SAINTS, PATRIOTS BACK IN TITLE GAMES
Both conference championship games feature rematches from the season involving league’s highest-scoring teams
Rematches of high-scoring regular-season games will determine the teams that represent the AFC and NFC in Super Bowl LIII.
Kansas City will entertain New England in the AFC Championship Game at Arrowhead Stadium, and New Orleans plays host to the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship Game at the Superdome.
If the title games are anything like the regularseason matchups, fans should be treated to entertaining, suspenseful games, and television ratings that increased this season could skyrocket even more.
The championship games feature the NFL’s four highest-scoring teams — the Chiefs (35.3 points per game), Rams (32.9), Saints (31.5) and Patriots (27.3).
In the regular season, New England defeated Kansas City 43-40 on Oct. 14 at Gillette Stadium. New Orleans beat Los Angeles 45-35 on Nov. 4 at New Orleans.
The Chiefs, Patriots, Rams and Saints are playing Sunday because of victories in the divisional round of the playoffs. The winners advance to the Super Bowl on Feb. 3 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
In the AFC, Kansas City beat Indianapolis 31-13, and New England blasted the Los Angeles Chargers 41-28. In the NFC, the Rams defeated Dallas 30-22, and New Orleans rallied to beat Philadelphia 20-14.
The Chiefs, who earned home-field advantage in the regular season, pulverized the Colts. It was their first playoff victory at Arrowhead since 1994 when Joe Montana led them to the AFC Championship Game. Kansas City broke a six-game home losing streak in the playoffs.
The Chiefs earned a chance to avenge the regular-season loss at New England because the Patriots jumped on the Chargers early, leading 35-7 at halftime before coasting to the easy victory.
This is Bill Belichick and the Patriots’ eight consecutive appearance in the AFC Championship Game, but the last time they won on the road was at Pittsburgh after the 2004 season. The Patriots were 3-5 on the road this season, their worst record away from Gillette Stadium since 2009.
The Rams get another shot at the Saints in the Superdome after their eight-point victory over the Cowboys at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The combination of coach Sean McVay, 32, and defensive coordinator Wade Phillips, 71, was too much for the Cowboys to overcome.
The Rams ran 48 times for 273 yards. Their offensive line humiliated the Cowboys’ front seven, and they had two running backs — C.J. Anderson (123 yards) and Todd Gurley (115) — who reached triple digits and combined for three touchdowns. Their line was so dominant that Jared Goff wasn’t sacked and was hit only once.
Phillips’ defense smothered Ezekiel Elliott, the NFL’s leading rusher, limiting him to 47 yards on 20 carries.
The L.A. players were cheering for the Eagles in the last game of the weekend. Had Philadelphia won, the Rams would have hosted the Eagles in the NFC Championship Game. Nick Foles led Philadelphia to a 14-0 lead before Drew Brees rallied the Saints to the victory in a battle between Austin Westlake High School quarterbacks.
All four home teams that got to take off during the wild-card round of the playoffs won over the weekend. The top-seeded teams — Kansas City and New Orleans — are hosting the second seeds.
It will be interesting to see if the Chiefs’ heavily criticized defense that finished 31st can stop Tom Brady the way it stopped Andrew Luck on Saturday. The Colts scored one offensive touchdown with 5:31 left in the game. Luck finished with 211 yards passing.
Coach Andy Reid is trying to reach his second Super Bowl and his first with the Chiefs. Patrick Mahomes threw for 278 yards in the snow. Led by thirdteam running back Damien Williams, who ran for 129 yards, the Chiefs had 180 yards rushing and four touchdowns.
In Kansas City’s regular-season loss at New England, Mahomes threw for 352 yards and four touchdowns. The Patriots intercepted him twice, but they could not cover Tyreek Hill, who had seven catches for 142 yards and three touchdowns.
Brady was at his usual best in the regular-season victory over Kansas City and Sunday’s playoff conquest of the Chargers.
Against the Chiefs, he threw for 340 yards and a touchdown. He ran for another touchdown in a game that was decided by Stephen Gostkowski’s 28-yard field goal as time expired.
Against the Chargers, Brady led New England to a 35-7 halftime lead before coasting to the victory. He threw for 343 yards and a touchdown. Led by Sony Michel’s 129 yards rushing and three touchdowns, the Patriots ran for four scores.
Like the Chiefs, the Rams are looking for revenge Sunday. Phillips has to make sure his defense improves from the regular season, when Brees threw for 346 yards and four touchdowns without an interception against Los Angeles. Running back Alvin Kamara scored three touchdowns. Receiver Michael Thomas had 12 catches for 211 yards and a touchdown against the Rams.
There wasn’t much defense that afternoon in the Superdome. The Saints had 487 yards and the Rams 483.
None of the four remaining teams finished the regular season ranked among the top 13 in defense. Their defenses ranked 14th (Saints), 19th (Rams), 21st (Patriots) and 31st (Chiefs).
Who still says defense wins championships?