The four Divisional Round games produced four thrilling matchups that were all decided by late scores, setting the bar pretty high for these upcoming playoff games. 

But, the stakes are even higher as Sunday’s matchups determine who will play in Super Bowl LVI on February 13. Here’s what to expect for both NFL Conference Championship games. 

49ers at Rams: 

The San Francisco 49ers will battle the Los Angeles Rams for the third time this season during Sunday’s NFC Championship Game at SoFi Stadium in Southern California. 

At first glance, the 49ers seem to be the favorites, as they won both regular-season meetings, 31-10 in Week 10 in San Francisco and 27-24 in overtime in Week 17 in Los Angeles. 

That being said, it is extremely difficult for a team to beat another team three times in a season. This is just the second time the teams have met for the NFC title, the last encounter being 31 years ago. 

Looking at how the two teams match up on the field, it is clear that the 49ers’ powerhouse offense will simply overwhelm the Rams’ defense.

The 49ers are a dedicated running team with rookie Elijah Mitchell. They are always effective because of an elite offensive line powered by left tackle Trent Williams. Additionally, they are a very diverse passing team led by hybrid wideout Deebo Samuel. Second wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk and tight end George Kittle also create many matchup problems with their quickness and size, respectively. Finally, the 49ers’ offense is able to mix big pass plays from Garoppolo via deep shots and setting up receivers to run well after the catch in the open field. 

As for the Rams’ offense against the 49ers’ defense, quarterback Matthew Stafford’s connection with Cooper Kupp is certainly hard to contain anywhere. The 49ers are currently limited at the cornerback position and will have their share of issues there. Unfortunately, the problems don’t stop there for the 49ers’ defense, as they will have to also worry about the newly second wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. and tight end Tyler Higbee. 

The Rams need to be a lot more committed to the run this week, as the 49ers are middle of the pack in that area. This balance of running and passing will relieve and would help take pressure off Stafford and not subject him to more of the edge pass rush from both Nick Bosa and Arik Armstead.  

The NFC Championship game is this Sunday, January 30th, at 6:30 PM EST and will be broadcasted on FOX.  

Bengals at Chiefs: 

The Cincinnati Bengals will be taking on the Kansas City Chiefs for a second time in the AFC Championship game at Arrowhead stadium after scraping by with a win against them in week 17 to clinch the AFC North division title. 

Both the Bengals and the Chiefs have played very well this season to get this far in the playoffs. 

Bengals’ Quarterback Joe Burrow bounced back after tearing ACL in 2020 and led his team to a division title with the help of his former LSU teammate Jamarr Chase. 

They faced the Las Vegas Raiders in the wildcard round and sealed the game with a late interception against Derek Carr, meaning the Bengals would move on to the divisional round to face the #1 seed Tennessee Titans. 

This game was sloppy because Joe Burrow was sacked nine times. Ryan Tannehill threw three picks that cost the Titans their season and proved that the Bengals defense is a serious threat. Kicker Evan McPherson kicked the game winning field goal to advance to the AFC Championship game

The Chiefs began the season 3-4 with Quarterback Patrick Mahomes struggling to win games, but the team found their rhythm and eventually finished the season 12-5. The Chiefs played against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the wild card round, and after a scoreless first quarter, the Chiefs ended up making points and won 42-21. 

The end of the Bill-Chiefs game was packed with a lot of action with the Chiefs trailing 36-33 with 13 seconds left in the game. They ended up tying and went to win in overtime.

The AFC Championship game is this Sunday January 30th, at 3:05 P.M. EST on CBS.

Predictions: 

Preston: Despite the troubles they will face at the cornerback position, the 49ers have a great handle on this matchup. Their key personnel and overall philosophy is significantly more effective than what the Rams have to offer. While Stafford is the better overall QB than Garoppolo, the 49ers have the advantage and can easily win on special teams by making a clutch, unexpected play. For these reasons, I have the 49ers defeating the Rams on a game winning field goal,  24 – 21. 

Mino: I’ve got the Chiefs winning by 10 of a final of 41-31. Mahomes throws for 5 touchdowns and Chiefs move on to Super Bowl LVI.