The conference finals present us with two realities, on the one hand, the NFC Championship Game introduces us to two of the most representative figures of a generation of quarterbacks who are living their last years in the NFL, while the duel for the ticket to the Super Bowl LV in the AFC offers us a duel between two pins that are beginning to establish themselves as two of the top stars of the next generation of quarterbacks.
The clash between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Green Bay Packers is the framework in which Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers will seek to strengthen the legacies they already have as insurance future members of the Hall of Fame.
For their part, Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen seek to strengthen the youth movement to the position of quarterback, led by the Chiefs passer, who seeks to reach his second consecutive Super Bowl, while the Bills seeks to return to this franchise in the game for the NFL title after 27 years.
There is a lot at stake and ESPN Sports experts discuss, analyze highlights and give us their predictions for the conference finals.
NOTE: The picks of each expert are in capital letters and fredolics.
– WHAT DEFENSIVE IS THE BEST MOMENT FACING THE CHALLENGE OF BRAKING TWO VERSATILE ATTACKS, BUFFALO OR KANSAS CITY?
IVIS ABURTO / Twitter: @IvisAburto
The Bills and Chiefs are very similar teams overall, more in the characteristics of their offensive systems, with the difference that Patrick Mahomes has a more varied and dangerous arsenal than Josh Allen has, not to mention that Buffalo has no weapons to hurt. to attack.
The Kansas City defense allows many yards in the 60-yard space between the 20-yard lines of each field, but he makes pineapple in the red zone and knows how to pressure the opposing quarterback at key moments, not to mention that he practices daily against Muhammad’s skill and the variety of goals the Chiefs quarterback has.
The same could be said about the Bills ‘defense, which they train daily with a quarterback with characteristics similar to Allen’s, but the potential of the Chiefs’ offensive weapons makes all the difference.
Key Player: DEs Jerry Hughes and Mario Addison – The task of the Bills ’defensive wings is to contain Patrick Muhammad in the protective bag to take away his ability to improvise or gain time to find his receivers, as he usually does.
PICKS
Tampa Bay 24-34 GREEN BAY
Buffalo 27-31 KANSAS CITY
EDUARDO VARELA / Twitter: @LaloVarelaTV
The Bills are following last year’s Chiefs formula: throwing up 70 percent of the time, but it’s too much. Against the current champions, throwing so much is making the job easier for the Chiefs, who intercepted 16 passes in the regular season.
Tyrann Mathieu may be Josh Allen’s worst rival, who will have to follow the Chiefs ’safety all the time, who is a hungry hawk in search of balls.
Key Player: QB Patrick Mahomes – For the Kansas City quarterback there is no difference, he can throw or run in first or third, in the red zone or with less than two minutes on the game clock.
PICKS
TAMPA BAY 31-24 Green Bay
Buffalo 17-28 KANSAS CITY
PABLO Viruega / Twitter: @PabloViruega
Both teams are more guided by the offensive, but their defenses have done a good job in recent games.
I stay with Bills, who has just given a great game of the defensive side to stop the ground game of the Ravens and put pressure on Lamar Jackson. Buffalo may come at a better time, but the Chiefs defense has a great coordinator like Steve Spagnuolo, as well as players who manage to run and make great plays at the right time. It will be a very even duel on this side of the ball.
Key Player: S pulled Mathieu – He is not the tallest or the strongest, but he is the fastest and a player with great determination. He can be placed in his area to defend passes or go down to stop the ground game and is always involved in a ball exchange, either by causing a lost ball or with an interception, such as the one he got against the Browns. If the defense needs a big play, it will have to come from Mathieu.
PICKS
Tampa Bay 21-27 GREEN BAY
Buffalo 30-34 KANSAS CITY (If you play Muhammad)
– HOW WILL THE DEFEAT IN THE NFC FINAL IMPACT TOM BRADY OR AARON RODGERS?
