The Conference Championship Round did not disappoint. Both games were full of drama, as games were littered with turnovers, helping both overs hit. We are privileged to have two of the best coaches in Super Bowl LV as Bruce Arians’ glasses and Andy Reid’s bizarre mask battle it out for a Super Bowl ring. Let’s revisit the Conference Championship Round and see how these two characters were able to pull out a win.
NFC Conference Championship: Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Green Bay Packers
Results: Buccaneers 31, Green Bay 26 (TB covers +3, Over 53)
In the early game of the two, we had a couple of Hall of Fame quarterbacks dueling it out in Lambeau. All week long, the storyline was the cold weather in Green Bay and whether or not the Buccaneers could handle it. Considering how the game unfolded, it’s obvious that this wasn’t a problem. Tom Brady and the Bucs looked great from the start. Despite the temperature being in the 20s, Brady showed poise behind center and looked sharp as he connected with multiple receivers to put the Bucs up 21-10 by halftime. This offense continues to click and improve as each week passes. They have a complement of veterans and young players that provide the offense with the spark it needs to burn past any opponent. With this defense and Tom Brady’s Super Bowl experience, they should give this Chiefs team a run for their money.
Green Bay Packers
The Packers, on the other hand, looked sluggish, to say the least. Besides the one 50-yard touchdown completion to MVS, the Packers were the team that looked frozen in place. It was a Conference Championship round to forget for Aaron Jones. The Bucs’ defensive front consistently stood Jones up and forced two fumbles. The second fumble was one of the many daggers that buried Green Bay. It gave Brady and the Bucs excellent field position, and they cashed in with a Cameron Brate touchdown. As the game went on, Green Bay did show glimpses of life by forcing three interceptions from Brady. In fact, they had multiple chances to take the lead but had to settle for field goals rather than touchdowns.
The one decision that might come back to haunt Matt LaFleur was deciding to kick a 24-yard field goal with only 2:09 left on the clock, rather than going for it from the 8-yard line. Rodgers was probably having flashbacks of the McCarthy era, where he was constantly limited when it came to putting the team on his back. Though, it sure looked like he had a clear running lane to possibly tie the game up. Unfortunately, despite rallying from an 18-point deficit, Brady and the Bucs’ offense drained the remaining time and kneeled their way to the Super Bowl. It’s unclear if Rodgers will be back in a green and yellow uniform, as the quarterback was somewhat ominous about his future in Green Bay.
AFC Championship Game: Buffalo Bills @ Kansas City Chiefs
Result: Kansas City 38, Buffalo 24 (KC covers -3.5, Over 54)
One team showed up for this game while the other, not so much. The Bills came out looking great the first quarter as they shut Kansas City out 9-0. It was only a matter of time until the Chiefs woke up and answered. If there were any questions on Patrick Mahomes’ health, they were answered today. Despite getting knocked out like McGregor on Saturday night, Mahomes looked excellent. The other issue surrounding Mahomes was the turf toe injury that popped up in the last few weeks. This did not seem to hamper him much, as he constantly scrambled out of the pocket and made Mahomes-like throws down the field. Travis Kelce might just be unguardable. He picked up right where he left off, catching 13 passes on 15 targets for 118 yards and two touchdowns.
The MVP of the Bills’ offense was the kicker (which is probably not a great thing to say in a Conference Championship game.) The Bills’ offense settled for four field goals in the red zone – which is not how you beat this Kansas City team. Recognizing that Buffalo’s entire offense rises and falls with Allen and Diggs, the Chiefs game-planned accordingly and shut them down. Diggs finished with a pedestrian 6 receptions for 77 yards. Josh Allen was also uninspiring; he didn’t show the ability to escape pressure as much as he did during the regular season. Though the Bills’ offense didn’t do him any favors. There were multiple times where just a three-man rush was pressuring Allen. It’s a disappointing finish to an otherwise impressive season for Buffalo. As for the Chiefs, they travel to Tampa with the chance to take home a consecutive trophy.
Takeaways
The main theme in regard to these losing teams was that they just played it too safe. The two coaches losing last night constantly settled for field goals. Maybe you could chalk it up to inexperience or having the jitters. But we expected much more out of these two promising coaches. We couldn’t have a better matchup for Super Bowl LV. We have arguably the best to have ever played vs. the best currently playing. It’s going to be a wild Sunday, make sure you stay tuned to The Odds Factory for all the advice and tips you can handle. Also, follow me on Twitter @AJGIII07, there is a lot to cover in the next few weeks – you don’t want to miss any of it.
