Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+3-1/2) at Green Bay Packers: In last season's NFC title game in San Francisco, the Packers faced the team which dealt them their worst loss in the 2019 regular season. They were once again soundly defeated by the 49ers. History somewhat repeats itself here as the Pack will take on a Buccaneers squad which crushed them 38-10 back in October, easily Green Bay's worst performance of the 2020 regular season. The difference this year is the Packers are hosting the conference championship game.
Bucs QB Tom Brady is just piling on at this point as he will be appearing in his fourteenth conference title game, with this being his first in the NFC. Having already won six Super Bowl rings (a record for a player) in nine SB appearances (also a record), what more can he accomplish? Well if the Bucs win, they will be the first team in NFL history to play the Super Bowl in their home stadium.
On the other side of the ledger, Packers QB Aaron Rodgers is looking to appear in that elusive second Super Bowl. This will be the Pack's fourth NFC title game since their Super Bowl XLV victory just under ten years ago. Rodgers is a sure fire Hall of Famer but if he is to be mentioned in the same breath as legends like Brady, Joe Montana and Peyton Manning, he needs to have multiple Super Bowl rings. I believe he'll have that opportunity in two weeks.
Green Bay 31 Tampa Bay 24
Buffalo Bills (+3) at Kansas City Chiefs: The Bills have one of the most prolific offenses in the NFL, ranking second in scoring (the Chiefs are #1) and total yards. However, the only game in the 2020 regular season which the Bills had under 300 yards total offense was week six at home against.....Kansas City. The Bills mustered only 202 yards in a 26-17 loss.
The key to this game is how effective Chiefs all-world QB Patrick Mahomes will be now that has been cleared to play. Mahomes suffered a concussion last week against Cleveland, thus sitting most of the second half. However, even if Mahomes isn't 100%, the Chiefs may get a reprieve if rookie RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire plays for the first time since week 15. Edwards-Helaire gashed the Bills' porous run defense for 161 yards rushing in their regular season matchup, so his presence would help mitigate (though not completely offset) Mahomes being subpar.
I'm calling this game a toss up.
Kansas City 24 Buffalo 23
My 2020 postseason record:
Against the spread: 3-6-1
Straight up: 6-4
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