The NFL Roundup 2022: Championship Sunday Preview

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Hello again football fans, and welcome to a very exciting edition of the NFL Roundup. Because today, we get to spotlight Championship Sunday. A day where two teams will advance to the biggest game in all the land, the Super Bowl, and all they have to do to make that happen… is leave it all on the field and beat the tar out of a quality and strong opponent. Which means we are likely in for some epic and powerhouse games, the kind that will undoubtedly take our breath away and have us talking about the big moments for days on end. So, without further ado, let’s dive right in and preview what we can expect from tomorrow's AFC and NFC Championship Games. 

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American Football Conference Championship
Cincinnati Bengals at Kansas City Chiefs
GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium – Kansas City, Missouri
3:00 p.m. EST – CBS

​THE BUZZ
This is a game that has everyone excited because it is in essence, a David and Goliath type story. For the Chiefs are a juggernaut in the playoffs and are fearless and fierce in championship games. To the point where they have begun to instill terror into their opponents in the postseason. And they’re also hungry, as evidenced by how hard they fought for the win in last weekend’s Divisional Round, and they are hosting a supremely unique underdog in the Cincinnati Bengals. Because despite having some leaders on both sides of the ball, the Bengals just haven’t put a complete game together yet in the playoffs and keep making mistakes. But ironically, those mistakes sure don’t stop them from finding a way to will themselves to a win, and that sheer desire has made them the most exciting team to watch this post-season and it will also make for one exciting matchup here. 
 
KEYS TO THE GAME
This is of course a game that on paper, is Kansas City’s to lose. After all, they’re home for this game, which means they have the earth rattling noise of their fans behind them. Plus, Kansas City is clicking on offense and Mahomes keeps finding new ways to beat defenses that adjust to him. But it is possible for Cincinnati to win this game. Provided that a few things fall into place. First and foremost, the secondary has to play lockdown man coverage on KC’s many weapons and disrupt their routes and second to that, the defensive line has to generate pressure and contain Mahomes so he doesn’t run all over the place. As for the offense, well they need the line to stay stout so Burrow and his weapons can attack the weak secondary that KC boasts. And if they can pull all that off, they’ll win and honesty… there’s a chance they might pull off the upset. Because this team continues to find a way to just forge ahead. So, don’t be shocked if the Bengals end up hoisting the Lamar Hunt Trophy before booking their plane tickets to Super Bowl LVI.

National Football Conference Championship
San Francisco 49ers at Los Angeles Rams
SoFi Stadium – Inglewood, California
6:30 p.m. EST – FOX

​THE BUZZ
Conference Championship games that feature a pair of teams from the same division are rare, but when they do happen, they are often something special. Because both teams involved, know that there are additional bragging rights that come with beating a rival and advancing to the Super Bowl in doing so, and that alone makes this game exciting. But there are more reasons as to why people are eager to watch this game and a lot of it has to do with the improbable nature of how these teams got here. After all, the Niners were expected to lose in the Divisional Round. But thanks to their patience and execution on special teams, they were able to knock off the mighty Green Bay Packers. As for the Rams, well they defied the odds and their own stupidity on the field to beat the ageless wonder that is Tom Brady and now both teams will try and play a perfect game, so they can compete for the Lombardi Trophy in Super Bowl LVI.
 
KEYS OF THE GAME
The fact of the matter, is both of these teams are evenly matched and that should lead to quite the game. One that should be high scoring in nature and fun to watch across the board. But evenly matched or not, the path to victory for either team… revolves around perfection. Because both of these teams are mistake prone at times and that’s cost them in big games and they can in fact, use that to their advantage. For instance, if the Niners D attacks Cam Akers’ ball handling or rattles Matthew Stafford with a fierce pass rush, they should be able to generate mistakes and turnovers. As for the Rams D, well they simply need to use disguised looks in the passing game to confuse Jimmy G, since he struggles to read masked defenses and makes mistakes because of that. As to who wins this one, well that is indeed anyone’s guess. Because both of these teams are talented enough to hoist the George Halas trophy and really in the end, this game might come down to who wants it more.