Michael & Amigos II: NFL Conference Championships

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as he’ll likely pass all game to tight end Isaiah Likely and wide receiver Nelson Agholor. Will the Chiefs once again make (Taylor) “Swift” work of their opponents and rule the AFC conference evermore? Unlikely. After Sunday, Jackson and his flock say the Chiefs’ championship hopes will be nevermore. Ravens win</li><li>Lions vs. 49ers: Just like draft experts predicted, it’s 2016 first-overall pick, quarterback Jared Goff of the Detroit Lions, against the 2022 last-overall pick, quarterback Brock Purdy of the San Francisco 49ers. Goff and the Lions followed their historic wild card victory with another win at home in the “Motor City” a week ago. Now, Goff comes home to the San Francsico Bay Area, needing one win to take the Lions to their first Super Bowl! With the help of all-world defensive end Aidan Hutchinson and all-universe wideout Amon-Ra St. Brown, will this be the year the Lions go all the way? Not if the 49ers have anything to say about it. The top-seeded 49ers’ playoff opener was a close one as they needed to come from behind in the final minutes to secure the win. The rainy night made it tough for Purdy, but he was at his best when it mattered most, silencing doubters and leading a game-winning drive in the closing minutes of the game. This will be a close one, but the difference maker will be 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey. He put the team on his back last week and his two touchdowns carried them to victory. He won’t be stopped, and the 49ers will move on in their “quest for six.” 49ers win</li></ul>Brian C.<ul><li>Chiefs vs. Ravens: We start with the defending champions, Kansas City Chiefs, with an offense that finally seems to be in-sync. We also have the Baltimore Ravens with likely NFL MVP, quarterback Lamar Jackson, who have decimated teams on their way to the playoffs. Both teams are relatively close defensively in terms of passing (Chiefs are ranked fourth and Ravens are sixth) and rushing (Ravens are 14th and Chiefs are 18th). The Chiefs offensively have the advantage in terms of passing attack (they are sixth and Ravens are 21st) while the Ravens are much better at rushing (they are first and Chiefs are 19th). With a massive advantage in terms of turnover differential (Ravens are +12, Chiefs are -11), it feels like the Ravens should win this game. And yet … and yet … something about the Chiefs

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and quarterback Patrick Mahomes just feels inevitable at this point. That’s why I’m taking the “Swifties” … err, Chiefs. Chiefs win</li><li>Lions vs. 49ers: And we end on what could be a barn burner in Santa Clara. There are the San Francisco 49ers that looked rusty last week, but quarterback Brock Purdy did enough to win vs. the tough Detroit Lions, led by quarterback Jared Goff, that have reached their first NFC Championship since 1992. Offensively, both the 49ers and Lions are fairly close in terms of passing (Lions are ranked second and 49ers are fourth) and rushing (49ers are third and Lions are fifth). Not to mention both are great at stopping the run (Lions are second and 49ers are third). But if the Lions have an Achilles heel, it’s their secondary, which is 27th in the NFL (49ers are 14th). Even with wide receiver Deebo Samuel potentially not at full strength, tight end George Kittle and wideout Brandon Aiyuk should thrive. My only worry for the 49ers is head coach Kyle Shanahan, who in previous big games has shown he can get “too cute” with his play calling and overly pass happy at times. But with the 49ers’ advantages in defense, turnovers (+10 to the Lions +0) and penalties (they are one of the least penalized teams and the Lions are middle of the pack), I expect the 49ers to break through to the Super Bowl. 49ers win</li></ul>J.C.<ul><li>Chiefs vs. Ravens: I say it again – quarterback Lamar Jackson of the Baltimore Ravens is the NFL’s MVP and will win the Super Bowl this season. He’s a savvy veteran and will do whatever it takes to win. The Kansas City Chiefs have major issues. Their offense and defense are just average and their quarterback, Patrick Mahomes, just sucks ass this year. Ravens win</li><li>Lions vs. 49ers: Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff is the shit. I remember him as quarterback of the Cal Bears, and he seemed like an average athlete at the time. The Los Angeles Rams’ decision to draft him first overall in 2016 surprised the hell out of me. Crazy shit, but now the Lions are going to beat the San Francisco “Whiners” because of him. Wow — what a full-circle moment. Lions win</li></ul>That’s all, folks! Please join us again next week when we try to predict the outcome of the Super Bowl. Until then — take care, enjoy, and go football!</article></body>

Michael & Amigos II: NFL Conference Championships — Part 3/5

Photo by Adrian Curiel on Unsplash

Welcome to the third installment of “Michael & Amigos II.” As usual, I am joined by my three amigos: Ashley F., Brian C., and my brother, J.C.

