Jan 24, 20212 min read

NFL: Championship Round preview, picks

NFC Championship Game: #1 Green Bay Packers (13-1, 1-0) vs #5 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (11-5, 2-0): The Packers come into this game as 3.5-point favorites because of a high-powered offense led by Aaron Rodgers (4,299 yards, 48 TD) and Davante Adams (1,374 yards, 115 receptions). When this offense is on, they're nearly unstoppable but the way to beat them is to get pressure. If Devin White and Ndamukong Suh get to Rodgers, the Buccaneers can pull off another upset. Expect Tom Brady (4,633 yards, 40 TD) to look for Mike Evans (1,006 yards, 70 receptions) even more without Antonio Brown. Four out of six of us are picking the Packers (-3.5) to move on. The game is scheduled to kick off at 3:05 PM on Sunday, Jan. 24 at Lambeau Field.

Staff Picks:

Blake Stoll: Buccaneers

Caleb Henderson: Packers

Charles Post: Packers

Chinedum Wejinya: Packers

Raven Martín: Buccaneers

Tyler Taylor: Packers

AFC Championship Game: #1 Kansas City Chiefs (14-2, 1-0) vs #2 Buffalo Bills (13-3, 2-0): Kansas City is favored by 3.0 points ahead of Sundays matchup but that's with the assumption that Patrick Mahomes (4,740 yards, 66.3%) has fully recovered from a concussion suffered last weekend. We think the Chiefs will win this game if their QB is able to stay on the field, but Josh Allen (4,544 yards, 69.2%) and Buffalo's offense should be able to keep them in it. Tyrann Mathieu (62 tackles, 6 INT) and Tremaine Edmunds (119 tackles, 2 sacks) are a couple of playmakers to watch on defense. Five out of six of us are taking the Chiefs (-3) to reach their second straight Super Bowl. The game is set for 6:40 PM on Sunday, Jan. 24 at Arrowhead Stadium.