The NFL Roundup 2019: Conference Championships

Written by John Edward Betancourt 

Championship Sunday truly is a special time of year. Because on this particular day, every team that takes the field, knows precisely what is at stake. This is it, their chance to play in the game they’ve dreamed of playing in since they took up football, and all they have to do to live that dream…is win one more. It’s why these games are sometimes more intense than the Super Bowl itself, because who wants to go home, knowing they were that close to competing for the World Championship? But alas, today, only two teams will advance and without further ado, here is our preview of what to expect on Championship Sunday.

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National Football Conference Championship
Los Angeles Rams at New Orleans Saints
Mercedes-Benz Superdome – New Orleans, LA
3:05 p.m. EST – FOX 

THE BUZZ
If there’s one thing sports fans everywhere love, it’s an epic rematch and this game…is the round two we’ve all been waiting for. Because earlier this year, the Rams and the Saints met in New Orleans for an epic shootout, one where the Saints emerged victorious and all the talk that came out of that game, wherein everyone wondered if it was a preview of the NFC Championship Game, was one-hundred percent correct. And with a spot in Super Bowl LIII on the line, I think we can all expect this matchup to be an instant playoff classic as two great quarterbacks take the field, hoping to build or add to their legacy.
 
KEYS TO THE GAME
Defense. Defense. Defense. Did I mention that playing defense is the key to this game? Because that’s all there is to it my friends. For Drew Brees and Jared Goff are supremely talented at taking advantage of any opportunities that come their way which means it is up to whatever secondary is currently on the field to remove those opportunities. That means the first defensive squad that figures out how to get to the quarterback, and neutralize the receivers they’re facing off against, will be the one to earn their team the George Halas Trophy and a few plane tickets to the Super Bowl. As to which team that will be, I haven’t a clue, but man, this one is going to be a blast to watch. 

American Football Conference Championship
New England Patriots at Kansas City Chiefs
Arrowhead Stadium – Kansas City, MO
6:40 p.m. EST – CBS 

​THE BUZZ
While the New England Patriots have accomplished some incredible feats upon the field, and have been here time and time again, they’re underdogs in this game for a couple of key reasons. First and foremost, they’re not playing as well as they did last year, and they’re vulnerable and quite frankly beatable. But they’re also underdogs because, football fans are absolutely dealing with Tom Brady fatigue. There’s a general vibe outside of Foxboro, that it’s time to see someone else outside of New England in the big game and plenty of fans are hoping to see them lose this game and well, the Chiefs might fulfill that wish, because they’re hungry for revenge from the loss they suffered to the Pats earlier this season and they’re also an incredibly talented team. One that can hang with New England and make a game of it.
 
KEYS TO THE GAME
I’ll say it now, this is quite frankly, Kansas City’s game to lose. Because not only are they the better team in this game, they also proved in their Divisional win over Indianapolis that their defense knows how to adjust to a particular offense and exploit their opponent’s weaknesses and now that they’ve faced off against the Pats once before and know they can control the tempo of a game, I expect them to follow the formula to beating Tom Brady. Which means there will be some heavy blitzes coming number twelve’s way, and a lot of man coverage on the field in order to throw his timing off and if the Chiefs can execute that plan all night long, expect the Kansas City Chiefs to hoist the Lamar Hunt Trophy before booking their charter to Super Bowl LIII.