NFL Weekly Game Previews: Conference Championships

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This is NFL Game Previews, and I'm game preview guy here with in depth primers on every single game that's going to be played this week.

Hey, they asked for it, and they out what they asked for, But he said it this day.

Does let me come that next week?

Right up?

Kansas City Chiefs back in the AFC Championship Game for the sixth straight time.

The NAFC Championship Game. I mean, that's what you try to do every single season. Our goal is just to get to the super Bowl, and that's going to take everything we have this next week. So this is a great Ravens team that we're going up against.

They had to Baltimore to see if they can come up with a way to keep John Harbaugh from breaking out another rendition of the senior citizen Humpty dance. Chiefs have won four straight.

Hey, listen, no.

Dancing today, No.

Dancing today. We got we got more to do.

Looked better last week offensively than they have all year. Pat Mahomes maybe comes in off his best outing of the year.

It's always fun when you get to come together as a team and really just be like y'all versus everybody and get the win.

He put up his highest rate at least over one thirty went seventeen for twenty three, over nine yards per attempt, two touchdowns, no picks.

Watch him fake this.

Right here, like I'm gonna throw it over you, and it gets Douglas to leave his feet.

Mahallas has been doing this for years.

Baltimore at Super Bowls door for the first time since twenty twelve. They've now won ten of their last eleven games with Lamar Jackson starting, who.

Was rusty, you know, it was windy, it was cooling.

His head got down, Jackson, cape Stanley in front of him, touchdown Lamar.

When we came out second half and we deal we were supposed to do.

Course from the board and after last week, Baltimore with a minimum of thirty one points in each of their last seven home games with Jackson at QB.

I thought Lamar was gonna play great.

But he's played great all year, you know, and just now it's it's more important than ever. He's been locked in from day one. That's his turn, and we've all kind of that.

Then we're going out a championship game at that, because that hey the bar.

This is the fourth installment of Lamar Mahomes. Mahomes as a three to one edge. Mahomes is three and two in conference championship games. Hasn't ever played one on the road, but he won away from Arrowhead last week, so the whole hasn't ever had to win a playoff game on the road. Thing is no more, you're.

On the road.

It's it's you vers him, It's you versus everybody in the stadium, and you have to come together as a team, and the guys do that.

This is Lamar's first conference championship game.

Said about you having one playoff win?

Have you heard that?

Motivate you are?

That?

You are Jackson plus elite rush, offense plus elite defense plus home field advantage. That's what Casey is up against. Baltimore's win over Houston in the divisional round was more or less what twenty twenty three Ravens football is all about.

Quarterback dropped the middle.

He's in the tense Glomar Jackson.

Jackson's dual threat abilities were front and center in the division round win. His legs, though, are what make him special, and they propelled Baltimore into the conference championship game. One hundred yards rushing nine point one to carry two scores.

Jackson has to go, and boy when he goes, he goes right up the middle of the field.

Kansas City just finished playing Josh Allen gave up seventy two yards rushing to him six a run, two tds.

Space is on the.

Loose again, another first down for Buffalo.

Jackson is just a third or maybe a fourth of Baltimore's rush attack. Kansas City's defense should expect plenty of Gus Edwards, Justice Hill, maybe some Dalvin Cook Hill last week sixty six yards, five point one a run.

Justice had a great game on second and nine Hill first down plus.

I told Justice, I said, man, you're really really talented, but your heart's even bigger.

Hill hit over five a carry this year in limited duty Edwards versus the Texans forty yards for a carry. Gus with eight hundre plus yards for the year, thirteen paint jobs first.

And goal Edwards into the end zone from touchdown Ravens.

Cook chipped in twenty three yards in his first action for Baltimore. All that versus the number one rush defense versus running backs too. Chiefs didn't play backs nearly as well as Houston, but they did keep James Cook in check. He went for four point seven to twenty twenty three. They kept him to three point four a carry. Linebacker Nick Bolton had a whopping thirteen tackles.

