- Jalen Hurts and the Eagles will try to break down the 49ers defence before Patrick Mahomes attempts to lead the Chiefs past the Bengals and into the Super Bowl.
Philadelphia Eagles vs San Francisco 49ers
The Eagles have been the NFC’s best team from the start of the season and only need to win one more game to get to the Super Bowl. A game against Brock Purdy and the San Francisco 49ers.
The Eagles looked unstoppable on Saturday night against the Giants, but they are getting a very different challenge this week against a 49ers team that is not only coming into the game on a white-hot run, but also has very few weaknesses anywhere on its roster.
The 49ers have struggled against running quarterbacks, and Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts is one of the best running quarterbacks in the league. He has accounted for 760 yards on the ground during the regular season. He is also one of the best short-yardage quarterbacks in the league, being nearly unstoppable on quarterback sneaks.
Including the play-offs, the Eagles have won each of Hurt’s past seven starts.
This will be a huge test for 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy as he looks to continue his improbable rise from a reserve to a starter. The 49ers are still undefeated in Purdy’s starts.
Prediction – Eagles Win.
Kansas City Chiefs vs Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are one win away from a return trip to the Super Bowl, and for the second year running, Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs, stand in their way. This time, the Bengals go into this game slight favourites.
There are a couple of reasons why belief is sky-high among Cincinnati fans. Firstly, they are on a 10-game winning run, including a dominant performance last weekend against Buffalo. They have also won three consecutive games against the Chiefs dating back to last season.
The other major factor is the status of Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and his ankle. Even though he was able to return to Saturday’s game against Jacksonville for the second half, he did not look to be 100 percent and will be dealing with a high ankle sprain into Sunday. Mahomes practiced on Wednesday and said he plans to play.
The big challenge for the Chiefs defense will be stopping the Joe Burrow to Ja’Marr Chase connection.
Over the past two postseasons, Chase leads all pass catchers in receiving yards (513) and has caught 24 passes that have resulted in either a touchdown or a first down.
Prediction – Bengals Win.