Championship Sunday Predictions

By Jacob Sanders

Championship Sunday is both an exciting and sad day for football fans. It’s great because it means we are only two weeks away from the Super Bowl and we get to watch the four best teams clash to see who will be in that very Super Bowl that’s two weeks away. On the other hand, it means there are only three games left in the NFL season. Take it how you see it though. Either way, we’ve got two games to look at so let’s get right to it.

Sanders went 1-3 last week putting him to 4-4 on the post-season.

New England Patriots vs Kansas City Chiefs

A case for the Patriots:

Did you watch last week’s game? For a team that wasn’t supposed to beat the Chargers, they made sure it wasn’t even a real game. The Patriots, as always, have been masters at the game of chess when it comes to football. If you recall the last time they met up with Kansas City, they won a big shootout in Foxborough. But both of these teams are a bit different now and this time the game is in Arrowhead. The Patriots are probably thinking what most people around the League are. They need to stop Patrick Mahomes. To do that, I believe Bellichick is going to dare Andy Reid to run the ball against his defense and win the game with short passes for first downs. Bellichick won’t be easily be giving up the big play like a lot of teams have. If the Pats D can execute Bellichick’s gameplan and Brady can carve up the Chief’s defense like he did to LA’s defense, this game shouldn’t be too hard for them to win,

However…

A case for the Chiefs:

The Chief’s offense has been near unstoppable no matter where they are playing. While it has calmed down a bit ever since Kareem Hunt left, Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce still makeup one of the best 1-2 receiving punches in the League. Meanwhile, it’s really hard to take Patrick Mahomes down even if you do manage to collapse the pocket. What’s more, is while the Chief’s defense is often talked about as being one of the NFL’s worst defenses (your friendly writer is guilty of this too), they actually have been a bit tighter at home than away. This is an important fact considering the game is in Arrowhead stadium. It sounds simple, but that’s because it is. If the Chief’s maintain what they’ve been doing at home all season, they’ll run away with another win and will be taking a trip to the Super Bowl for the first time since 1970.

Final Judgement:

I really want to pick the Chiefs here. They feel like the right pick. But I’m going with the New England Patriots here. I can’t get over how much LA was destroyed by the Patriots. The game wasn’t even close and I was so bought-in on the Chargers beating Patriots. This time around though, I’m not doubting the Patriots again. Historically, Bellichick has been able to out-scheme Andy Reid. I do believe he’ll do it, yet again.

Patriots 30 Chiefs 24

Los Angeles Rams vs New Orleans Saints

A case for the Rams:

The emergence of C.J. Anderson has been a nice surprise creating yet another 1-2 punch for the Rams to utilize in the backfield when you add in Todd Gurley. However, the Saints have held every RB to 75 yards or less this season. This means a couple things for the Rams. First, they’re going to have to get creative with the running schemes if they want to get Anderson and Gurley going. The second thing it means, is that Jared Goff will have to step up this weekend. Over the last several games, Goff hasn’t had to win a game for the Rams because the running game has done so well and the Rams defense has been just good enough. With the Rams playing against Drew Brees and a tough Saints running defense, Goff will need to be a major reason the Rams offense is rolling if they intend to win this game.

Speaking of Brees and the Saints defense…

A case for the Saints:

The Saints are at home. Yes, the story of “home-field advantage” can get tiresome, but it’s so important when you talk about the New Orleans Saints. This team throughout all of the Sean Payton-Drew Brees years have always played significantly better in their home dome than anywhere else. In addition, it allows the Saints to air the ball out if they need to. Enter Drew Brees. The thing is though, for this game, the Saints will need to establish their running game as usual. Easier said than done against the Rams defense, but when you have Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram in your backfield, it makes things just a little bit easier. My one concern for this Saints defense is the absence of Sheldon Rankins. I do believe it will be a bigger loss than some are thinking. The Saints D-line will need to step up if they wanna get to Goff or stop their running game.

Final Judgement:

For almost the entire season, I’ve had the Saints as my Super Bowl pick to represent the NFC. I have since changed my mind. In recent weeks, the Saints have not looked like the New Orleans Saints that started 8-0. They’ve looked more like a well-coached team that’s been winning games because of solid play and good-coaching. They haven’t been spectacular. On the other hand, the Rams have not only been well-coached, but they’ve also been outstanding in their field. To me, this game will be won by not only the better game plan but also by the better overall team. To me, that’s the Rams.

Rams 31 Saints 27