DENVER, CO — With Championship Sunday upon us, we will finally get the final two teams destined to meet in Santa Clara for Super Bowl LX. Here are my offical predictions for New England vs. Denver and Los Angeles vs. Seattle.
AFC Championship Game – New England Patriots at Denver Broncos: Drake Maye vs. Jarrett Stidham. Not exactly on every football fans proverbial bingo card in the AFC title game, but with this latest chapter in the storied Broncos-Patriots playoff rivalry, while there is no Tom Brady or Peyton Manning, this game is a new edition of a classic.
Maye, considered by many along with Los Angeles Rams QB Matthew Stafford to be the frontrunner for NFL MVP, gets his chance to cement his claim on the road at Mile High.
If Maye is to do what Brady couldn’t in three tries vs. the Broncos, he will have to do it against one of the NFL’s top defense in sacks (71) and second in total yards allowed (278.2) and led by one of the best masterminds in the game in Vance Joseph.
And there is the altitude and crowd element in playing 5,280 feet above sea level in January. New England will need to start off fast and score often if they hope to not succumb to being worn out by the second half, as many team have often done when playing in Denver.
And this is before I even discuss Sean Payton.
Payton, arguably one of the NFL’s most creative offensive playcallers will have his work cut out for him without starting quarterback Bo Nix, and putting the game in the hands of Jarrett Stitham, who hasn’t taken a snap for the Broncos in the regular season.
While it’s easy to bet against the Broncos without Nix, it is hard to beat Denver—and that defense—on their turf.
Just ask my Browns.
Prediction: Denver 24 New England 14
NFC Championship Game – Los Angeles Rams vs. Seattle Seahawks: Part III of this NFC West rivalry rubber match takes place in the Pacific Northwest with the Rams playing the role of road warriors, thanks to wins in Carolina and Chicago, now fly up the coast to tangle with a team that has quickly morphed into one of their fiercest rivals in the Seahawks.
Seattle, led by the explosive combo QB Sam Darnold and WR Jaxson Smith-Njigba along the next generation of the Legion of Boom, have been one of the most balanced and dynamic teams in the whole NFL.
Whether or not he is still seeing ghosts, Darnold looks like he has found a real home in the Emerald City, as he has thrown for 4,048 yards, 25 touchdowns and 14 interceptions.
However, if there is one team that has given him problems, it is the Rams.
In two games vs. Los Angeles, Darnold has thrown four interceptions and only two touchdowns, averaged 274.5 yards and posted a passer rating of 64.8
Despite the teams splitting their two regular season meetings, the one common denominator has been Darnold struggling to make an impact.
If the Seahawks hope to advance to their fourth Super Bowl in franchise history, they will have to help Darnold get off to a fast start and limit the opportunities of Matthew Stafford.
Stafford, who is making a legitimate case for MVP, thanks to passing for 4,707 yards, a career-best 46 touchdowns and passer rating of 109.2, seeks to punch his ticket to Super Bowl LX, and his second ring.
To do so, he will have to overcome Seattle’s aggressive and physical “Dark Side” defense led by DT Leonard Williams, edge rusher Demarcus Lawrence, Byron Murphy II and LB Ernest Jones IV, DB Devon Witherspoon, Coby Bryant, led by defensive coordinator Aden Durde, which has boasted the No.1 scoring defense (17.2 points per game), and sixth overall in total defense.
If there is one thing going in the Rams favor is that Seattle has recorded zero sacks of Stafford. If the Rams hope to have a chance, look for them to use a lot of 13 personnel (one wide receiver and three tight ends), and keep Stafford upright and clean on the road.
One other factor that cannot be overlooked is which wide receiver will have a bigger impact? In the first playoff game with two WR’s who have had 1,500-plus yards in a season in Puka Nacua (1,715 yards, 167 targets, 129 catches and 10 touchdowns) against Smith-Njigba (1,793 yards, 164 targets, 119 catches and ten touchdowns), whichever one is having the better game, should tell you which quarterback is managing to stay upright and not take any negative plays.
In this case, while Stafford will put up yards, it’s hard to not trust Seattle at home with that defense.
Prediction: Seattle 21 Los Angeles 17