The Sports Beacon

Life lessons that my mom taught me

Full disclosure, this article (as the title suggests) will not discuss any sports whatsoever. My plan is to get back to doing what I love to do (sportswriting) soon enough; however, today I feel called to use my Sports Beacon platform as a personal healing opportunity. My mom unexpectedly passed away three months ago due to complications in surgery. She was one of my best friends, a fantastic mother, & a wonderful person on the planet. Writing about my mom won’t be an easy task for me personally, but here goes nothing. Without further ado, here are several important life lessons that my mom taught me.

The opposite of love isn’t hate, it’s fear

I remember hearing my mom discuss this topic for the first time & being perplexed; however, upon hearing her motivation & reasoning behind her opinion it made sense. You see, there’s a very thin line between love & hate that is oftentimes tough to define. In the wise words of Joey Tribbiani, “you can’t even see the line, the line is a dot to you.” My mom went on to explain that since there’s such a close relationship between love & hate, these terms are not really opposites at all, but instead two sides of the same coin. She went on to define fear and note that you simply cannot love what it is that you fear. Fear is dangerous, and it can trigger “fight, flight, or freeze” mechanisms in our bodies. Also, a person’s behavior changes when confronted by someone or something they fear. Fear is detrimental to a person’s conduct & behavior, and it is the polar opposite of love.

Love is showing interest

My mom showed that she loved my brother & I very much in a variety of different ways. One of the ways that she showed her love for us was by taking interest in our interests. She knew who all of my friends were growing up, which TV shows that I was watching at any given time, and which activities that I was participating in all throughout my life. The same goes for my brother Matt, as we were both spoiled in having her as our mom. This is because she cared, and when you love someone, you care about their wellbeing. Her vast knowledge of our favorite things, hobbies, activities, & interests was uncanny. That’s why my mom was also the BEST at giving presents for Christmas & our birthdays. There’s nothing that says “I love you” more than showing your loved one that you care.

Love is spending time

Mom & I spent a lot of time together during the Covid lockdown, as she was working from home as a counselor while I was laid off from my job as a production assistant. Neither of us went anywhere during this time period due to fear of catching the virus. Fortunately for us, we loved spending time together watching TV shows & hanging out. So that’s what we did for over a year, and looking back now I’ll cherish that time forever. There were times where we just about drove each other crazy being cooped up in the house together 24/7, but true love is about spending time together in adverse situations. Life is hard, and spending time with your loved ones helps you pull through adversity.

Be very careful-a!

Don’t ask me why she always added an extra “a” after the word “careful,” but before I drove off to work, school, or anywhere else she always gave me one simple message before I headed out, “you be very ‘careful-a’, stay safe, & text me when you get there.” Later on, she explained that my brother & I were like pieces of her heart walking around on the planet, so she just wanted us to stay safe, be happy, and enjoy our lives. Unfortunately, I finally broke this rule after 28 years due to a car accident back in July. Thankfully, the other driver & I were okay, though my car was totaled in the process. My feeling is that my guardian angel from up above was watching over me that day.

NFL players that own another team

This article was inspired by The Game Day NFL’s post about “players that have ownership stakes in other NFL teams,” which is an ideal offseason topic for discussion. Aaron Rodgers saying “I still own you” to the Bears demonstrates this concept in action. There are NFL players that just dominate against a specific team(s) for whatever reason. With that in mind, let’s take a look at the list of NFL players with heavy bragging rights. Note that this discussion will focus on current NFL players with relevant dominance.

Aaron Rodgers vs the Bears (25-5 record)

Rodgers seems to have some sort of personal vendetta against the Bears, as he threw for 6,965 yards, 64 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions in 30 games against them. Fortunately for Bears fans, they don’t have to see the Boogey man again until next year. That’s because the Jets traded for Aaron Rodgers this offseason, ushering in a new era. Perhaps Rodgers’ dismissal from the NFC North will spawn new life within the division.

