the other hand, Mahomes showed why he was last year’s MVP, throwing for 241 yards and one touchdown. The Chiefs jumped out to a 17-7 halftime lead and held on for a 17-10 victory. Surprisingly, Kansas City’s maligned defense was the story of the game. They forced one interception from Jackson and several turnovers.
Similarly, the Chiefs’ offense was also somewhat stagnant in the second half of the game, as they could not score a single point. However, they also implemented a solid defense, which led to one of the best offenses in the league, the Ravens, scoring only 3 points via a field goal.
Finally, the defending champions won the AFC Conference Championship game by 17-10, and now, they will look to revalidate the title in Super Bowl LVIII. That would be quite the feat, as no team has not won consecutive championships since the Patriots in 2004 and 2005.
NFL Conference Championships Roundup: 49ers 34–31 Lions
When and where?
Sunday, January 28th, 6:30 pm ET, 5:30 pm CST, and 3:30 pm PT at the Levi’s Stadium
Moneyline odds:
49ers 1.35
Lions 3.75
Where Can I Watch it?
On the other hand, what was expected to be a close and low-scoring game, ended up being a banger, and with more than 60 points between the two teams. The 49ers made their house respected against the Lions in this NFC Conference Championship game, but there is no doubt that they had to suffer a lot to take the 34-31 victory.
The 49ers came into this game as favorites after leading the NFC West with 12-5, their bye in the Wild Card Round in the first round of playoffs, and their victory against the Packers by 24-21 in the Divisional Round. On the other hand, the Lions sneaked into the playoffs with the same record, beat the Rams 24-23 in the Wild Card, and beat the Buccaneers in the Divisional Round.
The 49ers offense was firing on all cylinders behind quarterback Brock Purdy. He threw for over 260 yards and one touchdown, handing the ball off to Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, and Brandon Aiyuk. However, the running game was also impactful, with Christian McCaffrey rushing for 90 yards on 20 carries and two touchdowns.
On the other hand, the Lions offense struggled to find the rhythm. Quarterback Jared Goff was under constant pressure and had one interception. Running back David Montgomery provided a bright spot with 93 rushing yards and one touchdown, but it wasn’t enough.
The 49ers’ key defensive players included Fred Warner, who had nine tackles, and Ji’AYIR Brown. The Lion’s offense was very close to giving the surprise at the end of the game, but they fell short.
The Lions started the game very well, winning the first half by 24-7. However, the 49ers woke up and turned the scoreboard around in a great way, scoring 17 points and keeping the Lions’ offense at bay to take this great victory by 34-31.
The 49ers are heading to the Super Bowl with a chance for revenge after their last loss in the LIV edition.
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Eduardo Perozo: Author
Eduardo Perez is a Gambyl sports betting staff writer. He is based in South America and is an expert in all things Football especially when it comes to Ecuardorian and Brazilian league soccer.
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