What To Look For – NFL Conference Championships

SUPER TURNAROUNDS

On Championship Sunday, the Super Bowl LVI participants will be determined. In the AFC (3:00 PM ET, CBS/Paramount+), the CINCINNATI BENGALS (12-7) take on the KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (14-5) while the SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (12-7) travel to SoFi Stadium to face the LOS ANGELES RAMS (14-5) in the NFC (6:40 PM ET, FOX/FOX Deportes).

With Cincinnati and San Francisco, this marks the fifth year since 1970 in which multiple teams have advanced to their conference Championship Games the year after finishing in last or tied for last place in their divisions.
If either team wins this weekend, it will become the fifth team to advance to the Super Bowl the season after finishing in last place in its division since 2000.

The teams to appear in the Super Bowl the season after finishing in last place in their division since 2000:

CHAMPIONSHIP COACHES

Each of the four head coaches remaining in the 2021 postseason can cement themselves in NFL history with victories on Sunday.

In the AFC, Kansas City’s ANDY REID became the fifth head coach in league history to guide his team to at least four consecutive Championship Games. He is aiming to advance to his fourth Super Bowl as a head coach, and third with Kansas City. Overall, Reid has 19 postseason wins, tied with Pro Football Hall of Famer DON SHULA for the third-most in league history.

"When it's grim be the Grim Reaper."

Andy Reid on what he said to Patrick Mahomes when they were down late in the game. pic.twitter.com/kIIj2rdqOL

— CBS Sports HQ (@CBSSportsHQ) January 24, 2022

With a win on Sunday, Reid will tie Pro Football Hall of Famer TOM LANDRY (20 wins) for the second-most postseason wins by a head coach all-time. Only BILL BELICHICK (31) has more.

The head coaches with the most career postseason wins in NFL history:

Cincinnati’s ZAC TAYLOR is looking to become the sixth individual in league history to win each of his first three career postseason games as an NFL head coach and the first since DOUG PEDERSON in 2017.

"We got hot at the right time."

Zac Taylor says this young #Bengals team isn't ahead of schedule because there never was a schedule.

They're here – and the trophies at Paul Brown Stadium could soon make room for another. pic.twitter.com/YwmF8s8zYV

— Joe Danneman (@FOX19Joe) January 25, 2022

In the NFC, both San Francisco’s KYLE SHANAHAN, who brought the 49ers to Super Bowl LIV in 2019, and Los Angeles’ SEAN MCVAY, who took the Rams to Super Bowl LIII in 2018, are looking to advance to their second Super Bowls as a head coach.

Each coach was hired by his current club in 2017. The winner of the NFC Championship on Sunday will become the fifth individual in league history to advance to two Super Bowls within his first five seasons as an NFL head coach.

The individuals to advance to two Super Bowls within their first five seasons as a head coach in NFL history:

KANSAS CITY OF CHAMPIONS: The KANSAS CITY CHIEFS are the first team in league history to host four consecutive Championship Games. With a win on Sunday, they would become the fourth team all-time to advance to three-or-more consecutive Super Bowls.

The teams to appear in at least three consecutive Super Bowls in NFL history:

Quarterback PATRICK MAHOMES led the Chiefs to each of the past two Super Bowls and with a win on Sunday can become the 13th quarterback all-time to start in three-or-more Super Bowls. The sixth to do so before turning 30 years old. Mahomes, who will be 26 years and 149 days old on the day of Super Bowl LVI, would become the youngest quarterback in NFL history to start three Super Bowls.

Who has the most passing TDs in their first 10 career playoff games? That would be @PatrickMahomes, of course, with 25. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/5uiCv4HKYO

— NFL (@NFL) January 25, 2022

Mahomes enters Championship Sunday after recording 378 passing yards and three touchdown passes in the Divisional Round against Buffalo, and 404 passing yards and five touchdown passes on Super Wild Card Weekend against Pittsburgh.

With at least 300 passing yards against Cincinnati, Mahomes would become the first player ever to record at least 300 passing yards in three games within a single postseason.

With three touchdown passes, he will become the fourth player ever to record at least three touchdown passes in three games within a single postseason, joining TOM BRADY (2014), JOE FLACCO (2012) and AARON RODGERS (2010). Each of the previous three players won Super Bowl MVP that same postseason.

The players with the most games with at least three touchdown passes in a single postseason in NFL history:

In Kansas City’s Divisional Round victory, tight end TRAVIS KELCE totaled eight catches for 96 yards and the game-winning touchdown reception in overtime. He has now recorded at least 95 receiving yards in five consecutive postseason games. The longest streak in NFL history. In his postseason career, Kelce has 96 receptions, 1,196 receiving yards and 11 touchdown receptions.

MAHOMES TO KELCE.