Right into Bolton drives it back after one.

Chief's secondary also up against it. Jackson's most recent MVP outing came complete with nice passing stats. Repeating myself, Baltimore's offense a run dominant outfit. They sported a one thirty run pass split for the year, but when they throw, it's produced nice results all day.

Patement, nice diving cats.

Lamar went sixteen for twenty two last week, one hundred and fifty two yards two tds. No picks a rating over one twenty.

Team to win an MVP award, All right, but I know who the MVP is, then Lamar Jackson.

Should be noted too. Houston, a team that doesn't blitz a lot, sent the house after Lamar all game long, seventy five percent of his dropbacks. That's an absurd rate. He faced pressure forty three percent of his dropbacks. That's a lot, and none of it matter.

And they have ten guys within five yards.

Let's pressure coming past completed, Isaiah likely pulls his way down to the twenty seven yard line.

Once Lamar was able to sit back to or just.

Kind of just kind of pick him a park in the ball out quick. He just did a great job of that, and I took patrol again.

No Ravens pass catcher had even fifty yards versus Houston wasn't required. Zay Flowers led them in targets. He was their leader on that front all year. Four catches forty one yards versus Houston.

Patree coming on a blitz again, Jackson steps up Say Flowers with a catch at a first out.

Flowers has been the most consistent Lamar target this season. He's a slot guy, so he will go mano almano with Trent McDuffie, Kansas City's nickel cornerback. He made first team All Pro this year, so that's a top shelf one on one.

He'll throw it the near side Tyrek Hill right the stomach, fubbles the ball.

Picked up like Kansas sent it.

Probably is the best team I've ever been off.

From the fronts of Baltimore's wide receiver supporting cast Jackson threw one of his TVs to wide receiver Nelson Aguilar. Last week. Obj was quiet, He's always a threat. Rashad Bateman hauled in thirty nine yards.

Yeah, I finished. You know, still playoff. Who're not in the dance yet, But I'm looking forward to next week to be honest with Chiefs.

Counter with Lugerius Snead who will also stick Flowers hoop Doug coming.

In here about the bed bac and which no man at all can play ball.

He tracks wr ones with the best. Stefan Diggs in the divisional game, eight targets, only twenty one yards, only three catches.

If our defense was just as good as a.

Compets a second d ten almost picked off.

That was mcduffy who jumped in front dis who's been held to only three catches. After Flowers, Jackson usually turns to his tight ends. Isaiah Likely scored last week.

Jackson Enzon likely for the touchdown.

And there's a chance tight end Mark Andrews returns from injury. That would be huge if he did six touchdowns in his ten games. Can't hurt to have an elite pass catcher added to the mix.

Right leak at barside complete Andrews having across midfield, down the bars.

Sideline along at a way the maliant forty yard line.

Chiefs pass defense was tough on tight ends, held him to an eighty seven point five rate this season, seventh lowest defense.

Start off a little slow and then they picked it up. I'm so proud of them and.

The job that they did.

Spags had a great game plan. The pass rush.

Sitch Lamar was sacked three times by the Texans second down.

In nineteen and down goes Jackson again.

Two of them right before the half, so not super damaging. Jackson didn't fumble, hasn't lost a fumble in a long time. Ball security not an issue for him this year. Kansas City's pass rush, with the second most sacks for the season, didn't have one last week, though, and only hit Allen twice.

Guy can he get home?

Yeah?

Two? Yeah, I can be so good again.

Chiefs Chris Jones, George Parloftis, Charles o'menahu, Mike Dana between six and a half and ten and a half sacks each for them this season. Kansas City got away with a win without much pressure while giving up more points than normal on defense because their offense are erupted for twenty seven points. Casey may have had its issues in twenty twenty three, but when they put up twenty five plus points eight to no including the playoffs.

Toney, that's what we get in all day, Toney toutsdown is the rentality Tondy all day.