Patrick Mahomes vs the Broncos (11-0 record)

Mahomes really owns the entire league right now as the reigning MVP and Super Bowl LVII MVP looks to further build upon his Hall of Fame worthy credentials in 2023. His stats aren’t gaudy against the Broncos, but he’s just had their number ever since he started his first career NFL game against them back towards the end of the 2017 season. He’s made plays like this one look easy against them, but he also does this to everyone.

Derrick Henry vs the Jaguars (see stats)

Henry’s dominance against the Jaguars isn’t measured by his team’s record vs. them (6-7), but check his statistics against the Jags: 1,373 yards & 16 touchdowns in 13 games. His career against them has also been defined by great plays like this one and this one. There’s been a changing of the guard in the AFC South recently, but the Jaguars should remain fearful of the Titans for however long as King Henry resides in their division.

Cameron Jordan vs the Falcons (12-12 record)

The Falcons-Saints rivalry has been one of the best in football for several years now. It’s easy to see why, as Jordan has a career 12-12 record vs. the Dirty Birds in 24 games. His 23 sacks in those 24 games though paint a much different picture of Jordan’s impact. ESPN further illustrates this dominance, noting that, “Jordan [has] sacked [Matt] Ryan 23 times…. [which is] a record for the most times a quarterback has been sacked by a single player. Jordan’s sacks of Ryan account for a whopping 20% of his career total.” Unfortunately for the Falcons, Jordan averages basically a sack per game against them. Until that figure changes, the Falcons will never rally past the Saints in the NFC South.

Can the Falcons win the NFC South in ’23?

Falcons fans should be cautiously optimistic right about now.

Anything is possible for the Dirty Birds right now given the lousy state of their division. The Buccaneers are set to host a training camp QB battle between Baker Mayfield & Kyle Trask. They’re now firmly in rebuilding mode following Tom Brady’s latest NFL offseason retirement. Meanwhile, the Panthers feature a new head coach (Frank Reich) & a rookie QB (Bryce Young). Their roster has some talent but trading away star WR D.J. Moore to the Bears wasn’t optimal. That leaves the Falcons & the Saints as realistic contenders for the NFC South division crown. Let’s take a look at why the Falcons & Saints should be considered the division’s frontrunners.

The Falcons were at the bottom of the division last year, finishing with a 7-10 record. Why in the world should they be considered amongst the division’s frontrunners in 2023 then? Well, for starters, they added a bunch of talent this offseason in the form of RB Bijan Robinson, S Jessie Bates III, DE Calais Campbell, DE Bud Dupree, WR Mack Hollins, & LB Kaden Ellis. The team should also lead the league in rushing this year after featuring a top-five-unit last year. That’s not all, as Ryan Nielsen replaces Dean Pees as the team’s defensive coordinator this year. Nielsen was with the Saints from 2017-2022, and during that time his unit recorded the second most sacks in the league (281), & consistently ranked top-five in sacks (per atlantafalcons.com). Put all of these factors together, and there’s a lot to like about the Falcon’s 2023 division odds.

The NFL is all about stellar quarterback play though, and it’s possible that the Saints have the Falcons beat there when comparing veteran Derek Carr to second-year pro Desmond Ridder. The Falcons clearly believe in Ridder, or they would’ve pushed harder to sign Lamar Jackson. That said, his growth (or lack thereof) in year two will clearly define the team’s 2023 campaign. Will Ridder make the leap this year to surpass Derek Carr as the best QB in the South division? Answering that question likely also determines whether or not the Falcons are able to win the division in 2023.

The Braves just scored 40 runs in four days

The Braves lineup was about as hot as this baseball in their series against the Rockies.

That’s an average of 10 runs per game for the Braves at home against the Rockies, folks. It’s been a while since I’ve seen the Braves flat out dominate a team like that in a four-game set. None of the games were particularly close, despite the Rockies scoring six runs in the final game. The Braves were firing on all cylinders, as the Rockies managed just 12 runs in the entire series. Shoot, things got so bad for the Rockies that starter Dinelson Lamet got DFA’d by the team on Saturday after giving up 8 runs in his four innings of work against the Braves on Friday night.

