The Athletic has live coverage of the Bengals vs Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game.
The stage is set for the NFL conference championship games. The AFC will feature the Kansas City Chiefs against the Cincinnati Bengals, while the NFC will come down to the San Francisco 49ers and the Philadelphia Eagles.
Here’s everything you need to know about Sunday’s matchups.
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How to watch Eagles-49ers, Chiefs-Bengals
NFC Championship Game: 49ers at Eagles
When: Sunday, 3 p.m. ET, Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia.
How to follow on The Athletic: Live coverage of the 49ers vs Eagles in the NFC Championship Game.
How the Eagles got here: Regular-season record: 14-3. Wild-card round: Bye as NFC’s No. 1 seed. Divisional round: Beat the Giants 38-7.
How the 49ers got here: Regular-season record: 13-4. Wild-card round: Beat Seattle 41-23. Divisional round: Beat Dallas 19-12.
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Key storylines for Eagles: Jalen Hurts has been the breakout player of the year, and he looks to continue his impressive campaign by leading the Eagles to the Super Bowl. Hurts’ importance to Philly’s success was never more clear than in the final weeks of the season, when a shoulder injury sidelined him and his team went 0-2 in his absence. He returned for the regular-season finale and got the Eagles back on track, and then delivered an impressive performance against the Giants on Saturday. … The Eagles offense is loaded with talent. Wide receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith each have recorded 1,000-plus-yard campaigns, and running back Miles Sanders topped the 1,000-yard mark as a rusher. … Philadelphia’s defense also plays a large role in this success. Haason Reddick, Javon Hargrave, Brandon Graham and Josh Sweat, who all recorded double-digit sack campaigns, anchor a unit that ranks among the best in the league.
Key storylines for 49ers: It’s hard to find a more well-rounded, battle-tested football team than the 49ers. No stranger to adversity, San Francisco has overcome the loss of two starting quarterbacks and in-season injuries to key veteran contributors but never flinched, closing out the regular season with 10 straight wins. Mr. Irrelevant Brock Purdy is playing like a seasoned veteran while distributing the ball to a star-studded cast led by Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel and George Kittle. … DeMeco Ryans’ defense is one of the best in the league and has provided the backing needed to ease pressure on the offense and the 49ers’ young quarterback. … Kyle Shanahan has his team in the conference championship game for the third time in the last four years and aims to return to the Super Bowl for the first time since February 2020, when he and the 49ers fell short against Kansas City.
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49ers defense limits Cowboys as SF advances to play Philly
How the Eagles beat the 49ers: With the same well-rounded approach that has carried them all season, with Hurts executing as one of the most efficient passers while connecting with his dynamic receivers and reliable tight end Dallas Goedert. With a commitment to balance, with Sanders and Hurts leading the way. With an aggressive defensive front and complementary stingy secondary. NFL coaches and scouts call the Eagles the most complete team in the league. If they can keep pressure on the 49ers defense by attacking with balance and versatility, and get after the Purdy and force him into mistakes, the victory is theirs.
How the 49ers beat the Eagles: The Washington Commanders provided a blueprint for success in a 32-21 win over Philadelphia in Week 10. It starts with a patient and punishing rushing attack to keep those aggressive pass rushers from coming after the quarterback. Philadelphia gave up an average of 121 rushing yards per game, so the 49ers will likely try to exploit this weakness. Purdy continues to execute the 49ers offense at a high level and on Sunday improved to 7-0 as a starter. But the Shanahan offense is founded on a strong run game.
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Final thoughts: There are a lot of similarities between these teams. Game-changing defenses, top-10 rushing attacks, young quarterbacks, big-play pass catchers, strong veteran leadership and highly creative (yet disciplined) offensive-minded head coaches. Now these squads, which have ranked among the best in their conference all year, will face off in what should be a physical, chess match of a game.
(Per the model of The Athletic’s Austin Mock)
AFC Championship Game: Bengals at Chiefs
When: Sunday, 6:30 p.m. ET, Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Mo.
