All the NFL conference championship essentials you need: Which teams will advance to Super Bowl 57?
Conference championship Sunday is nearly here. Paste BN Sports' experts break down the last stops on the road to Super Bowl 57:
- Which teams will advance to Super Bowl 57?
- Conference championship X-factors: These are the key (non-QB) players for reaching the Super Bowl.
- Which Super Bowl 57 matchup would be the most appealing?
Conference championship game matchups
San Francisco 49ers at Philadelphia Eagles, 3:00 p.m. ET (FOX)
- Home teams are 34-18 in NFC title games, and No. 1 seeds are 32-14 in conference championship games.
- NFC title game has an old-school feel with both teams featuring stingy defenses and strong running games.
- 49ers RB Christian McCaffrey vows to play despite missing practices this week with a calf injury.
- The 49ers will attempt to avoid another blown opportunity at a championship.
Cincinnati Bengals at Kansas City Chiefs, 6:30 p.m. ET (CBS)
- The Bengals and Chiefs meet in the AFC championship game for the second consecutive season.
- Patrick Mahomes' injured ankle has been a storyline all week.
- "Burrowhead" stadium? Chiefs TE Travis Kelce had a warning for the Bengals after hearing about the moniker.
- Meanwhile, Chiefs LB Willie Gay might have provided bulletin-board material for the Bengals.
NFL news, notes and analysis
- Don't even go there, NFL: Turning the AFC and NFC championship games into neutral-site events would arguably be the most monumental misstep in the 100-plus year history of the NFL, Dan Wolken writes.
- Aaron Rodgers' next team? If the Packers trade the four-time MVP, Nate Davis presents nine logical team fits for the quarterback.
- 49ers stockpiling draft picks for taking advantage of NFL policy: If DeMeco Ryans ends up getting hired as a head coach this offseason, then San Francisco will have collected eight compensatory picks since 2020.
- Bills encounter yet another offseason of soul-searching: The window to reach the Super Bowl isn’t closed ... yet. But once again the Bills head into the offseason aiming to be next year’s champion.
- How to fix the Cowboys: The Cowboys didn't reach Super Bowl for 27th season in a row. Here's what needs to be addressed this offseason.
2023 NFL draft: Mock and more
- Mock draft 1.0: Three quarterbacks go in the top 10 of our initial first-round projection.
- Draft Wire's two-round mock: With Senior Bowl week on the horizon, Luke Easterling provides an updated look at how the first two rounds might shake out.
- First-round order: All but four of the picks are locked in place heading into Championship Sunday.
- Draft film room: UCLA RB Zach Charbonnet | Auburn RB Tank Bigsby | Alabama RB Jahmyr Gibbs | Syracuse RB Sean Tucker | Texas A&M RB Devon Achane
NFL playoff schedule
SUPER WILD CARD WEEKEND
Saturday
San Francisco 49ers 41, Seattle Seahawks 23
Jacksonville Jaguars 31, Los Angeles Chargers 30
Sunday
Buffalo Bills 34, Miami Dolphins 31
New York Giants 31, Minnesota Vikings 24
Cincinnati Bengals 24, Baltimore Ravens 17
Monday
Dallas Cowboys 31, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 14
DIVISIONAL ROUND
Saturday, Jan. 21
Kansas City Chiefs 27, Jacksonville Jaguars 20
Philadelphia Eagles 38, New York Giants 7
Sunday, Jan. 22
Cincinnati Bengals 27, Buffalo Bills 10
San Francisco 49ers 19, Dallas Cowboys 12
CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS
Sunday, Jan. 29
NFC championship game: San Francisco 49ers at Philadelphia Eagles, 3:00 p.m. ET (FOX)
AFC championship game: Cincinnati Bengals at Kansas City Chiefs, 6:30 p.m. ET (CBS)
Feb. 12
AFC winner vs. NFC winner, State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. (FOX)
Are you ready to talk some football?
Run a post route to our NFL Facebook Group📲, The Ruling Off the Field 🏈, to engage in friendly debate and conversation with football fans 🏟. Not a member yet? What's up with that? Sign up today!✍
If you enjoy reading 4th & Monday 📰, encourage your football fan friends to subscribe. Follow the everlastingly enthusiastic writer of this newsletter on Twitter @jimreineking 📱.