THE @CHIEFS WIN THE GAME OF THE YEAR! #NFLPlayoffs #ChiefsKingdom pic.twitter.com/9eM2Ur15O0

— NFL (@NFL) January 24, 2022

With four catches on Sunday, Kelce will become the third player in league history to record 100 career postseason receptions, joining Pro Football Hall of Famer JERRY RICE (151 receptions) and JULIAN EDELMAN (118).

The players with the most postseason receptions in NFL history:

Wide receiver TYREEK HILL led the team with 11 catches for 150 receiving yards and a touchdown last week. It marked his second-career postseason game with at least 150 receiving yards. Hill can join LARRY FITZGERALD as the only players ever to record at least 150 receiving yards in three career postseason games.

JOE & JA’MARR

Cincinnati quarterback JOE BURROW is expected to become the first quarterback ever drafted first overall to start a conference Championship Game within his first two seasons.

Under pressure the whole game and he still got 348 pass yards and a playoff dub.@JoeyB is that dude.@Bengals | #RuleTheJungle pic.twitter.com/YeHsEV2DjZ

— NFL (@NFL) January 24, 2022

With a win, Burrow, who was selected with the first overall pick out of LSU in 2020, will become the third quarterback selected in the first round of the NFL Draft to start a Super Bowl within his first two seasons in NFL history, joining Pro Football Hall of Famer DAN MARINO and BEN ROETHLISBERGER.

Burrow enters Championship Sunday after completing 28 of 37 attempts (75.7 percent) for 348 yards in the Divisional Round against Tennessee. On Super Wild Card Weekend against Las Vegas, he completed 24 of 34 attempts (70.6 percent) for 244 yards and two touchdowns.

On Sunday, Burrow can become the first quarterback ever to record a completion percentage of 70-or-higher in each of his first three career postseason games (minimum 25 attempts).

Burrow’s top target this season has been wide receiver JA’MARR CHASE, who recorded 1,455 receiving yards in the regular season. The most by a rookie in the Super Bowl era. After recording 109 receiving yards last week and 116 in the Wild Card Round, Chase’s 225 postseason receiving yards are the third-most ever by a rookie.

Ja'Marr. Chase.

Watch on CBS pic.twitter.com/EDohbrWLoq

— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) January 22, 2022

With 18 receiving yards at Kansas City, Chase will surpass TORRY HOLT (242 receiving yards in 1999) for the most postseason receiving yards by a rookie in NFL history.

The rookies with the most postseason receiving yards in NFL history:

With at least 100 receiving yards on Sunday, Chase will join LARRY FITZGERALD (first four career postseason games) as the only players ever to record at least 100 receiving yards in each of their first three career playoff games.

BRING IT HOME

When the LOS ANGELES RAMS host the NFC Championship Game at SoFi Stadium on Sunday, it will mark the first time in league history that a Championship Game will be played in the same stadium that will host that year’s Super Bowl.

With a win on Sunday, the Rams will become the second team ever to play in a Super Bowl in its home stadium, joining the TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS, who won Super Bowl LV at Raymond James Stadium last year.

Either the Rams or their opponent this week, the SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS, will become the sixth team ever to play in a Super Bowl that was hosted in its home state.

The Super Bowls with a team playing in its home state:

Los Angeles quarterback MATTHEW STAFFORD is set to appear in his first-career Conference Championship. He ranked second in the league with 41 touchdown passes during the regular season in his first season as a Ram.

Matthew Stafford had the @RocketMortgage #CompetitiveEdge with 366 passing yards on Sunday! #NFLPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/to75oyKeT3

— NFL (@NFL) January 25, 2022

Stafford can become the fifth different quarterback in league history to record at least 40 regular-season touchdown passes and reach the Super Bowl in the same season.

The quarterbacks to record at least 40 regular-season touchdown passes and reach the Super Bowl in the same season:

Stafford’s top target this season has been wide receiver COOPER KUPP, who led the league in receptions (145), receiving yards (1,947) and touchdown receptions (16). If Los Angeles wins on Sunday, Kupp will become the third different player ever to lead the league in receiving yards and reach the Super Bowl in the same season.

.@CooperKupp put the team on his back.

This ending was WILD. #LARvsTB pic.twitter.com/6clEXf9SQq

— NFL (@NFL) January 23, 2022

The players to lead the league in receiving yards and reach the Super Bowl in the same season in NFL history:

Linebacker VON MILLER has recorded a sack in each of Los Angeles’ postseason games this year. Going back to his 2015 postseason with Denver, when he was named Super Bowl 50 MVP, Miller has recorded a sack in four consecutive postseason games.

.@VonMiller strip sack! What a PLAY. #RamsHouse

📺: #LARvsTB on NBC
📱: https://t.co/6Hz1DjFj3t pic.twitter.com/Yvyf7XbZGw

— NFL (@NFL) January 23, 2022

With a sack on Sunday, Miller will become the fifth player since 2000 to record a sack in at least five consecutive postseason games.

The players with a sack in at least five consecutive postseason games since 2000: