NFL Playoff Takeaways: Conference Championships/Super Bowl Prediction

Photo from the Associated Press

Here we are.

The Super Bowl is set, and there is only one more football game until August.

It sucks!

But let’s discuss what we’ve learned over conference championship weekend.

Chiefs defeat Ravens 17-10

Kansas City Chiefs

We know Patrick Mahomes is good. We know Travis Kelce is good.

But the story of the Kansas City Chiefs this year is their defense, and that was on full display Sunday.

Whether it was Charles Omenihu forcing a strip sack, Chris Jones and L’Jarius Sneed breaking up screens that could go for big gains, or Sneed’s incredible play to force a fumble on the goal line, the Chiefs thrived defensively as they have done all year.

With a defense that good, all they need is for Mahomes to not make mistakes, and they’ll take care of business.

They have, and it’s why they’re back in the Super Bowl.

Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens lost 3 games in the regular season with their starters, and it’s because they beat themselves.

Sunday was no different.

We mentioned the goal line fumble already, but there was the roughing the passer before halftime that led to points for the Chiefs. Lamar Jackson chucking the ball up in triple coverage despite a field goal being crucial in the circumstances.

Worst of all, though, they let the Chiefs dictate the mood of the game.

The crowd was raucous. The players were amped. Yet it was Travis Kelce and the Chiefs who were instigating things and getting the Ravens to react.

They let the Chiefs dictate play, and that’s not like them at all.

And then we have the play calling, which saw 8 total handoffs from the league’s best rushing offense against the 28th best rush defense.

49ers defeat Lions 34-31

San Francisco 49ers

To win a championship, no matter the sport, you have to be lucky.

The Ravens don’t win the Super Bowl if not for Rahim Moore taking a terrible angle on the ball.

The Giants don’t win the Super Bowl if not for David Tyree’s absurd helmet catch.

But the 49ers so far this postseason have hit a completely different level of luck.

Against Green Bay, they had 3 interceptions dropped and a missed field goal. They won by 3.

Against Detroit, they had 2 more interceptions dropped, one of which directly led to a touchdown. They won by 3.

That doesn’t even include other stuff I’m leaving for the Lions section.

But to the Niners credit, luck only takes you so far.

The 2012 Ravens still had to win the game in OT to take care of business. The 2007 Giants still had to get a Plaxico Burress touchdown to win the Super Bowl.

The Niners pulled through and got the wins, but they still have one more to get through to make that luck count.

Or maybe, all 9 lives have been used up…

Detroit Lions

There is going to be so much discourse about 4th downs with Detroit, but that’s not the issue.

The issue is, for lack of a better explanation, the Lions forgot how to play football in the 3rd quarter.

With the game 24-10, the Lions went for it on 4th down. The pass hit Josh Reynolds in the hands, but he dropped it. There’s a good chance they score and make it 31-10 if he holds onto the ball. Instead? Nothing.

After that, a deep pass from Purdy hits Lions cornerback Kindle Vildor in the face, but the ball is caught by Brandon Aiyuk and they score. 24-17.

After that, a terrible hand off exchange leads to a fumble inside their own 25. Niners get it and go score, and the game is 24-24.

Another 3rd down drop later on, and I think everyone knew what was coming from there.

Talk all you want about the 4th downs, but nobody is even thinking about them if the Lions simply executed.

Super Bowl Prediction

Look, man.

I don’t know.

It would literally be stupid to bet against the Chiefs. They are the Kansas City Chiefs. There is no reason to overthink it and pick against them.

But there is just something about this Niners team.

A Niners team that didn’t like Jimmy Garoppolo, so they traded the future to draft Trey Lance, only for him to become a complete bust and go back to Jimmy G, only for him to get hurt and for them to turn to Mr. Irrelevant Brock Purdy, only for him to be good, but then when he’s bad it still doesn’t matter because the defense can’t execute.

It feels impossible.

This is the definition of an unstoppable force meeting an immovable object.

But look. I’ve banged the drum all year that the NFL is not just a quarterback league. It’s a team league.

And the Niners have a great offensive system, great weapons, a great defense and apparently the Lord God on their side.

So I’m going to do the unthinkable.

The 49ers Win the Super Bowl