2023 NFL Conference Championship Round Takeaways
The NFL’s Conference Championship Round is in the books as the top-seeded teams in both conferences, the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs, emerge as this season’s contenders for the Lombardi Trophy. Before we build up the anticipation for Super Bowl LVII, let’s briefly relive the developments from Sunday’s memorable slate of postseason action.
Nitrobetting is ready to equip its bettors with the latest news, NFL odds, and special features for the duration of the 2022-23 NFL season. Let’s recap the captivating developments from the AFC and NFC Conference Championship Games and what it means for each of the final four teams involved in the penultimate round of the NFL Playoffs.
Top 3 Takeaways from the 2023 NFL Conference Championship Round
NEW NEWS! We’ve got a Kelce Bowl. #SBLVII pic.twitter.com/5hGw65WQ2W
— NFL (@NFL) January 30, 2023
READ MORE: Top Super Bowl LVII Storylines
No More Flashes in the Pan for San Fran
The moment that 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy suffered an injury on his first drive against the Eagles, it was all but determined that the Bay Area franchise was up for defeat. That certainly turned out to be the case, as the Niners were bludgeoned by Philly in a 31-7 rout that was seemingly over by halftime.
San Francisco had to send out fourth-string QB Josh Johnson to mediocre results. And if that wasn’t enough, Johnson suffered a concussion in the third quarter as well leaving the team without a healthy signal-caller in its toughest test of the season thus far. Purdy would return briefly under center, but it was clear that the Niners were in no shape to pull off a miraculous comeback. The Niners’ supposedly stout defense was also exploited by the Eagles’ potent running game, which amassed 148 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns.
Burrowhead No More
Whereas the NFC Championship Game was a total blowout, the AFC Championship Game had a more thrilling contest wire-to-wire. The Bengals and Chiefs faced each other in a rematch of last year’s AFC title game and, this time around, it was KC that handed Cincy a three-point defeat for a change.
Kansas City is back in the Super Bowl for the third time in four years thanks to another fantastic, gritty performance from Patrick Mahomes. The former league MVP and Super Bowl MVP threw for 326 passing yards and a pair of TDs despite playing with a bummed ankle. It’s Mahomes’ first win over the Joe Burrow-led Bengals in four tries and with each of their four meetings having been decided by a single field goal. This Chiefs-Bengals rivalry will only get better over the next few years, but for now, the Tribe successfully defended Arrowhead against Joe Cool and are primed for their second Lombardi Trophy in less than half a decade.
Flags Waved for (not by) Niners and Bengals
With frustrations reaching a tipping point late in the fourth quarter and with no comeback in sight, San Francisco’s top offensive lineman Trent Williams blew his fuse and was called for an unsportsmanlike conduct foul that had no bearing in the final outcome of the NFC Championship Game. The Eagles would still go on to complete their rout of the Niners to punch their ticket into Glendale.
Unfortunately for the Bengals, a 15-yard personal foul penalty called on defensive end Joseph Ossai with less than a minute left into the contest ended up being the worst situation that the Bengals got into. Ossai pushed Mahomes out of bounds late which drew the penalty from the refs and ultimately set up a manageable 45-yard field-goal attempt for, Harrison Butker who hit the go-ahead FG with under eight seconds left in the contest and virtually seal the game for the Chiefs.
Referees continue to be inconsistent when calling plays as they see them but at least these last two penalties from the Championship Games were far from controversial. Nevertheless, the NFL’s front office should still look into how it can improve its officiating process to avoid future controversies in colossal moments such as the Conference Championship Games and the entire postseason in general.
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