A WINSOME FOURSOME
AN INSIDE LOOK AT THE NFC AND AFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES
FOR THE EIGHTH time in 25 years, the Packers and 49ers will face off in the postseason.
Green Bay leads 4-3 in what has been a memorable and sometimes-spicy rivalry. San Francisco has won five of its six Super Bowl trips. Green Bay is 4-1.
No matchup has occurred as frequently in the last 25 years. The only teams to play more than eight times in the postseason in the Super Bowl era are the Rams and Cowboys. They met for the ninth time last January.
Bears fans know Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has slowed a bit, but he’s still one of the five best quarterbacks in football, capable of making game-changing plays from the pocket or on the move.
The key for the 49ers’ offense will be how well quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo hooks up with All-Pro tight end George Kittle, the most dynamic offensive player on either side.
No matter what happens Sunday, the NFC representative will be the conference’s sixth different entry in the last six seasons.
The Packers and 49ers played Nov. 24, and Green Bay got shellacked 37-8 by the host 49ers. The lopsided loss momentarily sent shock waves through the NFC North but had a completely different effect on the Packers.
‘‘Without that game, the way that game unfolded,” Packers cornerback Tramon Williams said, “we don’t know if we’d be the team we are right now. I feel like because of that game, we’re a better team from it. So that was good to happen to us early in the season.’’ Sun-Times Wires
PASSING
Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers had the least efficient game of his career in the first meeting against the 49ers, throwing for 104 yards on 33 passes . . . . Rodgers has thrown at least two TD passes in six straight playoff games, two off the record held by Joe Flacco . . . . Rodgers’ 38 career TD passes in the playoffs are one shy of Brett Favre’s franchise record. Niners quarterback Jimmy
Garoppolo’s 18 turnovers in the regular season were the most for any player who made the playoffs. He threw one interception in the playoff opener.
RUNNING
Running back Aaron Jones became the seventh player in
Packers history with at least two TD runs in a playoff game last week.
DEFENSE
The 49ers were the first team with five first-round picks (DeForest Buckner, Nick Bosa,
Arik Armstead, Dee Ford, Solomon Thomas) getting sacks in a playoff game . . . . Cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon allowed five TD passes in coverage in the last three games. Witherspoon was benched last week for Emmanuel Moseley.
COACHING
The Packers’ Matt LaFleur is seeking to become the sixth man to reach the Super Bowl in his first year as a head coach and the first since Jim Caldwell for the Colts in the 2009 season.
‘‘I usually dreamed about playing for the 49ers as a kid, but obviously that thing passed a long time ago. I do remember some great games over the years between the 49ers and Packers.’’
Aaron Rodgers, Packers QB (right)
NO LEAD IS safe when Patrick Mahomes is on the other side of the field.
Ordinarily, a team that’s up by three touchdowns can feel pretty confident. The team that’s trailing must start throwing, and mistakes tend to happen. At some point, the sense of defeat is almost physically visible. Go back and watch the Ravens in their loss to the Titans, and you’ll see.
When the Chiefs fell behind 24-0 early in the second quarter last Sunday, however, there was none of that. Granted, there was a lot of game left. But the Chiefs’ confidence and belief in Mahomes is so high, desperation never even crossed their minds.
‘‘In those situations, you’re going to throw the ball more often, and that’s the strength of our offense,’’ right tackle Mitchell Schwartz said. ‘‘Putting the ball in Pat’s hands is usually a pretty good thing.’’
Mahomes would throw four touchdown passes in the second quarter, joining Doug Williams as the only quarterbacks to do that in the postseason, and the Chiefs had the lead even before halftime. They would score touchdowns on seven consecutive possessions, turning what was shaping up to be a horror show into a laugher.
Kansas City’s 51-31 victory earned the Chiefs a spot in the AFC Championship Game for a second consecutive year. They play the Titans on Sunday afternoon.
‘‘You take an offense like that, you’ve got a good shot at winning anything,’’ Chiefs linebacker Reggie Ragland said. ‘‘You’ve got the type of quarterback, the gunslinger we’ve got, I’ll go to war with that cat and those guys every day of the week.’’ Sun-Times Wires
RUNNING
Titans running back Derrick Henry has 561 rushing yards in his first four playoff games, most in NFL history. Henry has 377 rushing yards this postseason, setting the franchise single-game rushing mark in each. He ran for 195 yards in the last game.
PASSING
Titans quarterback Ryan
Tannehill led the NFL with a 117.5 passer rating in the regular season . ... Tannehill has yet to throw for 100 yards this postseason. Titans wide receiver A.J. Brown led all rookies with 1,051 receiving yards in the regular season.
Against the Texans, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes became the first player with 300-plus passing yards, 50-plus rushing yards and five TD passes in a playoff game . ... Mahomes needs two TD passes to pass Alex Smith (nine) for most in the postseason in franchise history . ... Tight end Travis Kelce owns the franchise record for receiving yards in the postseason (508). Kelce became the first Chief with 10 catches and at least 100 receiving yards in a playoff game.
DEFENSE
Chiefs defensive end Frank Clark tied the franchise record for sacks in a playoff game with three against the Texans. ... The Chiefs had five sacks of Deshaun Watson, tied for second most and the franchise record for a playoff game.
COACHING
Chiefs coach Andy Reid is 1-8 against the Titans, including a playoff loss in 2017.
SPECIAL TEAMS
The Titans have not attempted a field goal in the last four games. Greg Joseph has converted all 15 of his extrapoint attempts in the last four games and kicked off 20 times, but he has yet to try a field goal with the Titans. ✶
‘‘We’re going to put the pressure on ourselves to find a way to win it. When you fall that short and that close last year, the next step is to get to the Super Bowl.’’ Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs QB (right)