Putting up twenty five on Baltimore is going to be a challenge. Ravens faced the number one QB in passing yards per game for the year. Last week. Baltimore held CJ. Stroud, who came in hot to one hundred and seventy five yards, no touchdowns, just five point two yards per attempt, a low seventies rae.

You know all these Purple jerseys in the physicalness in which they arrived, I mean they are pounding on him, and you got Hutchinson just doing everything he can to squeak out any kind of.

Yarded their divisional round showing akin to how they played quarterbacks all year. They were either the top secondary this season or co champs at the very least.

Off the deflection, the Ravens have the pick Brandon Stevens on the right spot and he's running with him.

Chiefs offense trying to Dent, the number one defense in points per game allowed for the season, held Houston to ten. They didn't give up a single TD five straight. No team has scored twenty points on Baltimore.

Tunka by lower high throw intercepted by Gino Stone.

Ravens secondary will primarily be focused on two casey pass catchers. Travis Kelcey, of course, who has two good playoff games under his belt now two touchdowns versus the Bills, seventy five yards and one heart for the love of his life, A lot hairrier than you would have thought, right.

Travis Kelsey scores that touchdown.

They showed Jason Kelcey with his shirt off up in the sweet chugging a beer.

I thought the Baltimore's linebackers Roekwan Smith, Patrick Queen's safety is Kyle Hamilton. Gino Stone's second toughest in the league on tight ends, holding him to a low eighties rating.

Buyers incomplete.

That ball came first thing out as soon as it arrived in his hands because the Ravens just blew him up.

Kansas City's wide receivers don't have it any easier either. Ravens faced Nico Collins, a thirteen hundred yard receiver held him in check to sixty eight yards.

Stroud tried to fit it in to Nico Collins, broken up by Marcus Williams.

Baltimore's cornerbacks Arthur Mallett, Brandon Stevens, Ronald Darby, Marlin Humphrey, who didn't play last week. A nightmare for wideouts this year, Baltimore held wide receivers to the third lowest rate for the season.

Here's a balt tips and nearly picks Rice.

He went for forty seven yards last week. He had a great rookie year. Holves gets twisted around that escapes complete sitting for the first down, and it's Rice. Mbs also hauled in a big catch versus the Bills, sixty two yards going with.

A long ball. What a catch mvs.

Mahomes would take similar protection. The Bills didn't make it home to see him once and they only hit him twice.

Here they come on second at eight.

He's able to get ahead of him and go down the field and connects. Buffalo's pass rush was fourth and sacks for twenty twenty three too. The Ravens pass rush he faces didn't sack Stroud once, but their front factored into that game. They pressured him a whopping fifty four percent of the time. That's a fat number.

Here's pressure by ball left Stroud on third down has to throw it away.

They were the bad Kings in twenty twenty three. Three guys with nine plus sacks Kyle Vanoy, Jadavian Clowney defensive tackle, Justin Madubique.

Tuka bay Lola pump fake and he is sacked by Matabek Ravens.

Run defense not a strength in the regular season held Devin Singletary, a dude hitting at four point five plus over his last five to six games two point two a run just twenty two yards round game.

Has been non existence.

Rub Kwan Smith got through to make that stop at.

A loss of three.

Now they take on Isaiah Picchecko, who went to work on Buffalo's defense. Ninety seven yards six point five a run, a touchdown. Jaco is a beast, run so hard, looks like he's trying to run through a brick wall every handoff.

Here's Pacheco into the secondary and letting.

Down the sideline.

Mahomes legs can't be ignored. He was the king of the scramble. First down, this season.

The homes A couple of times he's able to fake as if he's going to give it up to Bell, and he keeps going kicking games.

Chiefs Harrison Bucker two for two last week, six for six in the playoffs.

Doctor nails a top one into the win of forty seven yards to tie the game.

Justin Tucker also two for two last week. He hit from fifty three yards.

Fifty three yards on a windy day. He's so good.

Chiefs seven and two as the road team, Ravens seven and two at home with at the Helm.

