NFL The Final Word: The San Francisco 49ers look fragile, while Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs eye another Super Bowl
Sky Sports' Neil Reynolds has the final word on Divisional Round of the NFL playoffs, picking out his takeaways for each game as well as his Player of the Week; watch Conference Championship Sunday live on Sky Sports from 7pm this weekend
Tuesday 23 January 2024 16:21, UK
And then there were four! A fascinating weekend in the Divisional Round of the playoffs, which saw the Baltimore Ravens and the San Francisco 49ers advance as the No. 1 seeds. They are joined by the ever-present Kansas City Chiefs and the Cinderella Detroit Lions, which is where we start...
1) The Cinderella Lions
I think we all look at the Lions as a wonderful feel-good story, we use terms like 'plucky' and 'Cinderella team', but they deserve to be in the final four and they are one of the best teams in the NFL. They are talented, they are bold, they are aggressive, they are confident and they are well led by Dan Campbell, who has done everything he said he would do when he arrived in 2021.
He was mocked for an over-hyped kneecap-biting press conference when he said his team would back down from nobody, which has been the case.
They had a winning record in his second season and were unlucky not to make the playoffs, and now here they are in the NFC Championship Game for the first time in 32 years, and it is deserved. They have the talent and the confidence to go all the way to the Super Bowl.
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2) Fragile 49ers?
San Francisco had to dig as deep as deep can be to beat the stubborn Green Bay Packers, winning on the late Christian McCaffrey touchdown.
And while that speaks to their resilience and their talent, I think it shows they are fragile and they are vulnerable as well.
That was a slightly worrying display for me, I thought Brock Purdy came alive at the end to drive them 69 yards on 12 plays for the winner but he missed some throws as well.
All eyes will be on Brock Purdy this weekend when he finally gets to play in an entire NFC Championship Game. The Niners were a strong favourite for me all season long, but they have had a little wobble as we approach the end of the year.
3) Baltimore the team to beat
The Baltimore Ravens took a couple of early blows from the Houston Texans, which meant the score was 10-10 at the half.
The Ravens were angry heading into the locker room, Lamar Jackson was first in and did a lot of cursing when he got there, motivated his troops and they provided a Championship response. That is what you want to see from a team that is thinking Super Bowl.
They scored the final 24 points in the game to secure a 34-10 win and flex their muscle. Lamar Jackson was very good, he rushed for 100 yards and two touchdowns while throwing for two scores, and the defense was just brutal, not allowing the Texans an offensive touchdown all day long.
These Ravens are the class of the NFL for me, and have been all season. They are my favourite to win it all.
4) Can Mahomes do it again?
Of course, standing in the way of the Ravens now is a team that will be very familiar on Championship weekend. The Kansas City Chiefs will play in an AFC Championship Game for the sixth straight year, which is every season that Patrick Mahomes has been their full-time starter.
He has shown good efficiency in the last two weeks, they have put their nightmare run of four losses in six games behind them, and the Chiefs have been outstanding on defense.
They win in a different way, but they do what dynasty teams do - find ways to win. This has been a bumpy, lumpy ride for the Chiefs this year and here they are 60 minutes from another Super Bowl appearance.
That's what happens when you've got Patrick Mahomes, Andy Reid and a culture of winning. It's why they are still in the mix.
5) New hope for beaten playoff teams
With the exception of the Buffalo Bills, who are going to be absolutely heartbroken after another wide-right disaster, I think the teams that bowed out in the Divisional Round are going to feel good about where they got to and where they came from.
The Houston Texans are ahead of schedule under DeMeco Ryans and CJ Stroud, to win 11 games including that playoff win was a sensational achievement for them.
I think the Green Bay Packers can feel very good about where they are after Jordan Love's first season as a starter, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers may have found a longer-term answer than they were expecting at quarterback in Baker Mayfield.
Player of the Week - Lamar Jackson, QB, Baltimore Ravens
He is not very far away from being named NFL MVP for the second time in his career, and that is Lamar Jackson. He didn't have to attack through the air too often, but was very efficient when he did with 152 yards passing, two touchdowns and no interceptions with a rating of 121.8.
He did his damage on the ground and frustrated the Texans time and time again with 11 carries, 100 yards and two touchdowns. A complete performance from Lamar Jackson, especially when you add in his leadership, his rallying of the troops and his calm demeanour.
He is steely focused, nothing less than lifting the Lombardi Trophy is going to satisfy Lamar.
Play of the Week - Linebacker interceptions!
It's going to be two linebacker interceptions that sealed victories in the NFC. Dre Greenlaw had a great game for the 49ers, getting the second pick of the night against Jordan Love to seal the game even though he seemed determined to run the ball back for a meaningless touchdown - take a knee, get down! He probably drove his coach Kyle Shanahan and many fans mad with that one.
And what about Derrick Barnes? Sending the crowd in Detroit into absolute raptures with a game-sealing interception as they advanced to the NFC Championship Game for the first time since 1991. Two massive plays.
Coach of the Week - John Harbaugh, Baltimore Ravens
I think Dan Campbell will get a lot of attention, but I love the way John Harbaugh is connecting with his players. It seems like such a silly thing, but the viral dancing in the locker room is a real thing, it shows he is connected to his players and speaks to a really good culture in Baltimore.
They have always had one of the best cultures in the NFL. Harbaugh brought his team back, they didn't panic when it was 10-10 at the half.
Compare that to the 49ers, who were on the ropes for much of their game against Green Bay. The better response and better coaching job came from John Harbaugh.
On my radar... Conference Championship Sunday!
This is what it is all about, this is the biggest weekend of the year for me. This is the greatest night of the year because there is so much jeopardy.
Win and you advance to the Super Bowl, and very few people on this planet can say they have played in a Super Bowl. People who play football can only dream of that and at least you get to play in it, even if you don't win it. Lose this weekend and it was within touching distance, it's absolute heartbreak, it's a long and painful offseason and it's hard to get back to the top of that mountain. The jeopardy is there more than ever, and the storylines.
Brock Purdy is looking to play an entire NFC title game like he couldn't last year, Jared Goff was poor in the Super Bowl five years ago for the Los Angeles Rams and is 60 minutes from getting back there. Is Patrick Mahomes going to another Super Bowl? Is Lamar Jackson finally getting to the Promised Land? This is the greatest night. I cannot wait.