How to follow on The Athletic: Live coverage of the Bengals vs Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game.
How the Chiefs got here: Regular-season record: 14-3. Wild-card round: Bye as AFC’s No. 1 seed. Divisional round: Beat Jacksonville 27-20.
How the Bengals got here: Regular-season record: 12-4. Wild-card round: Beat Baltimore 24-17. Divisional round: Beat Buffalo 27-10.
Key storylines for Chiefs: The health of quarterback Patrick Mahomes will command the greatest attention this week. Mahomes, the favorite to win league MVP for the second time in his young career, gutted his way through a high ankle sprain in Saturday’s divisional round. He missed a portion of the game’s first half before coming back in the second half to lead his team to victory. Mahomes said he plans to play in the AFC Championship Game, but high ankle sprains are nothing to sneeze at. Mahomes’ mobility, which is a big part of his game even though he doesn’t run like Josh Allen or Lamar Jackson, could be greatly limited. … The Chiefs view this game as a chance for vindication. They lost 27-24 in overtime to the Bengals in last year’s AFC Championship Game and then lost 27-24 this season in Week 13. … The Chiefs are well accustomed to the pressure they’ll face this weekend. This is their fifth consecutive AFC Championship Game appearance.
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Patrick Mahomes shows grit in Chiefs' win over Jaguars, is optimistic about ankle
Key storylines for Bengals: Unfinished business is the theme of the Bengals’ season. They shocked the NFL last winter by upsetting the Chiefs in the conference championship game but fell short in the Super Bowl against the Rams. Respect has still been hard to come by for Zac Taylor and his team. Some still view last year’s success as a fluke. But here they are again after winning their final eight games of the regular season and then delivering two authoritative postseason victories to set up a rematch with the Chiefs. Joe Burrow perfectly summed up his team’s mindset after its win over the Bills: “Domination from start to finish. That’s what we expected. But the job’s not finished.”
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How the Chiefs beat the Bengals: The Chiefs need to protect Mahomes (assuming he plays) and receive strong contributions from running backs Isiah Pacheco and Jerick McKinnon to help ease the pressure on their hobbled quarterback. Defensively, the Chiefs must do a better job of pressuring Burrow because, thus far, he has had their number. In their meeting earlier this season, Burrow completed 80.6 percent of his passes for 286 yards and two touchdowns and also rushed for another. In their 2021 regular-season meeting, Burrow passed for 446 yards and four touchdowns. And in last year’s conference championship game, Burrow passed for two touchdowns and directed the drive to set up the winning field goal in overtime.
"There's a chance we'll be seeing this again."@Chiefs @Bengals pic.twitter.com/QkaMQCdUOk
— NFL (@NFL) January 22, 2023
How the Bengals beat the Chiefs: If the Bengals can duplicate their performance against Mahomes from last year’s conference championship game, their chances to win seem good. In that meeting, they made it hard for Mahomes to settle into a rhythm. They sacked him four times and forced him into two interceptions. Offensively, Burrow certainly sets the tone, but an ability to attack the Chiefs with a balanced approach will also bode well for Cincinnati. In Week 13, not only did Burrow rack up two passing touchdowns and a rushing touchdown, the Bengals gashed the Chiefs for 152 rushing yards and won the time of possession battle 32:06 to 27:54.
Final thoughts: The Bengals enter this game with a chip on their shoulders because they feel like everyone counted them out and believed it was a given that the Chiefs and Bills would meet for the conference championship. That motivation was on full display versus Buffalo when, despite having to play three backup offensive linemen, the Bengals set an early tone and controlled the line of scrimmage. … Mahomes’ injury translates into increased pressure for Kansas City’s defense. The Bengals gashed them last time around with Joe Mixon sidelined by injury. The Chiefs can’t afford a repeat.
(Top photo of Joe Burrow versus the Chiefs: Andy Lyons / Getty Images)
