Happy Friday, everyone. We start with some sad news from last night: legendary former college basketball announcer Billy Packer has died at 82. Packer called 34 Final Fours, 27 of which came with CBS.
We have a huge sports weekend in front of us, so let’s begin.
Good morning to everyone but especially to…
THE SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS, PHILADELPHIA EAGLES, CINCINNATI BENGALS AND KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
Conference championship weekend is here, and I am excited. You should be too. We have four terrific teams vying for two spots in the Super Bowl and storylines abound.
Let’s get started with picks. Our John Breech says the numbers won’t lie when it comes to the AFC.
- Breech: “Joe Burrow is 3-0 against Patrick Mahomes with all three games being decided by exactly three points and the Bengals are going for their third straight playoff win. Also, Burrow has never lost in January (7-0), he’s never lost a road playoff game (3-0) and I think we all know where I’m going with this pick. The pick: Bengals 27-24 over Chiefs“
Oh, and just so you know, John has picked all three previous meetings correctly, too. In the NFC, our Pete Prisco doesn’t see things being quite as close. We also have picks from Tyler Sullivan.
I really enjoyed reading our position-by-position analyses — AFC here and NFC here. It shows how deep and talented these four teams are. That all comes from terrific drafting, savvy roster management, impressive development/coaching and, yes, some luck.
The biggest story of the weekend, undoubtedly, will be the quarterback battle at Arrowhead Stadium. Here’s how Cody Benjamin sees that one:
- Benjamin: “Mahomes has the benefit of experience, with five straight AFC title bids and two Super Bowl appearances under his belt. He’s also better suited for off-script acrobatics, setting the standard as a big-play artist in and outside of structure. But his high ankle sprain puts a big question mark on his mobility. Burrow, meanwhile… is quickly cementing himself as this generation’s Tom Brady or Peyton Manning, showcasing near-flawless vision and touch in crunch time. Call it a dead-even draw.“
This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the outstanding work our NFL team has produced. Here are more of my favorites.
Honorable mentions
And not such a good morning for…
THE UNITED STATES MEN’S NATIONAL TEAM
It’s awfully quiet around USMNT headquarters nowadays. On Thursday, the…
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