Ozzie Albies set the tone for the series as his bases clearing double in the second inning on Thursday night scored three runs in the team’s eventual 8-3 win over the Colorado Rockies. Travis d’Arnaud followed up Albies’ act with an encore of sorts in the form of a two-homer night (including the 100^th HR of his career), driving in four runs in the team’s 8-1 win on Friday night. Not to be outdone, Matt Olson heated up at the plate after being demoted to the No. 5 spot in the lineup for Saturday’s game. His grand slam in the first inning was the difference in the 10-2 win. Finally, Eddie Rosario & Michael Harris II saved the best for last in Sunday’s afternoon finale. Rosario finished with two HR & six RBI, while Harris went 5 for 5 with 3 RBI in the contest.

What’s next for the Braves? Well, an off day today (Monday) for starters, followed by a road trip to face off against the Phillies & Reds, who are 3^rd & 2^nd in their respective divisions. The Braves & Phillies series is one to watch, as both teams have won 13 of their past 15 games. With the new MLB schedule where each & every team plays each other over the course of the season, these divisional games mean so much more in terms of determining the final standings. Getting Austin Riley going in this series is key, as he was such a nonfactor in the Rockies series. I’m hopeful that the Braves bats don’t cool off too much heading into an important road series.

Throwback Thursday: Does defense win championships?

Check out my new weekly series! Photo credit: Adobe Stock

Throwback Thursdays is a new weekly series that I’ve started during the offseason where I will post older content from my Macro Sports days on this website. Enjoy this article from June 2021 that was behind the Macro Sports paywall at the time.

You’ve surely heard the NFL cliché “defense wins championships,” but has anyone ever investigated the topic? This is my investigation into the topic, where I look at the defenses from the past 5 Super Bowl winners. I’m analyzing their season statistics (points per game, yards per game, turnovers, sacks), Super Bowl team stats, and individual player stats in the Super Bowl. Without further ado, here is my answer to the question, “does defense win championships?”

Super Bowl LI Winner: New England Patriots

2016 stats: ppg (1^st, 16) pass ypg (12^th, 238) rush ypg (3^rd, 89) TO (14^th, 23) SK (16^th, 34)
Super Bowl stats: 28 points, 5 tackles for loss, 12 QB hits, 8 sacks, 1 fumble recovery
Key player: DE Trey Flowers (6 TKL, 2.5 SK, 2.5 TFL, 5 QBH)

These defensive stats certainly support the notion that defense wins championships. The 2016 Patriots defense wasn’t perfect, but the unit was an elite scoring & rushing defense while being average in other defensive metrics. Tom Brady led them to a comeback win, but the Patriots DEF certainly supported him along the way. Their biggest play was a fumble recovery by DE Alan Branch in the 3^rd quarter at the Falcons 25-yard line. This play really changed the momentum of the game & helped in securing the Patriots win.

Super Bowl LI Winner: Philadelphia Eagles

2017 stats: ppg (4^th, 18) pass ypg (17^th, 227) rush ypg (1^st, 79) TO (4^th, 31), SK (16^th, 38)
Super Bowl stats: 33 points, 1 SK, 6 pass breakups, 9 QBH, 1 FR
Key players: DB Jalen Mills (9 TKL, 2 PBU) & Derek Barnett (1 FR)

The 2017 Eagles defensive stats support the notion that defense wins championships; however, this one wasn’t as clear cut as the Patriots defense was the year prior. Their overall stats are comparable, as the Eagles unit was elite in terms of scoring, rushing, & turnovers while being average in other defensive metrics. They gave up 33 points in the Super Bowl though, & their offense put up 41 points to win. That being said, the unit had 9 QB hits & 6 pass breakups which helped in securing the win. DE Derek Barnett made the biggest defensive play of the night with a late 4^th quarter fumble recovery at the Patriots 28-yard line.

