Tennessee Titans (9-7) @
Kansas City Chiefs (12-4)
Sunday, 3:05 PM ET
(Current Line, Chiefs -7)
The only thing I can say
for sure is that if the Titans end up making it to the Super Bowl, they certainly
deserved it. A win against the Chiefs will mean that Tennessee would have vanquished
all of the AFC’s top three seeds on their way to the AFC Title. While their regular
season record was not impressive at all, it should be noted that the Titans
have been a totally different team since they replaced Mariota with Tannehill
behind Center. As I have previously pointed out, Tannehill led the league in
quarterback rating this season at 117.5, on his way to amassing a record of
7-3 as the starter in Tennessee. So, Tannehill must be the reason that Tennessee’s success has continued
through the playoffs, right? Well, as you know, through two playoff games Tannehill is averaging a mere 80 yards passing per game. Yet the Titans
continue to win, imposing their will on opponents, thanks to a heavy dose of
Derrick Henry and arguably a heavier dose of suffocating defense. Will their
success continue against the potent Chiefs offense?
Do you think Kansas City
remembers their meeting with the Titans back in Week 10? I know I do. It was a
wild game that saw clutch plays/chaos propel the Titans to an unexpected
victory. Fortunately for the Chiefs they will have the home crowd on their
side for the rematch, as the Arrowhead faithful hope to will the Chiefs back to
the Super Bowl, somewhere they haven’t been in 50 years. As I’ve already
mentioned, the Titans have built their playoff run on defense. However, Mahomes
is a whole different beast. With so many speedy weapons at his disposal, this
offense is designed to score fast and often. The only fear for Kansas City is
that they are not designed to stop the run. This season, the Chiefs ranked 8th against the pass and 26th against the run. It looks like Henry will
be feasting again this weekend, unless the Chiefs can get out to an early lead.
If Tannehill is forced to throw the ball a lot, this game could turn into a
rout.
Prediction: It’s the
Titans who get out to the early lead, as Henry scores from 1 yard out after a
long touchdown drive to open the game. Things start to feel eerily similar to the game in
Baltimore just a week ago, as the Titans score again in the second quarter, making it 14-0. Kansas
City is able to cash in on a couple of Butker field goals, as Tennessee heads into halftime with a 14-6 lead… the same score they led by last weekend. Arrowhead goes
silent as Tennessee scores the next 14 points (just like last weekend),
extending their lead to 28-6 in the third quarter. However, that’s when
everything changes. The Chiefs score three touchdowns in 7 minutes of game
time, all off the arm of Mahomes. For some reason, Andy Reid doesn’t go for two
after any of the touchdowns, so the Chiefs still trail 28-27 midway through the
fourth quarter. With three minutes left in the game, Mahomes throws his fourth
touchdown pass of the afternoon. However, a missed two-point conversion leaves
the door wide open for a Titan rally, as Kansas City only leads by 5. Tannehill moves the Titans into Kansas City territory before a game-clinching sack on fourth down seals the win and completes the epic comeback for the Chiefs, on their way to a 33-28 victory and a Super Bowl LIV berth.
Green Bay Packers (13-3)
@ San Francisco 49ers (13-3)
Sunday, 6:40 PM ET
(Current Line, 49ers -7.5)
The NFC Title game will
also be a rematch from the regular season. However, the Packers would prefer
that you not know about that, as they got walloped 37-8 in their earlier meeting with the Niners this season.
The San Francisco defense was their typical suffocating self, holding Rodgers
to a paltry 104 yards passing, largely thanks to a relentless pass rush that
recorded five sacks. So, should we expect similar things this time around? There's little reason to see why not. Garoppolo has only gotten more comfortable as the year has gone on, his torn
ACL a distant memory. Kittle is one the most talented tight ends in the league.
Sanders has been a great addition to the passing game. The running backs are at
full strength. And the defense really has been as good as advertised.
However, no matter what
the aforementioned past result may say, this Packer team is nothing to scoff
at. Green Bay hasn’t dropped a game since their loss to the Niners in Week 12.
That being said, they haven’t exactly been playing against top talent as of
late. While wins over the Vikings and Seahawks looked good, barely escaping against the Redskins and Lions did not. Still, with
Rodgers behind Center it would be silly to count this team out. Though Aaron
is certainly no longer in the prime of his career, he can still sling the ball with the
accuracy of a top-tier quarterback. Now, if he can just avoid getting sacked all
day, Green Bay may stand a chance.
Prediction: Just like in
Week 12, Rodgers is strip-sacked on the opening drive of the game. Coleman
punches the ball into the end zone from two yards out, as the Niners are rolling
from the onset. However, Green Bay is immediately able to right the ship this
time, as the Packers score on their next drive, tying things up in the early
going. Things slow down after that, and at halftime San Francisco only holds a narrow
lead, 13-10. After the break, the Niners strike first on a long touchdown pass
to Deebo Samuel. The floodgates begin to burst, as San Francisco outscores
Green Bay 21-0 in the third quarter. Rodgers continues to get harassed in the
backfield, as the Packers simply cannot find their rhythm. The Niners strut
their way to Super Bowl LIV, 37-18.
I predict an all-red Championship Game. Kansas City heads to their first Super Bowl in 50 years, while
San Francisco returns after a brief seven-year absence from the league’s
biggest game. Enjoy this weekend of football!... even if you already know what's going to happen.
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