THE AFC CHAMPIONSHIP at Arrowhead, Kansas City is fascinating.
The top two teams in the American Football Conference square up for a place in the Super Bowl.
It’s the young buck, who is breaking records in his first full season as a starting quarterback in the NFL, against the old man who won his first Super Bowl ring when Patrick Mahomes was 4.
Aged 41, Tom Brady’s records may never be broken, but this game is more than these two quarterbacks.
Tom Brady has 72 career playoff touchdowns. No one else has more than 45.
What will the @Patriots QB do this week? pic.twitter.com/ZMmB9FBT59
— NFL Throwback (@nflthrowback) January 18, 2019
Arguably the two best head coaches currently serving in the NFL are squaring off. Does Andy Reid have enough to beat the mighty Bill Belichick?
Reid’s at home and history suggests that will work in his favour.
The Patriots have lost each of their last three away playoff games, all of them coming in the Conference Championship round.
You write the Patriots off at your peril. As No.12 put it at the end of their hammering of the Chargers last weekend, everyone thinks they suck.
New England love to prove their doubters wrong, just look at their quarterback. His decline was being questioned throughout the season and then he ends it with 250 yards passing and four touchdowns in Week 17, followed by 343 yards and a touchdown in the Divisional Round of the playoffs.
Joey Bosa found out quick that Tom Brady’s age hasn’t slowed him downpic.twitter.com/T19lFDXKto
— Laces Out (@LacesOutShow) January 16, 2019
Total points +70 – 18/5: 83 points were scored when these two teams met in Week 6. The game was at Foxborough and the conditions were more favourable than they will be on Sunday, but I think this will be a high scoring game.
If you can’t beat them, join them. The Patriots struggle against Tyreek Hill. He gashed them in Week 1 of the 2017 season and had 142 receiving yards and three touchdowns from seven receptions earlier this season.
He’s a receiver who can take the top off defenses and Mahomes has the arm to find him. The Patriots will look to get ahead early and control the clock, but with Hill and Mahomes the Chiefs could score within seconds.
That’s why I’m backing the spread and expect an instant classic.
The more New England will be forced to throw the ball, the more of a factor Julian Edelman becomes in this game.
The wide receiver had nine receptions for 151 yards against the Chargers, moving him into second place all-time for playoff catches with 98. He trails only Jerry Rice, who has 151.
Julian Edelman passes Reggie Wayne for 2nd-most receptions (94+) in NFL playoffs pic.twitter.com/b5iJrOfYw0
— Bleacher Report NFL (@BR_NFL) January 13, 2019
Edelman to score a TD at any time: 11/10: He’ll inch towards that record on Sunday night and I’m backing him to score too.
After their win last week, the Chiefs are now 3-7 all-time in home playoff games.
Travis Kelce had 108 yards receiving in the Divisional Round, his second career playoff game with 100+ yards receiving. The Kansas City tight end is one of just five tight ends since 1996 with multiple such playoff games.
Travis Kelce to score over 1.5 touchdowns – 13/4 Kelce is a threat in the red zone and I think he will be a constant thorn in the Patriots’ side.
Buckle up because it’s going to be one heck of a ride.