Super Bowl LIII Winner: New England Patriots

2018: ppg (6^th, 20) pass ypg (22^nd, 246) rush ypg (11^th, 113) TO (5^th, 28), SK (30^th, 30)
Super Bowl stats: 3 points, 7 TFL, 12 QBH, 4 SK, 8 PBU, 1 INT
Key players: DB Jonathan Jones (8 TKL, 1 SK, 1 TFL, 1 QBH)

Defensive metrics for the 2018 Patriots are inconclusive in supporting the defense wins championships argument. The defense played well in the Super Bowl, but they weren’t very helpful in helping the team get to the big game. They were mediocre in terms of passing defense, rushing defense, & sacks. This is a vast difference from the defenses mentioned previously. That being said, the unit showed up & played lockdown D in the title game.

Super Bowl LIV Winner: Kansas City Chiefs

2019: ppg (7^th, 19) pass ypg (8^th, 221) rush ypg (26^th, 128) TO (11^th, 23) SK (11^th, 45)
Super Bowl stats: 20 points, 4.5 TFL, 6 QBH, 1 SK, 6 PD, 2 INT
Players: DB Breeland (7 TKL, 2 TFL, 1 PBU, 1 INT), DB Fuller (4 TKL, 2 PBU, 1 INT)

Patrick Mahomes & the Chiefs offense gets most of the credit, but it was their defense that supported them in winning their 2019 championship. They were an above average unit in terms of points, passing yards, takeaways, & sacks. Most importantly, their coverage was phenomenal in the Super Bowl with 6 pass breakups & 2 interceptions. This was highlighted by Kendall Fuller’s late 4^th quarter INT on the Chiefs 42-yard line that sealed the Chiefs win.

Super Bowl LV Winner: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

2020 stats: ppg (8^th, 22) pass ypg (21^st, 247) rush ypg (1^st, 81) TO (28^th, 25), SK (5^th, 48)

Super Bowl stats: 9 points, 5 TFL, 10 QBH, 3 SK, 9 PBU, 2 INT

Key player: LB Devin White (12 TKL, 2 TFL, 1 PBU, 1 INT)

Listen, the Bucs defense was great against the Chiefs in the Super Bowl; however, were they the main reason why the team made it to the big game? I argue no because the defense was awful against the pass & in creating turnovers, so this is inconclusive for me. That being said, their title game performance was historic. LB Devin White was all over the field in the big game.

Closing Statements

Defense WINS championships! This is a strange development, given that the NFL has become a passing league & that offensive minded head coaches are all the rage right now. Most of these defenses impacted both the team getting to the big game & them finally winning it. All of these defenses feel massively underrated after writing this piece. Shame on me because I never really thought that defenses played such a pivotal role in teams winning the Super Bowl.

Breaking News Item No. 2: Yardbarker

Yardbarker is a reputable sportswriting website that covers the NFL, MLB, NBA, & more. I recently joined the Yardbarker team as a freelance contributor, and my first two articles are already published on their website! They created a profile for me where people can follow along with my sportswriting journey on their website. I’m looking forward to what comes next.

That said, I won’t be writing as much for The Sports Beacon in the interim. Life is pretty busy for me currently, and writing for Yardbarker is my primary focus at the moment. Don’t worry, all of my articles are still free and not behind a paywall, but you’ll just find me writing for Yardbarker more frequently than this website for the time being. Please continue supporting my sportswriting journey at the following links below. Thank you as always for reading & tuning in.

