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And just like that, four teams remain. The playoffs have been magical for fans, with some overtime thrillers and contenders rising to the occasion under the brightest lights that the NFL has to offer. With only two games remaining until the Super Bowl, a lot is riding on the next slate of contests. What a whirlwind of a season it’s been, even if the playoffs didn’t include some high-profile names like Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, or Joe Burrow. Despite missing those key players, the NFL playoffs have been electric.

Here’s our breakdown of the upcoming NFC and AFC Championship games.

NFC Championship: (5) Los Angeles Rams at (1) Seattle Seahawks

The Los Angeles Rams and Chicago Bears playoff matchup was an instant classic. It was cold in Chicago, and quarterback Caleb Williams pulled off some late-game heroics with one of the craziest touchdowns I have ever seen to send the game into overtime. Williams finished the day going 23-for-42 for 257 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions. Chicago struggled with fourth-down conversions, completing only three of six attempts in the contest, with several questionable decisions from head coach Ben Johnson.

While quarterback Matthew Stafford didn’t light the league on fire with his performance, he played turnover-free football that ultimately made the difference in the matchup. Stafford finished his day going 20-for-42 with 258 yards and no touchdowns. Perhaps the biggest star of the day was Rams running back Kyren Williams, who found the end zone twice against the Bears on 21 carries. Stafford and the offense, in overtime, went on a 10-play 54-yard drive to kick the game-winning field goal, ripping the hearts out of Bears fans in the stadium. The Bears were so close, and after the touchdown to send it into overtime, it seemed like Chicago had all the momentum in their favor. Head coach Sean McVay didn’t blink, and the Rams walked away with the victory.

The depleted San Francisco 49ers just couldn’t overcome the injuries against a very good Seattle Seahawks team. It was the ugliest contest of the divisional round games, with Seattle taking care of business and winning 41-6. Quarterback Sam Darnold was pedestrian, but didn’t turn the ball over, completing 12 of 17 passes for one touchdown and 124 yards. However, much like in the Chicago Bears and Los Angeles Rams matchup, it was the running game that made the difference. Kenneth Walker had three touchdowns on 19 carries for 116 yards. Walker tied Shaun Alexander for the most touchdowns in a playoff game in franchise history. The game opened with one of the loudest pops in recent memory from inside Seattle’s stadium when wide receiver Rashid Shaheed returned the opening kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown. Within the first quarter alone, Seattle went up 17-0 on a four-yard pass to Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Speaking of Njigba, Seattle was able to dominate without really utilizing their top passing option, who finished the game with only three catches for 19 yards.

Quarterback Brock Purdy couldn’t get the offense going against perhaps the best defense in football, paired with the injury to running back Christian McCaffrey; it was a nightmare scenario for the 49ers and their fans. Purdy finished leading the team in rushing yards, while going 15-for-27 for 140 yards and one interception. It was the second-most lopsided playoff loss in franchise history for the 49ers, who were missing three injured All-Pros in tight end George Kittle, linebacker Fred Warner, and defensive end Nick Bosa.

Seattle is riding high after decimating the 49ers with the suffocating defense that’s been present all year, and a large reason why the team has the No. 1 seed in the NFC. The Rams are no slouch, and they’re going to make this a game with MVP front-runner Matthew Stafford putting on a show against Seattle in Seattle. However, the wise words of “defense wins championships” will be ever-present in the matchup. Sam Darnold will have an okay day at the office, but it will once again be Walker who shines the brightest on offense against the Rams. Late in the fourth quarter, Seattle will drive down the field for the game-winning field goal, sending Seattle to its first Super Bowl appearance since 2015.

Final Score Prediction: Seahawks 27, Rams 24
Betting Odds: SEA -2.5, O/U 47.5%
ESPN Predictor: 45.6% Rams, 54.4% Seahawks

AFC Championship: (2) New England Patriots at (1) Denver Broncos

The Denver Broncos are coming off another overtime thriller against the Buffalo Bills. Quarterback Josh Allen had four turnovers in the contest, helping Denver pull out the victory. It wasn’t without controversy, though. During the overtime period, there was a play made by Bills wide receiver Brandin Cooks that resulted in an interception, with no review from the officials on the play. It’s been the talk of the NFL since it happened, with many believing that Buffalo should have been awarded the catch.

Denver’s defense was stout throughout the contest, forcing turnover after turnover and giving the offense a chance to shine. Quarterback Bo Nix finished the day going 26-for-46 with 279 yards and three touchdowns with one interception, not being sacked once in the contest. Buffalo just couldn’t generate any pressure with the front four, giving Nix all the time in the world to dissect the depleted Buffalo defense. Unfortunately, disaster struck after the game was ended as it was announced that Nix would be out for the season with a fractured ankle.

New England was able to make life miserable for quarterback C.J. Stroud, forcing four interceptions in the contest. Houston had five total turnovers, which allowed quarterback Drake Maye and the New England offense to fight and claw their way to the victory. Maye finished the day going 16-for-26 with three touchdowns and an interception against one of the best defenses in football. Running back Rhamondre Stevenson led the day with 16 carries for 70 yards. A strong second quarter from New England was too much for the Texans to overcome, and Maye put the final nail in the coffin of the Texans’ season with a 32-yard pass to Kayshon Boutte in the fourth.

Denver is the underdog once again, and for good reason. Losing the starting quarterback ahead of the AFC Championship game is beyond devastating for the fanbase, as they’ll be trotting out backup quarterback Jarett Stidham for the matchup. Head coach Sean Payton has all the confidence in Stidham’s abilities, as he discussed immediately after the win over Buffalo. However, even with a tremendous defense and a better-than-average backup quarterback, it’s going to be too much to overcome against a Patriots team that is desperate to get back to the Super Bowl. Maye shows why he’s one of the MVP front-runners in the contest, driving his team down the field late in the fourth quarter for the game-winning score. The New England Patriots, much to my displeasure, are going back to the Super Bowl once again.

Final Score Prediction: Patriots 32, Broncos 24
Betting Odds: NE -4.5, O/U 41.5
ESPN Predictor: 58.4% Patriots, 41.6% Broncos

NFL

Playoff Preview: Divisional matchups are set | A to Z Sports All-NFL newsletter

Our All-NFL newsletter from January 13, 2025.

Adam Zientek