Who’s ready for double the fun? We here at A to Z will now be sending two newsletters per week to your inbox, one early in the week and one later. Both conference championship games are officially set, and we’ll preview each matchup. But first, let’s start off with a hot-button topic from the divisional round that’s on every NFL fan’s mind.

Like what you’re reading? Subscribe to our newsletter below!

—Nick Roesch, Staff Writer at A to Z Sports

---

SUBSCRIBE to our emails here:

_{By submitting this form, you hereby acknowledge and agree to receive email communications from A to Z Sports. We value your privacy and will handle your information with care. You will have the option to unsubscribe from our emails at any time through a link provided in each correspondence. Please review our Privacy Policy for more details about how we manage your information.}

---

Fair or Foul? Chiefs’ playoff win overshadowed by controversial officiating

NFL officiating unfortunately overshadowed what was a great divisional playoff round. There were two controversial unnecessary roughness penalties called against the Houston Texans during their 23-14 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. The first was roughing the passer on Texans defensive end Will Anderson Jr. on a hit against Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, and the other was a late hit on Texans linebacker Henry To'oTo'o, also against Mahomes on a nine-yard rush.

Many fans, analysts, and Texans players were outraged over both calls, but former NFL Senior VP of Officiating Walt Anderson said that each of them were correctly enforced. After the game, Anderson Jr., running back Joe Mixon, and coach DeMeco Ryans sounded off over their displeasure with the officiating.

While he didn’t specify Houston or any of its players, Chiefs cornerback Jaylen Watson had this to say on X following K.C.’s win.

“I miss when grown men took they losses like a man a new day and ago though…”

Regardless of which side you’re on, I think we can all agree the NFL has had significant officiating issues for many years. But it’s tough in real time for referees to judge how hard someone has been hit, and it’s even tougher for a defender to stop his momentum while running at full speed. Hopefully at some point a middle ground can be found between both points.

In regards to the Texans-Chiefs game specifically, it’s a tough sell to me that Houston would have won that game even if those calls never happened. K.C. dominated the fourth quarter, scoring 10 points, sacking quarterback C.J. Stroud five times, and blocking a field goal.

---

Previewing Championship Sunday: Bills-Chiefs, Commanders-Eagles

We’re down to the final four as the Buffalo Bills will travel to K.C. to take on the Chiefs and the Washington Commanders visit Philadelphia to face the Eagles.

The Chiefs and Bills are matching up in the postseason for the fourth time in five years. The storyline here is whether the Bills can finally get over the hump as K.C. has beaten them all three previous times. Buffalo beat the Chiefs 30-21 in Week 11, sealing the game with a late rushing touchdown by quarterback Josh Allen. It was practically the Chiefs’ only loss this season, with their only other defeat coming from the Denver Broncos with major starters resting.

The Commanders are this year’s Cinderella team. Not many people had them making it all the way to the NFC Championship Game at the beginning of the year, but QB Jayden Daniels is a rookie sensation and coach Dan Quinn has his defense playing at a high level. The Eagles have been an elite team all year, led by arguably the best defense in the NFL and an MVP-worthy season from running back Saquon Barkley.

Making a case for a Chiefs win: Let’s start with the fact that this game will be played in K.C. and Mahomes has a 10-2 record at home during the postseason. The Chiefs are a much different team than the one that lost to the Bills earlier this year. Joe Thuney has solidified the left tackle position, and key pieces such as wide receiver Hollywood Brown, RB Isiah Pacheco, and cornerback Jaylen Watson have returned from injury.

Making a case for a Bills win: Allen has played the best football of his career this season and has perhaps the deepest arsenal of weapons he’s ever had in WRs Khalil Shakir and Keon Coleman, along with tight end Dalton Kincaid and RB James Cook. Buffalo’s defense has put it together over the past month after a rocky start, including containing the league’s No. 1 offense in the Baltimore Ravens last week.

Making a case for an Eagles win: Philadelphia finished the regular season with the No. 1 overall defense, allowing the least amount of passing yards and points among all teams. Yes, one of the Eagles’ losses during the regular season came to the Commanders, but QB Jalen Hurts missed most of that game with a concussion. Philly is perhaps the deepest team in the league, and nobody has had an answer for Barkley all year.

Making a case for a Commanders win: Washington is hot, winning its last seven games. The Commanders are dangerous because they have nothing to lose as nobody expected them to make it this far. Daniels is a dual-threat QB who is wise beyond his years, and the Commanders’ defense is a playmaking unit that gets after the QB and forces turnovers. Hurts hasn’t been the same since suffering a concussion against Washington about a month ago, making the Eagles a bit one-dimensional.

---

Only A to Z Sports newsletter subscribers get the rest of this email, which has the latest NFL news and more.

Don't miss out on next week's full newsletter: SUBSCRIBE to our FREE weekly NFL newsletter to receive updates on your favorite NFL team and the rest of the league straight to your inbox.

^{By submitting this form, you hereby acknowledge and agree to receive email communications from A to Z Sports. We value your privacy and will handle your information with care. You will have the option to unsubscribe from our emails at any time through a link provided in each correspondence. Please review our Privacy Policy for more details about how we manage your information.}