SEBASTIÁN M. CHRISTENSEN / Twitter: @SebastianMCESPN
I don’t think it changes the legacy of either of the two marshals. In my opinion, Tom Brady is already the best quarterback of all time and even though the Buccaneers lose on Sunday, the fact this season, at 43, in a new team and a new system is to take your hat off.
It will be the first time Aaron Rodgers has played an NFC Championship Game at Lambeau Field, but beyond that particularity, win or lose, it will not change my perception that he is the most talented quarterback in history. Many times the amount of rings earned is used to evaluate a quarterback, in Rodgers ’case,“ just one ”to subtract merit from a career.
It’s not easy to win in this team sport, so a title will more or less not affect, in my opinion, the legacy of two of the best quarterbacks in history.
Key Player: QB Aaron Jones – Aaron Rodgers has looked so good, that the ground attack seems secondary, but when this offensive has balance, Green Bay is impossible to stop. The Packers have just run for 188 yards in their dominant win over the Rams. In turn, the Buccaneers have the best defense against the NFL race and it will be imperative that they limit Aaron Jones, otherwise this duel will be set early.
PICKS
Tampa Bay 20-31 GREEN BAY
Buffalo 34-37 KANSAS CITY
ALFONSO Mancilla / Twitter: @poncho_mancilla
After the high level shown by Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady in the Divisional Round, it’s easy to think that they both have a lot of gas left in the tank, no matter what happens over the weekend.
In the analysis of what has been the performance of both at the end of the conference, Rodgers is the one who has more pressure for his mark of 1-3 in these appointments and a very poor rating of 78 points compared to 103.9 that accumulates from for life.
With the level of competition and the imponderables he presents each season, Sunday’s could be Rodgers’ best chance of winning the Super Bowl ticket again, which he has only played on one occasion, which he won. The reengineering that the Packers have had with coach Matt Lafleur for the past two years suggests that if they lose at home, Rodgers would remain active next season.
About Brady, he has long stated that he wants to play until he is 45 years old. He currently has 43 and with the high level he resumed with Tampa Bay, perhaps reaching his tenth Super Bowl and winning it could give him the reason to take him to opt for retirement being at the top.
Of course, in the case of both quarterbacks it would seem obvious that, even if they lose this Sunday and decide to play the season, they would have guaranteed ownership.
Key Player: WR In front of Adams – The receiver showed against the Rams ‘defense, no more and no less than the best in the league, that his role is crucial in the Packers’ offense. Tampa Bay may not be betting on personal coverage against him, so it’s definite that his defensive plan will revolve around the big percentage around Adams, whom the Packers like to constantly put in motion prior to the snap with the goal to open spaces on the defensive.
PICKS
Tampa Bay 23-30 GREEN BAY
Buffalo 27-28 KANSAS CITY
CARLOS NAVA / Twitter: @TapaNava
I think it will impact each one differently and in both cases, unfairly.
In the case of Rodgers, who has already lost three conference finals, including last year, the stigma will begin to build for some “fans” and “journalists” who are unable to return to the Super Bowl. and they will say he needs to retire already. A decade ago he won the Super Bowl for the only time.
Tom Brady goes with the pressure that anything less than a Super Bowl win will be a small thing, even though unimaginable things are being seen if appropriate. From the day he announced he would sign with Tampa Bay, there was already talk that the Buccaneers were contenders. If Brady is left out this week, many will think his season, with the very good roster he has on both sides of the ball, was a failure.
In neither case, Brady or Rodgers, a defeat would mean withdrawal.
Key Player: QB Aaron Rodgers – The Packers are in the National Conference Championship Game, thanks to the great season their quarterback is going through, even though he had ground play, a more than compliant defense and good coaches. If Rodgers comes out in rhythm with his receiver Davante Adams and avoids interceptions, his Packers go to the Super Bowl.
In Week 6 of the regular season, when they lost to Tampa Bay, Rodgers had one of his worst days in good weather with two interceptions without touchdowns.
PICKS
Tampa Bay 17-28 GREEN BAY
BUFFALO 31-28 Kansas City