We're excited for the opportunity, but we're Reggie and we're mad. You know, we got a lot to prove.

Chance it could rain temp In the mid forties, Baltimore and Kansas City have faced only once in the playoffs. Remember this one twenty ten Baltimore thirty to seven win. Joe Flacco, Terrell Suggs, ray Lewis, good time.

Would you rather be right.

Here right now?

Right? Ah? Let me do it, Nan, Let's do it right here.

You're built for this, You're built for this, man, and look what you gotta do.

If you went out there and then what it's another hot team that we knocked off.

The Detroit Lions are knocking on the door of the Super Bowl for the first time since nineteen ninety one.

That's wait, a mount up Man, that's not it. That's a that's a difficult team to beat.

Man.

And there's the snap.

Blitz comes may feel back low, its goes pick up Lions hit by the Lions.

Hit the Lion. Derek Park, Derek Barks, Dirk Barks. Maybe one thirty three to go the Lions uck. Oh, it doesn't effort. That's god, that's two.

All right, that's two.

We got two to go with the buy in the meddle.

They head west this week to take on the San Francisco forty nine Ers in the NFC Championship Game for the third time in a row four of the last five years now.

A shot gun take trout Prussia gets chased out to us like we'll.

Throw on the run back medal and is in accepted.

Go down.

Drake Ringla and the forty nine Ers will host the NFC.

Title Game next Sunday.

Unbelievable.

Unbelievable.

These two teams did not play each other this year. That's fantastic. Makes this matchup that much juicier Mountain of good matchups to get through. You can agree disagree with the order add subtract in the comments section. First up,

Charleston McCaffrey, big hole and he runs out across the thirty bricks at tackle is gone touchdown, Say damn same.

So that makes the Lions top defensive priority. And there are a lot of them. But it starts with CMC San Francisco now eleven and one after last week when he runs for seventy five plus yards at last week versus Green Bay almost one hundred yards over five yards per carry, two touchdowns.

Kathleen McCaffery stars fully leaders in front.

McCaffrey dubbed the top running back of the year. He was first team All Pro.

There is absolutely nowhere to go, squorts through and takes it all the way down to the goal line.

Hey be mad that.

The Lions have not fared well against backs in their two postseason games. Gave up four point seven to carry to LA's Kirn Williams, then last week gave up six point one to run to Rashad White gave up four point eight to carry to Chase Edmonds. Didn't hurt as bad because the two only combined for thirteen total carries, but they will see much more than that this week.

Stop defeat start up good runner Sean White.

Detroit was third in yards per carry allowed for twenty twenty three. Anzelone one hundred and twenty nine tackles for the season. Campbell almost had one hundred.

They handed Jacobs again and that did war plays made by Anzeloni.

They have to play McCaffrey in the passing game as well. He was the safety val versus the Packers. He went for five hundred plus receiving yards this season. Purty targeted him twelve times last week, far and away the most of any player, only thirty yards, but better than taking a sack.

Gets through the edge and taxing around. Good hard work for McCaffery.

Both run games huge in this contest, but can anyone see Detroit advancing without Jared Goff having a good game at number two Goff versus San Francisco's secondary. Goff has been on fire in the playoffs. He's had one hundred plus right games in three st eight two hundred and eighty seven yards versus Tampa Bay A raiding over one hundred two touchdowns, no picks bad. What a play by Jared Goff.

He was gonna get thrilled.

He knew it, he understood it. He didn't flinch at all and delivered a strike on that big third death play.

Goff has had as good a year as he's ever had. He guided Detroit's offense to the fifth most points per game, third most yards per game. That offense stacked up against the San Francisco defense, third in points per game allowed. Whoo whooa forty nine ers defensive strength stopping the pass. They were a top five secondary in twenty twenty three. Last week versus a very hot Jordan Love held him under two hundred yards, under six yards per attempt, picked him off twice, low seventies rating.

Third and eight Love fir and end zone. Not to wait, it's incomplete. Sharfarius Ward with the big play.

