Championship weekend has come and gone. See what teams went home and what teams have a date in Las Vegas for Super Bowl LVIII.
Four teams enter, two remain. A trip to the Super Bowl at stake. That’s what was on the line this past week in the Championship Round. The AFC and NFC Championships featured matchups of each conference’s number-one seed against each conference’s three seeds, with the Baltimore Ravens taking on the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers taking on the Detroit Lions.
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Chiefs 17 – Ravens 10
It is often said that discipline leads to success. If that is true, then it’s also true that poor discipline leads to failure. That would certainly explain the Ravens’ loss this week. They were sloppy, giving up three turnovers and 95 yards in penalties. On paper these mistakes look bad but in reality, they were devastating.
While driving to tie the game, wide receiver Zay Flowers took an unnecessary taunting penalty after a big catch to bring the ball back 15 yards. A few plays later, the rookie fumbled while reaching for the goal line, resulting in a turnover via touchback.
The Ravens’ game plan was also unusual. This season the Ravens have had a prolific offense, which has averaged 28.4 points per game, and leaned on a rushing attack, which averaged 156.5 yards per game. However, in this game they only rushed 16 times for 81 yards while having 37 passing attempts.
The Ravens’ offense was completely shut down. In the first half, apart from one drive where Jackson hit Flowers for a 30-yard touchdown, they were unable to move the ball. While this improved in the second half, it was mistakes that proved to be their undoing, as two long drives ended in turnovers.
The victory was no triumph for the Chiefs’ offense and Patrick Mahomes. They started hot, taking their first two possessions for long drives resulting in touchdowns and went into halftime up 17-7. However in the second half, they were unable to score points and only generated a paltry 73 yards of offense before their final drive, which ended the game.
Mahomes still played well, generating over two-thirds of the team’s total yards while completing 76 per cent of his passes while having no turnovers. Star tight end Travis Kelce continued his excellent playoff performances, recording 11 receptions for 116 yards and a touchdown. Isaiah Pacheco led the team in rushing yards with 24 attempts for 64 yards and a score.
It was the Chiefs’ defence that won the day for Kansas City. They shut down the Ravens’ rushing offense and forced four sacks, as well as the previously mentioned three turnovers. They came up with plays in the clutch and were able to stop the Ravens from getting points multiple times deep in Chiefs territory.
This performance was highlighted by linebacker Drue Tranquill, who led the team in tackles. L’Jarius Sneed who forced the fumble on Flowers at the goal line and had five tackles of his own, and George Karlaftis who had a sack and led a defensive line hampered by an injured Chris Jones.
The Chiefs are moving on to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl for the fourth time in five years.
49ers 34 – Lions 31
If the first game of Championship weekend was a defensive battle, then this game was everything it wasn’t. The 49ers and Lions duelled in Santa Clara in 60 minutes of non-stop action.
The Lions sprung out first. They were consistently able to move the ball throughout the first half, going up 24-7 by halftime. Detroit struck with big plays from Jameson Williams, who took an end-around 42 yards for a touchdown on the game’s fourth play and were able to put long drives together as Jared Goff cut through the 49ers’ defense, showing the prowess that took the Rams to the Super Bowl in 2019.
The running back combo of David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs also tore through the 49ers’ usually stout defense, going for rushes of 10,14, and 15 yards — the third being the touchdown that put the Lions up by 17.
For 49ers fans, the mood was shock. Their team, who had consistently played so well all season, was being put on the ropes by a team they had been favoured over by 7.5 points.
However, as the second half opened, it was the 49ers’ turn to come storming back. They scored points on five straight second-half drives, taking a 34-24 lead with a few minutes to go. Although the Lions would score a touchdown to make the game 34-31, this offensive storm was enough to put Detroit away as they kneeled out the game.
Throughout this season, Lions’ coach Dan Campbell has been aggressive in his playcalling, often passing up field goals to go for it on fourth down. This strategy has proved fruitful in past games, but it may have cost the Lions the game on this occasion. Twice in the second half, the Lions had the opportunity to kick makeable field goals, and twice, they chose to go for it on fourth down and were unsuccessful. In a game decided by only three, this proved to be the decisive factor.
The 49ers are moving on to Vegas to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl. The Lions end their year with the most successful season in 30 years. This Super Bowl will be a rematch of the 2020 Super Bowl, which saw the Chiefs win 31-20. Check odds, stats, and game time here.