Yardbarker Profile

https://www.yardbarker.com/authors/tyler_deakin/1037

Yardbarker Article No. 1

https://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/articles/five_nfl_teams_that_could_win_the_offseason/s1_13132_38468677

Yardbarker Article No. 2

https://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/articles/could_odell_beckham_jr_return_to_the_new_york_giants/s1_13132_38480819

Breaking News Item No. 1: TSTPC Podcast

Tune back in to this website later this evening for more breaking news! Photo credit: Adobe Stock

Are you a big podcast listener? Do you listen to podcasts while at work, driving, or at the gym? Well then, do I have good news for you. I recently made my first ever podcast appearance on The Second Thought Podcast! My friends Kevin, Justus, & Myles graciously hosted me on the most recent episode of the podcast, where they interviewed me about my sportswriting process, my origin story on how I became a sportswriter, and so much more during our conversation.

The episode is available now on all platforms (Spotify, SoundCloud, Apple Music, etc.) Please go support my friends & their entrepreneurial ventures, just as they have done so for me. Check out the podcast episode at the links below, and as always thank you for supporting The Sports Beacon.

The Second Thought Podcast Website:

https://www.tstpcatl.com/

TSTPC on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/tstpcatl/?hl=en

TSTPC episode on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1HVcIpkNI9HuZ4v22bVIQl?si=918b01a3803a41d4&nd=1

TSTPC episode on SoundCloud:

TSTPC episode on Apple Music:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-second-thought-podcast/id1482571439

Super Bowl LVII Preview

The Eagles & Chiefs face off in a matchup of epic proportions on Sunday at 6:30 P.M. ET on FOX.

…And then there were two. But wait, there can only be one, right? It’s true, only one winner out of 32 NFL teams emerges with the Lombardi Trophy, & the other teams go home. This year’s matchup features two of the NFL’s elite teams, as the NFC’s No. 1 seed Philadelphia Eagles take on the AFC’s No. 1 seed Kansas City Chiefs on the biggest stage next Sunday night. Both teams share 14-3 records and feature elite offenses & defenses that are entirely capable of taking control of the game at any given moment, so this will certainly be a fun contest to watch. Let’s dive in by examining & comparing the teams in terms of offense, defense, & special teams, following with a prediction from yours truly on who’s going to win the biggest game of the year.

Chiefs offense vs. Eagles offense

I’ve been dying to share this amazing statistic I found courtesy of FOX Sports NFL, which states that the offenses for both of these teams have scored exactly the same amount of points (546) as one another during the 2022 NFL season, & this number even includes playoffs! That’s wild to me, as it shows just how close these teams are to one another in terms of offense. Patrick Mahomes led an explosive Chiefs offense that put up 61 touchdowns & 7,032 offensive yards this year despite losing stud WR Tyreek Hill to the Miami Dolphins in an offseason trade. He’s a clear-cut MVP candidate, as is his rival on the opposing sideline in this game, Jalen Hurts. Sportsnaut has Jalen Hurts as an MVP finalist after setting career highs in completion percentage (66.5), passing yards (3,701), passing TDs (22), rushing yards (760) & rushing TDs (13) in 2022. The Chiefs primary offensive strength is in their dynamic passing attack, while the Eagles rely primarily on a powerful running game setting up a strong aerial assault in order to win games. For these reasons, I give the slight edge towards the Eagles in this matchup, as my belief is that their ability to beat you in multiple ways makes them very difficult to defend while on defense.

Eagles defense vs. Chiefs defense

The Eagles defense needs just five more sacks in Super Bowl LVII to break the NFL’s all-time single season mark (including playoffs) for sacks in a season, which currently sits at 82. They had 70 sacks during the regular season & 8 during the playoffs for a total of 78 this season. We’re talking about putting them in the same elite company as the 1985 Chicago Bears defense. That Super Bowl-winning unit is regarded as the best defense ever, and they managed 80 sacks. Can you guess the team that was right behind them in terms of sacks during the regular season? That of course would be the Chiefs, who finished with 55 sacks on the year & 7 in the playoffs. Still, that’s a pretty lofty gap (16 sacks) between the two title contenders by defensive standards. There’s also a lofty gap between the two in terms of scoring defense, as the Eagles had the No. 7 scoring defense during the regular season (20.2 PPG) while the Chiefs had the No. 16 unit (21.7). Add these factors together, & it’s clear that the Eagles should receive the slight edge on defense.