So how about Rock Perdy versus Detroit secondary. Perdy was solid versus Green Bay solid in the he got out of the game clean over two hundred and fifty yards, no picks, one touchdown, an eighty six point seven rating, and give him credit. He now has a late game playoff comeback under his belt. That's why George Paul's in BCB.

He's Purty lowening up has a benin that's called Chris Connelly.

Purdy, the top statistical QB this year, faces a Detroit secondary that did not perform great against quarterbacks in twenty twenty three. Gave up almost three hundred and fifty yards to Baker Mayfield last week mid nineties rating eight and a half yards per attempt.

On second down, may Feelings Evans caught it touchdown.

Mike Evans a sir mix a lot big butt. Though the Lions also picked off Mayfield twice, they recently got CJ. Gardner Johnson back in their backfield. That dude is a playmaker, excepting into the hands of seat Jake Gardner Johnson and big confident Brock. That's what George George King of the Jungle calls Purty has some cleanup work to do. Two passes he threw versus Green Bay should have been picked off. One of them should have been housed. It could have swung the game.

They're party looking to throw has some time rifles over the bit on it picked off, It should.

Have been picked off.

It was right there for Savage, who had a pick six last week and he just couldn't hang on.

Still, he now has the knowledge he can overcome struggles before the clock strikes zero. Number four Detroit running backs Daved Montgomery and Jamier Gibbs versus San Francisco linebackers Fred Warner and Drake Greenlaw. Warner and Greenlaw showed last week by many think they're the best one to two linebacker punch first team All Pro. Warner showed his hardware was well deserved. Seven tackles won for a loss.

Reed in motion gets it on the flip Jaden Reid, He's gonna go nowhere. Well played by guess who?

Fred Warner Greenlaw eight tackles the game ending. I int he had two picks on the game.

Love the time again. I've tried bad. It's picked off.

Drake Greenlaw has it and there's the big play the Niners get on defense.

Still, the forty nine Ers gave up four point one yards per carried to running backs this season. That was middle of the pack, and last week they gave up over one hundred yards to Aaron Jones on six yards per carry.

Jones in open territory.

Aaron Jones, how's a chance midfield Montgomery. He had a quiet game last week. Thirteen tds for the year, though one thousand plus yards. The rookie Gibbs was the star as a receiver and runner forty receiving yards versus the Bucks the middle by.

Gibbs pulling aways Gibbs instead.

Of the twenty yard live.

The forty nine Ers held running backs in the passing game to an eighty four point two right fifth lowest.

Love back to throw last time now throws Jones underneath Jones' is wrestled down to the ground.

By green Law gives the runner seventy four yards last week eight point two a carry a TD second.

To two kids get up the field gets accelerates. Text of the inside basy through.

The touchdown matchup Number five San Francisco right tackle Pulton mckivitz versus Daden Hutchinson. Mckivitz is the only line in San Francisco, who gave up ten plus sacks this season.

Berty in some trouble perti is sacks.

Hutchinson moves around, so expect him to spend a lot of time across from mckibbots. Being first team All Pro Trent Williams lines up at left tackle for the Niners. Hutchinson is on a sack bender another one last week. Three QB hits as a sack in four straight games, eight total in that window.

Mayfield right down by Hutchinson and nobody put a body on Hutchinson.

Detroit's pass rush overall wasn't a big strength for the year, but they did sack Baker Mayfield four times last week.

Presser Cubs got a fund, Mayfield got away.

Not for long.

How about Nick Bosa versus Lions right tackle Tone Sewel. This is Hulk Hogan versus Andre the giant kind of material. San Francisco pass rush zero sacks, thirty four pass attempts last week. Still they pressured love a heavy forty percent of his dropbacks. Nick Bosa had five QB hits. That's a huge number for one game.

They come on the bliss Love back couldn't wait, threw it.

Off its back foot, Bosa's second most ub hits the season. Sewell only gave up three sacks all year. Detroit was tied for fourth in sacks allowed for the year.

