The GOAT vs The Kid Super Bowl; Championship Weekend Recap

It has been a long, exhausting year for the NFL, but after the NFC and AFC championship games concluded, there is only one game left, the Super Bowl. Before we jump ahead to that, let us recap the two championship games and point out the keys to their success.

Brady Beats Rodgers to get to his 10th Super Bowl

Before this game was even played, there was a ton of talk regarding the quarterback matchup with two of the greatest quarterbacks of all time: Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers. Brady, who is now with the Buccaneers, outlasted Rodgers and the Packers by a score of 31-26. In the game, Brady was shaky with three interceptions, but was still able to score three times in the victory. RB Leonard Fournette led the rushing attack with 55 yards and a touchdown, while RB Ronald Jones got minimal yardage on 10 attempts. Through the air, WR Chris Godwin led the Bucs with 110 yards while being helped by Mike Evans and Scotty Miller, who combined for a line of 5/87/2.

This game was won by the Tampa Bay defense, who held the top offense in the league to just 26 points. The Bucs were able to force two turnovers on a fumble by RB Aaron Jones and an interception by QB Aaron Rodgers. Both turnovers led to touchdowns and ended up being the difference in the game. LB Devin White had 15 tackles in the victory. For the sack category, the Bucs got to Rodgers five times, two by LB Jason Pierre-Paul and three by LB Shaq Barrett. CB Sean Murph-Bunting recorded yet another pick, making that three in three weeks.

For Green Bay, the score did not truly show how they played. The Packers had opportunity after opportunity to score off turnovers, but just did not do enough to win the game. QB Aaron Rodgers had a good game in the loss, going 33/48 with 346 yards, three touchdowns, and an interception. WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling had a big day as well, going 4/115/1 with a 50-yard touchdown. On the defensive side, CB Jaire Alexander had two interceptions, while Adrian Amos recorded an interception in the loss.

Chiefs Earn Second Straight Super Bowl Bid with Win Over Buffalo

The world is waiting for the Chiefs to slip up and they have not budged. Kansas City, playing in their third straight AFC championship game, got the best of the Buffalo Bills, beating them 38-24. This game was won by a full team effort with all aspects of the game playing well. QB Patrick Mahomes continued his dominance with 325 yards and 3 touchdowns. Two of those touchdowns went to TE Travis Kelce while the other went to WR Mecole Hardman. Once again, the dynamic duo of Kelce and Hill dominated, totaling for a whopping line of 22/290/2. Kansas City played balanced football as well, rushing for 114 yards and two touchdowns on the day.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Chiefs did a great job of neutralizing the Bills offense by putting them behind the chains. CB Rashad Fenton had the lone interception in the game, while CB L’Jarius Sneed, Frank Clark (2), and Tanoh Kpassagnon recorded sacks in the victory. The KC defense also held the Chiefs to 5-14 on third down and won the time of possession game by three minutes.

Even in the loss, the Bills should be holding their heads high for making huge improvements this season. QB Josh Allen had a so-so game, going 28/48 with 287 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception. He also led the ground game with 88 yards on seven carries. Besides Allen, the Bills did little on the ground, rushing for just 41 yards outside of Allen. Through the air, the Bills had six receivers with two or more catches, led by WR Cole Beasley. Playing on a broken fibula, Beasley had seven catches for 88 yards in a gritty performance. WR Dawson Knox and WR Isaiah McKenzie found the endzone in the loss.

In two weeks, the stage is now set. Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be taking on Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs for the gold. Will the “GOAT” win his seventh, or will the kid win his second super bowl in his first three seasons?

Info from profootballreference.com