Conference Predix: Who's Going to the Super Bowl?

Written by Sam DeCoste

A trip to the Super Bowl is on the line for four teams. The Tennessee Titans, Kansas City Chiefs, Green Bay Packers, and San Francisco 49ers are the only teams remaining in the battle for championship glory. By tomorrow night, we will finally know who will be playing in Miami for Super Bowl LIV. If I have learned anything over the last 20 weeks, I will tell you exactly who will be there and how they will get there. Buckle your seatbelts for Titans-Chiefs and Packers-49ers this Sunday, as the postseason comes to a close.

After a disastrous Wild Card round, I went 3-1 in the Divisional round, with my only loss being the Ravens shocking exit to the Titans. If I win out the rest of the postseason, I will finish above .500 for the playoffs. Let's see if I can get that done! Let's right into the Predix!

Here are my records over this season:
My record last week: 3-1
Postseason record: 3-5
Regular season record: 159-96-1 (62.1% winning percentage)

Titans @ Chiefs

The two hottest teams in football face off in Kansas City this weekend with a Super Bowl berth on the line. With a win, the Titans will advance to their first Super Bowl since 1999, and the Chiefs could make it back to the big game for the first time since 1969. 

The Titans are on a wicked hot streak, and it comes down to the prolific play of running back Derrick Henry. The former Heismann Trophy winner has ran for 588 yards in his last 3 games, and is averaging 6 yards per carry. Henry is the engine that makes the offense run, and he has carried Tennessee on his back throughout the postseason in back to back road wins over New England and Baltimore. While Henry's production has been spectacular, his production may not sustain itself in this matchup. The Titans have been able to put teams out of their element by scoring first and putting them in early deficits, and pounding the ball the rest of the game. But the Chiefs offense just scored 51 points last week, and their offense may be the most explosive in the league. If the Titans fall behind early, or if they find themselves in a shootout, Henry's touches may decrease. Ryan Tannehill, who has thrown for just 160 yards in two combined playoff games, will need to go head-to-head with the league MVP, and he is facing a surging Chiefs defense which is strong up front. If Henry runs amok for the fourth straight week, the Titans will be on track to the Super Bowl. If they fall behind and need to play catch up, they will be in for a ride.

In their win over Houston, the Chiefs showed they are the most explosive team in football. It seemed their time was up after a disastrous first quarter in which they fell behind 24-0, but the Chiefs rallied back and had a lead by halftime. Pat Mahomes threw for 5 touchdowns, the youngest quarterback ever to achieve this feat. Travis Kelce caught 10 balls and 3 touchdowns, and the defense allowed just 10 points in the final three quarters. The Chiefs offense is uncontainable, and the Titans defense does not have the playmakers to contain them. Tennessee surrendered over 500 total yards to Lamar Jackson last week, and Mahomes has plenty more firepower at its disposal. If they can take an early lead, and force Ryan Tannehill to throw more than 35 times, the Chiefs will be on their way.

This has the makings to be one of the most entertaining AFC Championships we have seen in a long time. While Tennessee got the best of Kansas City in Week 10, the Chiefs have more big plays in their arsenal, they have the league MVP on their side, and Arrowhead Stadium on their feet. After 50 long years, the Chiefs will make their long-awaited return to the big game.

Prediction: TEN 20, KC 33

Packers @ 49ers

Last time we saw the Packers in Levi's Stadium, it was ugly. The 49ers defeated the Packers by a decisive count of 37-8. Aaron Rodgers completed 22 passes for just 104 yards, the 49ers defense racked 5 sacks, and the 49ers prevailed in a dominant win in all three phases. For Green Bay to flip its fortune this week, they will need to start quick.

Over the second half of the season, running back Aaron Jones has taken a substantial role in the offense. Jones scored twice in the win over Seattle last week, and is becoming the focal point of the offense. Devante Adams also performed with 8 catches, 160 yards, and 2 scores in the win, and will need a similar performance against a prolific Niners defense to give the Packers a chance. The key to a Green Bay victory will be standout performances from role players. Geronimo Allison, Marquez Valdez-Scanting, and Jimmy Graham will need to make plays, because Green Bay's offense is not the strongest unit in the league. Against the number one defense in the league, Aaron Rodgers will need all the help he can get.

After a week off, the 49ers showed why they earned the top seed in the NFC. The running game was firing on all cylinders, gaining 186 yards on the ground, the defense racked 6 sacks on Kirk Cousins, and held Dalvin Cook to 26 total yards. In the playoffs, you need to run the ball well and play good defense, and San Francisco ticks both boxes in astounding fashion. Considering the 49ers were able to dominate the line of scrimmage against Green Bay back in Week 12, San Francisco will be confident they can handle business again. Richard Sherman, one of the most prolific postseason cornerbacks in the league, will be covering Devante Adams, the pass rush will be chasing down Aaron Rodgers as he looks for mediocre receivers to create separation in a top tier secondary, and the ground game will excel on the other side of the ball. The only way the 49ers struggle to come out of this game is if Jimmy Garappolo shoots his team in the foot with costly missed throws or turnovers. Garappolo only completed 11 passes against the Vikings for 131 yards and he threw an interception. Green Bay's defense has improved substantially from last season, and there are plays to be made if Garappolo struggles early in the game. As long as Kyle Shanahan sticks to the ground game, and Tevin Coleman and Raheem Mostert are productive, the 49ers will dominate the line of scrimmage once again, and it will show in the score.

Aaron Rodgers needs to play the game of his life to put the Packers back in the Super Bowl for the first time since 2010. The 49ers are favorites for many reasons, and we saw the gap in talent between the sides in their first meeting back in November. When it's all said and done, the 49ers will make more plays, and will be going back to the Super Bowl.

Prediction: GB 23, SF 28