Playoff Predictions: Conference Championships 2019

We have arrived at the Final Four, and both Conference Championship Games are rematches of exciting games from the Regular Season. If you’re not a fan of spoilers, stop reading now because I am about to ruin this weekend of football for you. If you already had plans for Sunday, read on. Since my predictions always come with a 100% accuracy guarantee™, you don’t have to worry about whether or not the information is good. So read on, and enjoy the piece of mind of not having to worry about missing any action from this coming weekend.

Los Angeles Rams (13-3) @ New Orleans Saints (13-3)

Sunday, 3:05 PM ET (Current Line, Saints -3.5)

What a treat this game will be, as we get a rematch of Week 9’s 45-35 thriller, in which the Saints were just able to edge out the Rams in New Orleans, handing them their first loss of the season. And just like it was in Week 9, the rematch will be played in New Orleans, at the Mercedez-Benz Stadium. This wonderful NFC Conference showdown pits the number 2 scoring offense against the number 3 scoring offense, in what is sure to be a thrilling affair. The potency of both offense is well known. Goff is having a great season, thanks to the scheming of Sean McVay, and the wealth of talent that has been placed around him, in the form of Gurley, Cooks, and Woods. Meanwhile New Orleans may feel even more comfortable than Los Angeles, as the veteran tandem of Sean Payton and Drew Brees (a pairing that won the Super Bowl during the 2009 season) will look to lead their own talented group of players to victory, which includes studs such as Kamara, Ingram, and Thomas.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Rams ranked 19th and 20th in scoring and total defense. While the Saints were slightly better, coming in at a mediocre 14th in both scoring and total defense, they were actually 29th against the pass and 2nd against the rush. It will be interesting to see if Los Angeles looks to exploit New Orleans’s obvious weaknesses in their pass defense, or if they choose to simply run the ball down the Saints’ throats, similar to how they did against Dallas’s stingy run defense in the Divisional Round of the playoffs, when Anderson and Gurley combined for a bonkers 238 yards on the ground. Back in Week 9, it was the aerial show for both teams, as Goff and Brees threw for 391 and 346 yards, respectively. Will we see a similar aerial attack from both teams, or will either of these teas try to dictate the flow of the game on the ground?

Prediction: This one is all offense, as both quarterbacks go off for huge games. Brees and Goff both top 400 yards, as defense is simply not a factor. At halftime, the Saints lead the Rams, 24-20. Los Angeles immediately takes back the lead to open the second half, when they score on a 75 yard screen pass to Gurley. In the dying stages of the game, New Orleans, down by 2, drives the length of the field, ultimately settling for a short 31 yard field goal with 31 seconds left, which gives them a 1 point lead. On the ensuing Rams possession, Goff is able to hit Woods and Cooks for two chunk plays that sets them up for a long, 59 yard field goal with 4 seconds remaining. Zuerlein hits the kick with enough power, but it sails just wide to the left. HOWEVER, the Saints had called a timeout, so he gets another chance to hit the game-winner… and he misses again, this time wide right! HOWEVER, a Saints player is ruled to have been offside. Zuerlein gets one more chance at what is now a 54 yard field goal. He hits it perfectly down the middle, as the Rams win, 43-41.

New England Patriots (11-5) @ Kansas City Chiefs (12-4)

Sunday, 6:40 PM ET (Current Line, Chiefs -3.0)

What a treat this game will be, as we get a rematch of Week 6’s 43-40 thriller, in which New England was just able to edge out Kansas City in Foxborough. Unfortunately for the Patriots, playing at Arrowhead is much more difficult than playing at home. Still, you have to like New England’s chances, especially after watching them decimate the Chargers in the Divisional Round last week.

This game will certainly be an intriguing one. Both teams have similar offensive philosophies. They both like to use misdirection. They both like to use their running backs as a critical parts of their short passing game. And they both love screens and quick routes. Both teams do everything they can to get their play-makers the ball early and often. The main difference, in my opinion, is that the Chiefs have much more talented skill players than do the Patriots. Both teams have a great wealth of talent at running back (though I’d say New England is slightly better at this position), using multiple running back sets to keep linebackers and safeties off-balance. Edelman is good, but he is the only legitimate wide receiver threat that the Patriots have, and even he doesn’t garner the respect of the safeties, as he doesn’t have the game-breaking speed of player like, say, I don't know, Tyreek Hill. 

Speaking of Hill... he is the main threat of Kasnas City's talented wide receiver group, which also includes Watkins, Conley, and, thanks to a recent addition, Kelvin Benjamin. And while these two teams would have been considered relatively equal at the Tight End position last season, things have changed in 2018. Gronkowski has not been his typical dominant receiving self this year (though he has been a great downfield blocker). On the other hand, his counterpart, Travis Kelce has been nearly unguardable this year, amassing 1,336 yards and 10 touchdowns over a superb Regular Season.

If there is one reason to be optimistic for Patriots fans, it is that their defense has been the far superior unit this season. While neither defense has been great, the Chiefs have been particularly bad, ranking 31st in Total Defense. Obviously they have made up for it with an historically great offense that ranked first in scoring and yardage, but that might not be enough to defeat the 5 Time Super Bowl Champions. 

Prediction: This one is all offense, as both quarterbacks go off for huge games. Brady and Mahomes both top 400 yards, as defense is simply not a factor. At halftime, the Patriots lead the Chiefs, 24-20. Kansas City immediately takes back the lead to open the second half, when they score on a 75 yard screen pass to Williams. In the dying stages of the game, New England, down by 2, drives the length of the field, ultimately settling for a short 31 yard field goal with 31 seconds left, which gives them a 1 point lead. On the ensuing Patriot possession, Mahomes is able to hit Hill and Kelce for two chunk plays that sets them up for a long, 59 yard field goal with 4 seconds remaining. Butker hits the kick it with enough power, but it sails just wide to the left. HOWEVER, the Patriots had called a timeout, so he gets another chance to hit the game-winner… and he misses again, this time wide right! HOWEVER, a Patriots player is ruled to have been offside. Butker gets one more chance at what is now a 54 yard field goal. He hits it perfectly down the middle, as the Chiefs win, 43-41.

We are a mere two weeks away from the Super Bowl. Which two teams will represent their conference on the NFL’s biggest stage? Who will be the two contenders for the 53rd edition of the NFL’s top prize? All our questions will be answered soon.