Eagles special teams vs. Chiefs special teams

These teams are remarkably similar in so many ways, and this extends to special teams. Due to their offenses producing touchdowns at such efficient rates, these teams have rarely had to kick field goals, as both teams are amongst the league’s bottom in terms of field goals made. The Eagles made 22 kicks compared to the Chiefs 21, but the difference lies in their conversion percentage, with the Eagles owning an 88% conversion percentage compared to the Chiefs 75%. There is a clear difference in terms of extra-point conversion percentage as well, as the Chiefs finished in the bottom five teams (89.4%) while the Eagles finished middle of the pack (96.4%). The Chiefs advantage is probably in the punting game, where they lead the league in net punt yards average (45.6%) compared to the Eagles bottom-barrel net punt yards average (39.7%). These differences matter in determining the outcome of a game that I predict will be very close.

My prediction: Eagles over the Chiefs 35-31

Braves Spring Training: Burning Questions

Spring Training is right around the corner! Braves pitchers & catchers begin reporting to camp on Monday, February 13, right before the full squad checks in on Thursday, February 16. Their first game is on the road facing off against the Boston Red Sox on Saturday, February 25. With those dates in mind, you can see just how closely baseball is in returning to our daily lives. You also probably have plenty of questions regarding the Braves, & I’m here to provide answers. Let’s discuss how our 2022 NL East Champs are looking as the 2023 MLB season approaches.

Who starts in LF?

Eddie Rosario, Marcell Ozuna, Jordan Luplow, Eli White, & Sam Hilliard are all early candidates to be the Opening Day left fielder for the Braves once the season officially begins. These guys all have their strengths & weaknesses, but the current favorite is certainly Rosario. Rosario is of course coming off a down 2022 season in which he hit a meager .212/.259/.587. He’s a career .270/.305/.767 hitter though whom the team signed to a 2-year, $18 million deal. Their hope is that he rebounds after a career-worst campaign largely affected by vision issues. Next in line is probably Jordan Luplow, who signed a 1-year, $1.4 million deal this offseason. Luplow is a career .213/.313/.745 hitter who can play all of the outfield positions on defense. The Braves made separate trades for White & Hilliard, who will compete for depth purposes. Marcell Ozuna will likely get some outfield reps as well, assuming that he’s still on the team. Ozuna’s defense & arm strength are both awful, but his bat sometimes keeps him in the lineup.

What about DH?

Speaking of Ozuna, he’s certainly a candidate to be the team’s primary designated hitter. Unfortunately, the Braves just seem stuck with him after being unable to find any trade partners. Travis d’Arnaud could also see some reps there on the days that he’s not in the lineup at catcher. The same can be said for Sean Murphy, as both of our catchers excel on both offense & defense. This is clearly an area of concern for the Braves, as it certainly appears as though we’re heading for a full-fledged committee situation at designated hitter as Spring Training slowly approaches.

Grissom at SS?

Replacing Dansby Swanson in the lineup will be no easy task for the Braves, as he was an MVP-caliber player for the team last year in producing a .277/.329/.447 batting line while winning his first career Gold Glove award on defense, which earned him 5.7 WAR for the year. Vaughn Grissom is the current favorite to replace Swanson after bursting onto the scene last year as a 21-year-old rookie who hit .311/.354/.473 in August before sputtering down the stretch run. He’s been working with 3B coach Ron Washington this offseason to improve his defense at SS. This will be a new experience for Grissom, as he primarily played 2B for the Braves last season. Time will tell whether or not he’s up to the challenge, but he should get plenty of opportunities. Orlando Arcia will also be in competition with Grissom for the starting role, and although he’s played there as a starter before, the team would rather have him available off the bench in 2023.

