The 2024-2025 NFL season is approaching its final three weeks, with the AFC and NFC Championship matchups kicking off on Sunday, Jan. 26. With four teams remaining in the playoffs, this is the last stop before Super Bowl LIX. Everyone wants to get to the promised land, but only two teams can advance.
Taking the stage first, the Washington Commanders head into Lincoln Financial Field to clash with the Philadelphia Eagles at 3 p.m. The in-division rivals are meeting for the third time this year with a win over each other from the regular season.
Philadelphia gained home-field advantage as the No. 2 seed and look to take their second NFC title in the last three years. Philly has dominated their opponents, earning them a 14-3 record. Looking back on week 16’s loss against Washington, the biggest thing to note is that Jalen Hurts suffered a concussion and left in the first quarter. Backup quarterback Kenny Pickett took over, but failed to secure the victory. Even though Pickett performed well, it is always tough to lose a starting quarterback. With Hurts starting on Sunday, this changes how their offense performs.
A key player to watch out for is the first-year Eagle Saquon Barkley. When on the field, odds are he’s running into the endzone. Combining the stats from both regular season face-offs, Barkley ran for 296 yards and scored four touchdowns. According to the NFL, this comes as a surprise, as Dan Quinn’s defense is ranked No. 12 in rushing defense.
Unlike the Eagles, who understand what’s at stake, this is the first time since 1991 that Washington is competing in the NFC Championship. In addition, the team is led by a rookie quarterback, Jayden Daniels, and first-year head coach, Quinn. This is not the first time a rookie quarterback started in a Championship game, as five others attempted but failed to win. According to NBC Sports, history could change on Sunday with a win over Philadelphia, as no rookie quarterback has ever started in a Super Bowl. The No. 2 overall pick had a fantastic rookie campaign with a 12-5 record and does not plan to end the season now.
Moving on to the 6:30 p.m. matchup, the Buffalo Bills head into Arrowhead Stadium to take on the Kansas City Chiefs to write a new chapter to their rivalry. Dating back to the 2021 NFL playoffs, the teams saw each other in the postseason three times and did not disappoint. Kansas City’s quarterback, Patrick Mahomes, holds a 3-0 record against Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen in the playoffs. The story flips in the regular season as Allen has earned a 4-1 record.
Despite going 15-2, Kansas City has struggled to match their momentum, as fans have seen in past seasons. Overall, the team won 12 one-possession matches on what some would consider luck. One of the biggest hot topics going around is the referees calling more penalties for the defending champs. In their divisional matchup against the Houston Texans, weak roughing the passer and unnecessary roughness fouls were called in Mahomes’ favor. This brings up the discussion of whether the advantage the star quarterback has affects the outcome of the games and if it will come into play on Sunday.
Looking at the Bills, something that could hurt their shot at the Super Bowl is their defense. According to Fox Sports, the team finished at No. 9 in the league in 2023 but currently sits at No. 17 this season. On the other side of the ball, their top-five rushing quarterback depletes defenses. In the regular season, Allen rushed for a combined total of 531 yards and 12 touchdowns, per ESPN. To come up on top against the Bills, stopping the run game is a must. Considering these two teams past experiences, a thrilling, competitive close contest is expected to happen.
With everything on the line, neither of the four teams want to go home, but only two teams will continue onto the road to glory.