As big-time NFL football fans, we are naturally excited for the conference championships this weekend. The winners of the two games move on to Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas Feb. 11. Without further ado, these are our predictions, starting with mine:

Kansas City Chiefs vs. Baltimore Ravens: The Kansas City Chiefs, led by quarterback Patrick Mahomes, have played terribly at times this season. But they are still the NFL’s top franchise, having earned two Super Bowl titles the past four seasons. Like any elite team, they know how to win when it matters — and that includes this weekend against the Baltimore Ravens. Quarterback Lamar Jackson and the youthful Ravens have the talent be contenders for years to come, but they are no match for the Chiefs … yet. Chiefs win

Detroit Lions vs. San Francisco 49ers: It would be amazing to see the Detroit Lions win their first Super Bowl this season. Established in 1930, the franchise last celebrated an NFL (pre-merger) championship in 1957 when they defeated the Cleveland Browns, 59–14. Yet, the San Francisco 49ers are the top seed in the NFC and have too much talent to be defeated this week. I expect the Lions to fight hard, but the 49ers should be victorious. Plus, my 82-year-old father, Cal, is a life-long fan of the 49ers. For him to witness the team make an eighth Super Bowl trip would be amazing. 49ers win

Ashley F.

Chiefs vs. Ravens: Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is 13–3 in the playoffs, including a win in his first career road playoff game last week in a tough Buffalo environment. The Chiefs stay on the road this week and head to Baltimore to face the top-seeded Ravens. The Ravens are 2–3 in the playoffs after a dominating and convincing 24-point win against the Houston Texans. Will Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson continue playing at an MVP-caliber level? I expect so, as he’ll likely pass all game to tight end Isaiah Likely and wide receiver Nelson Agholor. Will the Chiefs once again make (Taylor) “Swift” work of their opponents and rule the AFC conference evermore? Unlikely. After Sunday, Jackson and his flock say the Chiefs’ championship hopes will be nevermore. Ravens win

Lions vs. 49ers: Just like draft experts predicted, it’s 2016 first-overall pick, quarterback Jared Goff of the Detroit Lions, against the 2022 last-overall pick, quarterback Brock Purdy of the San Francisco 49ers. Goff and the Lions followed their historic wild card victory with another win at home in the “Motor City” a week ago. Now, Goff comes home to the San Francsico Bay Area, needing one win to take the Lions to their first Super Bowl! With the help of all-world defensive end Aidan Hutchinson and all-universe wideout Amon-Ra St. Brown, will this be the year the Lions go all the way? Not if the 49ers have anything to say about it. The top-seeded 49ers’ playoff opener was a close one as they needed to come from behind in the final minutes to secure the win. The rainy night made it tough for Purdy, but he was at his best when it mattered most, silencing doubters and leading a game-winning drive in the closing minutes of the game. This will be a close one, but the difference maker will be 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey. He put the team on his back last week and his two touchdowns carried them to victory. He won’t be stopped, and the 49ers will move on in their “quest for six.” 49ers win

Brian C.

Chiefs vs. Ravens: We start with the defending champions, Kansas City Chiefs, with an offense that finally seems to be in-sync. We also have the Baltimore Ravens with likely NFL MVP, quarterback Lamar Jackson, who have decimated teams on their way to the playoffs. Both teams are relatively close defensively in terms of passing (Chiefs are ranked fourth and Ravens are sixth) and rushing (Ravens are 14th and Chiefs are 18th). The Chiefs offensively have the advantage in terms of passing attack (they are sixth and Ravens are 21st) while the Ravens are much better at rushing (they are first and Chiefs are 19th). With a massive advantage in terms of turnover differential (Ravens are +12, Chiefs are -11), it feels like the Ravens should win this game. And yet … and yet … something about the Chiefs and quarterback Patrick Mahomes just feels inevitable at this point. That’s why I’m taking the “Swifties” … err, Chiefs. Chiefs win

Lions vs. 49ers: And we end on what could be a barn burner in Santa Clara. There are the San Francisco 49ers that looked rusty last week, but quarterback Brock Purdy did enough to win vs. the tough Detroit Lions, led by quarterback Jared Goff, that have reached their first NFC Championship since 1992. Offensively, both the 49ers and Lions are fairly close in terms of passing (Lions are ranked second and 49ers are fourth) and rushing (49ers are third and Lions are fifth). Not to mention both are great at stopping the run (Lions are second and 49ers are third). But if the Lions have an Achilles heel, it’s their secondary, which is 27th in the NFL (49ers are 14th). Even with wide receiver Deebo Samuel potentially not at full strength, tight end George Kittle and wideout Brandon Aiyuk should thrive. My only worry for the 49ers is head coach Kyle Shanahan, who in previous big games has shown he can get “too cute” with his play calling and overly pass happy at times. But with the 49ers’ advantages in defense, turnovers (+10 to the Lions +0) and penalties (they are one of the least penalized teams and the Lions are middle of the pack), I expect the 49ers to break through to the Super Bowl. 49ers win

J.C.

Chiefs vs. Ravens: I say it again – quarterback Lamar Jackson of the Baltimore Ravens is the NFL’s MVP and will win the Super Bowl this season. He’s a savvy veteran and will do whatever it takes to win. The Kansas City Chiefs have major issues. Their offense and defense are just average and their quarterback, Patrick Mahomes, just sucks ass this year. Ravens win

Lions vs. 49ers: Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff is the shit. I remember him as quarterback of the Cal Bears, and he seemed like an average athlete at the time. The Los Angeles Rams’ decision to draft him first overall in 2016 surprised the hell out of me. Crazy shit, but now the Lions are going to beat the San Francisco “Whiners” because of him. Wow — what a full-circle moment. Lions win

That’s all, folks! Please join us again next week when we try to predict the outcome of the Super Bowl. Until then — take care, enjoy, and go football!