Didn't ever play.

On the other side, Left tackle Taylor Decker will battle Chase Young. Young no sacks in four straight games. Decker gave up nine sacks for the year. None in the postseason, though. Oh Next up Brandon Aiyuk, Juwan Jennings, Deebo Samuel versus Detroit's cornerbacks. Lions corner Cameron Sutton has struggled bad in

Takes him deep, shut down four evens, He's got it now long him death the one it beat Sutton again?

Will he have debo to worry about this week? Samuel almost racked up nine hundred yards for the year seven tds, but he hit by a brick last week. Knock the blank out of the game with a shoulder injury.

And absorbs a hit, keeps on going. You certainly hope that he's okay. So important to this forty nine ers attack, it would.

Be surprising if Deebo doesn't play this week, though, I mean, he's Debo and it's not just that he's a star. San Francisco's offense just isn't the same without him. Average yards per play dropped by over a yard without him on the field this year.

When he's in there, I mean, you like, match him with Christian You're swimming around stuff like that. It makes our offense, what I think, is different than any other offense in the NFL. So my concern for him not playing next week, yeah, we're a different team without Dubo.

Jennings stepped up in Deebo's absence last week. Five catches sixty one yards.

Floats with a high and it's taught. I don't want to pick playing Juwan. Jennings goes up to get it. HiT's a first down at a twenty one yard game and.

Then there's a second team er. I U only thirty plus yards versus Green Bay, but over thirteen hundred for the year.

There comes pressure. Party was protected and Brandon Hayuk's got the first down.

To thirty for the year. Detroit gave up a ninety six point four rate to whiteouts twenty four. Let's stick with that position though. San Francisco's Tarvarius Ward versus Detroit wide receiver I'm on russ Saint Brown. Ward made second team All Pro likes Ricky Nelson, so he'll go wherever Saint Brown goes. Had five tackles in a pass defense last week, firing en.

Zone knocked away and it's incomplete. Charvarius Ward with the big play.

Saint Brown went for seventy seven yards last week, has seventy five plus yards and six straight games.

Down de truot down.

Saint Brown will also do battle with San Francisco cornerback Diamador lenor their nickel cornerback. He had a great outing versus Green Bay. Five tackles, five targets, only two catches, only eight yards.

Okay, get him out of here, send them back to Texas man.

The Niners have held wide receivers to an eighty point five rate and twenty twenty three, sixth lowest. Cornerback Ambry Thomas needs to rebound, though he got hit with two major flags versus the Packers gave up a rating over one fifteen protective.

Let's a fly Tea's going from Melody as he flow up.

Down, there's a flag, There's a penalty. Every Thomas was there again. He had a pass interference Paul earlier.

Forty nine Ers also have Josh Reynolds to chase around. He scored last week. Speedy Jamison Williams had thirty five yards, but Saint Brown and Sam Laporta dominate Goff's looks. Saint Brown had fourteen last week, Laporta eleven. Laporta was second team All Pro this year. Nine catches sixty five yards versus.

The Bucks.

And Laport's on the run again.

San Francisco's safeties, along with Warner and Greenlaw, are a tough draw for the rookie, Though held tight ends to an eighty six point three rating, fourth lowest.

Holby Parkinson gets drilled right away. Gaire Brown.

Let's stay with the tight end position. Detroit gave up a ninety seven rating to tight ends fourteen. They faced the best tight end in the game, first team All Pro George Kittle on thousand plus yards twenty twenty three comes off an eighty one yard outing in a score?

Why do you follow me around?

Is it because I'm cute?

I thought so.

Lions six and three on the road, San Francisco six and two at home with starters in place. These two have played in the playoffs twice. Nineteen fifty seven, Detroit beat the Niners on their way to a world title. Nineteen eighty three, the Niners beat Detroit behind some Hall of fame QB.

Here's Montan already play action Blake again pros into the end zone.

Put Book Put Cop.

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