Championship Weekend Preview
The AFC and NFC have their matchups set for Championship Weekend. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will travel to Wisconsin and take on the Green Bay Packers. The Buffalo Bills will be heading to Missouri looking to win against the Kansas City Chiefs. Both of these games will take place next Sunday, January 24, 2021, at 3 and 6:40 pm, respectively.
Bills @ Chiefs
The Chiefs are looking to go back to the Super Bowl for a second consecutive year. A feat that only seven teams have accomplished in the league’s 101-year history. Kansas City opened up the odds as a 3 point favorite, despite Patrick Mahomes being sidelined in the third quarter with a seemingly brutal concussion. The teams have met nearly 50 times in NFL history (in the regular season and postseason), with the Bills having the slight edge winning 26 of the matchups. This season, in particular, the Chiefs scored an average of 29.6 points per game. Whereas the Bills have averaged 31.3 points per game, 2nd in the NFL, giving the Bills offense a slight advantage on the offensive side of the ball. The Chiefs have the edge on defense, they’ve allowed only 22.6 points per game compared to the Bills, who have allowed 23.4 points per game. Remember, these two teams met earlier this season with Kansas City winning 26-17.
Thoughts
It’s hard to beat the same team twice. I think this will be a competitive game from start to finish. I think Kansas City will start the day off strong as they always do but don’t count Buffalo out until the clock hits 0:00. It will be an interesting game, however, if Mahomes has the green light to play, this game could swing either way in the end. Though, if Mahomes should remain unavailable, I think the Bills will win pretty easily.
Buccaneers @ Packers
It will be like nothing ever changed for the Tom Brady lead Bucs when he heads to Lambeau and plays in the frigid air once more. The Bucs took care of business with ease beating the Packers 38-10 earlier this season. The Pack led the league on offense, averaging 31.8 points per game. Not too far behind, the Buccaneers averaged 30.8 points per game this season. Defense has been a bit inconsistent for both teams. Tampa Bay has the edge, allowing 22.2 points per game as opposed to Green Bay who have allowed an average of 23.1. The teams have faced each other 56 times, including playoffs, in league history. The Packers have the 1 playoff victory under their belt. Also, holding the regular-season matchups with a record of 32-22 and one tie game. Vegas predicts another close game as the Packers opened the week as the favorite to take a win over the Buccaneers by 4 points. Green Bay should try and keep their way of controlling the clock. Their average time of possession is just over 30 minutes per game where Tampa Bay’s is just under.
Thoughts
The Packers are hungry and will do their best to come out strong as they look to avenge their first meeting of the season. Even if it seems insurmountable, never count Tom Brady out. We’ve seen that song and dance time and time again and it hardly ever works out for the Brady haters. The weather for Green Bay on Sunday is set to be around 30 degrees with a chance of snow. Brady vs Rodgers in the cold and snow? Count me in! Tampa Bay’s lack of discipline and their ability to catch are both something to keep an eye on. They’ve given up their fair share of first downs on silly pre-snap penalties in the last couple of games. Tampa has also had an issue with drops all season but especially as of late. Of 73 pass attempts from Brady, only 40 were completed. Which is unacceptable for an offense full of Pro Bowl-caliber receivers.
Who do you want to see representing the AFC and NFC in this year’s Super Bowl?
-Jess Donahue (@jldx392)