The NFL divisional playoffs ended many debates over who the top teams were. The league’s four finest clubs will square off in the conference finals. The Philadelphia Eagles defeated the New York Giants by a large margin, proving once again that they are a top-tier NFL club and a legitimate title contender.

The NFC Championship Game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the San Francisco 49ers will be played on January 21 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. The 49ers advanced by defeating the Dallas Cowboys, setting up the conference’s top-two seeds against each other.

This year’s AFC Championship Game features a rematch between the Kansas City Chiefs and Cincinnati Bengals, two of the greatest teams in the league. Although Patrick Mahomes played through a high ankle injury to help the Chiefs beat the Jaguars, Joe Burrow led the Bengals to a dominating win against the Bills in Buffalo’s snow.

AFC Championship – Kansas City Chiefs

Already, the anticipated rematch between the Chiefs and Bengals from last year’s AFC championship game is exciting. When you add in Patrick Mahomes and Joe Burrow and consider that Mahomes is playing with a high-ankle sprain, you have a recipe for another classic in the NFL.

Mahomes is 0-3 against Burrow in the previous two years, including a 27-24 overtime loss in last year’s AFC Championship Game that Kansas City squandered after leading 21-10 in the second quarter. The average margin of victory in those games has been three points, with Cincinnati outscoring Kansas City 26-6 in the last frame and overtime.

Since they had a winning record at Arrowhead Stadium during the regular season, they have a solid shot of beating the Bengals there. Though the Chiefs eventually prevailed 27-20 against the Jaguars in the Divisional Round, the Chiefs’ offensive line had been the league’s deadliest throughout the regular season.

NFC Championship – San Francisco 49ers

Unfortunately for fans of both teams, the 49ers and Eagles have only ever met once in the playoffs (the 49ers won 14-0 in the 1996 NFC Wild Card round). Both of today’s starting quarterbacks, Jalen Hurts and Brock Purdy, weren’t even conceived then. This will be the youngest NFC Championship Game ever, with Hurts (24 years, 175 days) facing off against Purdy (23 years, 33 days).

In his first year as a starter, Purdy became just the fourth quarterback to win a conference title after being taken in the sixth round or later (or going undrafted). It marks the 49ers’ 18th trip to the NFL’s conference championship game (and third in the last four years). As far as we can tell, they are the only NFC club that has never been to Philadelphia for a playoff game.

Kyle Shanahan has played in an NFC Conference Championship game before, in 2021 when his team fell 20-17 to the Los Angeles Rams. Hopes have been raised, their performance has improved, and Purdy seems to be the frontrunner to start next season.