NFL Conference Championship Weekend: What To Look For

With the NFL conference championships coming up this Sunday, January 28, football fans are gearing up to enjoy what should be a great slate of games. Whether you are rooting for your favorite team, attending watch parties for the free snacks, or you are rooting for a Super Bowl without the Chiefs, here are a couple of things to watch heading into this weekend. 

The number of postseason wins Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes would own as a starting quarterback with a victory on Sunday. In NFL history, Tom Brady (14-3 from 2001-07) is the only starting quarterback to win 14 of his first 17 postseason starts. Mahomes is 13-3 over his first 16 postseason starts (2018-23) with 4,561 passing yards, 38 touchdown passes and a 106.7 passer rating.

What’s more, with a win on Sunday, Mahomes would surpass Ben Roethlisberger  (13) and Pro Football Hall of Famer Brett Farve  (13) to become one of only six all-time quarterbacks to win 14 or more postseason starts, joining Brady (35) and Pro Football Hall of Famers Joe Montana (16), Terry Bradshaw (14), John Elway (14) and Peyton Manning (14).

In last week’s win, Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson became the first player in NFL history to rush for two touchdowns, record 100 rushing yards, pass for two touchdowns, and compile a passer rating of 100 or higher in a postseason game.

With a minimum of five playoff games, Jackson’s 93.4 career rushing yards per postseason game ranks fifth in NFL history among all players, trailing Pro Football Hall of Famers Terrell Davis (142.5) and John Riggins (110.7), Derrick Henry (104.6) and Pro Football Hall of Famer Eric Dickerson  (103.4).

San Francisco 49ers’ quarterback Brock Purdy will join Ben Roethlisberger and Mark Sanchez as the only quarterbacks in league history to start conference Championship Games in each of their first two NFL seasons. The 49ers’ offense during the regular season ranked third on the ground (140.5 rushing yards per game), led by the NFL’s rushing champion Christian McCaffrey (1,459 yards). A 49ers player has rushed for at least 70 yards on 13 occasions this season, including the playoffs.

The Detroit Lions do not come from a history of success but they are looking to change that on Sunday. The Lions have only played in one NFC Championship, a loss to eventual Super Bowl champion Washington in 1991. The Lions defensive unit allowed just 88.8 rushing yards per game during the regular season, the second-fewest in the league.

During this 2023 season, Lions’ wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown had an NFL-leading 10 100-yard receiving games, including the postseason. Four of those efforts have come over the Lions’ last six games, including the Wild Card victory over the Rams. He also has a touchdown reception in five of his past six games, including last week’s 31-23 win over Tampa Bay.

Photo credit: Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images