Soroka or Anderson as the 5^th starter?

Braves fans received a couple of positive updates regarding Mike Soroka at Braves Fest a few weeks ago, which are that he’s fully healthy & finally having a normal offseason for once. That’s great news for a player who burst onto the scene as a rookie in 2019 but hasn’t been the same player since while dealing with two separate Achilles tendon tears back in 2020 & 2021. You can’t help but root for the guy, & the team getting him back as the 5^th starter would be huge. He’ll compete with roommate Ian Anderson for the last spot in the Braves starting pitching core. Ian Anderson had a rough 2022 season, but it’s possible that he could bounce back in a big way. He ended up sitting out the end of the 2022 season with a strained oblique muscle, which may have inadvertently contributed to some of his issues (command, getting hit hard) from last year. This will be a big season for him as the team determines whether or not to keep him around or use him as a trade chip to upgrade an area of need (hello LF & DH) at the 2023 trade deadline.

NFL Conference Championship Weekend Preview

These games are for all of the marbles. Winners go to the Super Bowl! Photo credit: Adobe Stock

…And then there were four. Four teams remain as the NFL’s elite battle for conference supremacy in the NFC & AFC Championship Games just two weeks prior to Super Bowl LVII. These are the moments that we’ve all been waiting for as the 2022 NFL season reaches the end. It’s the Eagles vs the 49ers in the NFC, while the Chiefs & Bengals battle for the AFC’s crown. Which of these squads will emerge as Super Bowl contenders for their respective conferences? Let’s discuss all the drama behind these showdowns between the last four teams left standing.

49ers (No. 2) at Eagles (No. 1) on FOX (Sunday, 3:00 P.M. ET)

According to this CBS Sports graphic, this is the first ever conference championship featuring both starting quarterbacks (Jalen Hurts & Brock Purdy) who are under the age of 25. Both of these guys are also on their rookie contracts, showcasing the importance of building a championship-caliber roster during this time while the team has extra cap space to work with. Meanwhile, this is the 18^th conference championship appearance for the 49ers, which according to this NBC Sports graphic is the record for most appearances of amongst all NFL franchises. Truly historic stuff is happening in this matchup featuring the No. 1 & No. 2 teams in the NFC. You can tell that these two teams have a mutual respect for one another too, with Eagles DC Jonathan Gannon telling reporters, “I think it’s a good job by Kyle. He knows how to get guys in space, and then those guys have unique skill sets… definitely a key to victory for us is tackling.” These comments are in stark contrast to the next conference championship that we will discuss…

My prediction: Eagles over the 49ers 27-24

Bengals (No. 3) at Chiefs (No. 1) on CBS (Sunday, 6:30 P.M. ET)

Several Bengals players, notably CB Mike Hilton, started calling the Chiefs’ Arrowhead Stadium “Burrowhead” in reference to the notion that QB Joe Burrow is 3-0 against the Chiefs. This aggravated Chiefs TE Travis Kelce, who responding on his “New Heights” podcast said that, “[They’re] getting everybody fired up…throwing a lot of bulletin board material out there.” ILB William Gay fired some bulletin board material back the Bengals way, declaring that, “nothing” impressed him about facing off against the Bengals high-octane offense this weekend. Joe Burrow probably had the most measured take amongst all of these quotes from both teams, noting that, “…they’re still the team to beat, and we’re coming for them. But we know it’s gonna be tough. It’s gonna be hard fought, and we know the kind of players they have on that side…” QB Patrick Mahomes said that, “if you’re not fired up to play a team that beat you three times in a row coming up in the AFC Championship Game, you’re not gonna be excited for anything…” There’s a lot to unpack here, but the bottom line is that I think football fans are in for a wild AFC Conference Championship Game between two rival opponents in Sunday evening’s tilt on CBS. Football fans should enjoy these games while they can because the season will end very shortly.

My prediction: Chiefs over the Bengals 35-31