2021 2022 NFL Conference Championship Picks

Cincinnati Bengals at Kansas City Chiefs (-7, 54 1/2) 3:00 pm (CBS) - After years of seeing the magic of Kansas City QB Patrick Mahomes - to say nothing of the dynamic Tyreek Hill - it's safe to say that the Chiefs are heading to the Super Bowl.

Realistically, they should slaughter the Bengals. In the divisional game, Tennessee sacked QB Joe Burrow nine times and still lost, so the Bengals are either very lucky, very talented, or the game was set up for them to win. Bengals won, 19-16, on a game-ending field goal.

Tennessee blew the game when they were tied and driving, with third down and one on about the 30, and decided to get cute and have Qb Ryan Tannehill carry the ball. They got stuffed for a yard loss. Next play, on fourth down, they pitch it wide to Derrick Henry, who got surrounded and lost a few yards. Instead of continuing to drive for what could have been a go-ahead TD or FG, the Titans called two of the dumbest plays possible. Tannehill's three picks didn't help much, either.

If the Titans don't go looking for a new QB or new offensive coordinator, or both, in the off-season, you'll know that the whole thing was rigged from the start.

In any case, Kansas City is far superior to Cincinnati, but it all depends on the narrative the NFL wishes to present. Do they want Mahomes to succeed, or is Joe Burrow the new star? One would have to go with Mahomes. He's proven to be very bankable. Whether they cover or not depends on the Las Vegas money flows. If heavy money is on the Chiefs, and it's the right money, from the right people, it won't be close. Just like beating the Bills in OT with a TD, the Chiefs are spread killers.

Lots of people will be suckered into thinking that all these games are supposed to go down to the final seconds. There will be lots of losers.

Coin Flip: Kansas City

Prediction: Chiefs 38 Bengals 26

San Francisco 49ers at Los Angeles Rams (-3 1/2, 46 1/2) 6:30 pm (FOX) - The Rams blew a 24-3 lead, Tom Brady leads the Buccaneers back to tie the game at 27, yet the Bucs lose on two long passes in the closing seconds of the game by Matthew Stafford, setting up a 30-yard, Matt Gay field goal.

Wait, isn't Brady supposed to always win? Apparently not when playing the Rams, who beat them twice this season, the first coming in week three, a 34-24 win in Los Angeles. Anyhow, the Rams take the 30-27 win and head home to meet their division rivals for a third time.

Now, everybody knows you can't beat the same team three times in one season, right? The 49ers dusted the Rams, 31-10, in SF during week 10, on a Monday nighter that the 'Niners really needed to stay in the hunt. Stafford threw two costly interceptions in that game, one returned for a TD which gave the 49ers a 14-0 lead at the end of the first quarter.

The 49ers totally outplayed the Rams in that one, but the second game, in LA, week 18, was a different story. The Rams raced off to a 17-0 lead and the 49ers knocked through a field goal on the final play of the first half (sound familiar?). San Francisco rallied to tie the game at 24 (sounding even more familiar?) and win it on a 24-yard field goal in overtime.

That clinched the wild card spot for the 49ers and sent the Saints to the golf course. Naturally, the NFL would much rather have the 49ers (and their awesome TV market) in the playoffs than New Orleans, so the set-up mattered a whole lot to the league. The Rams could have clinched the NFC West with a win, but Arizona lost anyhow, so the Rams lost their way to the division title.

This game, being the closeout of FOX's broadcast contract for the season (NBC has the the Super Bowl and ABC got the Pro Bowl - sucks to be them), it may go down to the final gun, but likely not. The league wants the Rams and Chiefs in the Super Bowl (incidentally, at SoFi Stadium, in LA), and they will have them, dammit. LA will win and cover. Matthew Stafford needs more money. Garoppolo is too hard for the bulk of NFL fans to pronounce properly. The line could move to LA -4 or -4 1/2.

Coin Flip: San Francisco

Prediction: Rams 30 49ers 23

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IdleGuy.com October 2024, Vol. 1 #9