San Francisco’s Nick Bosa (from left), Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow, and Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes will play huge roles on this weekend’s NFL championship video games.

Bryan M. Bennett/Getty Images; Scot Tucker/AP; Jason Hanna/Getty Images

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Bryan M. Bennett/Getty Images; Scot Tucker/AP; Jason Hanna/Getty Images

San Francisco’s Nick Bosa (from left), Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow, and Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes will play huge roles on this weekend’s NFL championship video games.

Bryan M. Bennett/Getty Images; Scot Tucker/AP; Jason Hanna/Getty Images

This weekend’s two NFL Conference Championship video games are shaping as much as make for one of many closest semifinal rounds in latest reminiscence.

The winners of Sunday’s two video games — the San Francisco 49ers vs. the Philadelphia Eagles, adopted by the Cincinnati Bengals vs. the Kansas City Chiefs — will meet Feb. 12 for Super Bowl LVII.

All 4 remaining groups have a respectable shot at profitable all of it, because the betting odds present. For the primary time in additional than 25 years, the unfold in each video games is lower than a subject objective. And the distinction in odds between the favourite (the Eagles) and the longest shot (the 49ers) is so tight that, by that measure, this weekend is probably the most evenly matched convention championship spherical in recorded betting history.

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes limps on the sphere after being injured in opposition to the Jacksonville Jaguars at Arrowhead Stadium on Jan. 21.

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David Eulitt/Getty Images

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes limps on the sphere after being injured in opposition to the Jacksonville Jaguars at Arrowhead Stadium on Jan. 21.

David Eulitt/Getty Images

Whether you are a longtime soccer viewer or a determined non-fan reluctantly tuning in to humor a beloved one, listed here are some storylines to observe this weekend:

Just how briskly is it attainable to get well from a excessive ankle sprain?

The Kansas City Chiefs are maybe probably the most profitable crew within the NFL as of late. Sunday will mark their fifth straight convention championship sport (though they’ve solely been in a position to flip that into one ring thus far).

But this 12 months’s probabilities took a success when star quarterback Patrick Mahomes sprained his ankle in final week’s sport in opposition to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Though the Chiefs pulled out the victory, Mahomes was briefly sidelined for analysis earlier than returning to hobble and limp his option to the win.

At first, the crew was tight-lipped about his restoration and whether or not the presumptive MVP could be out there to play in opposition to the Bengals on Sunday.

Then, later within the week, the crew introduced that Mahomes would play and allowed reporters to briefly watch him take part in a pair of low-key warmup classes, leaving Chiefs followers (and bettors) to scrutinize the recordings just like the Zapruder movie.

But even when the Chiefs have been wholesome, they’ve had bother with the Bengals. These two groups have confronted off three different occasions within the final 390 days, and Cincinnati has gained all three video games by 3 factors every.

For spherical 4, it is anybody’s guess whether or not Mahomes will probably be recovered sufficient to play nicely sufficient to win.

Can the Bengals lastly get their first Super Bowl win? Or will they be a part of the NFL’s least fascinating membership?

The Bungles aren’t any extra.

With the unflappable Joe Burrow underneath heart, Cincinnati is a franchise reworked. Before final 12 months, the Bengals hadn’t gained a playoff sport since 1991. Now, they’re showing of their second straight AFC championship sport, and a win will ship them to their second straight Super Bowl look.

Burrow remains to be on a rookie contract, which means his wage is artificially low for his caliber of play. That has freed up Cincinnati to spend cash surrounding him with expertise, particularly of their broad receiver corps. That math will change earlier than too lengthy, forcing the Bengals into some robust personnel choices sooner or later. (On the opposite hand — requested earlier this month in regards to the significance of making the most of the crew’s present window to win the Super Bowl, Burrow responded: “The window’s my whole career.”)

For now, the sky appears to be the restrict for this Bengals squad, which steamrolled preseason Super Bowl favorites the Buffalo Bills final week. And they actually have the arrogance to beat the Chiefs (once more).

If they win Sunday, Burrow could have his probability to finish Cincinnati’s turnaround with the franchise’s first ever Super Bowl win. But in the event that they lose, they will be a part of the NFL’s saddest unique membership with the Bills and the Minnesota Vikings: the one franchises to go 0-4 within the Super Bowl.

Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts requested for a Super Bowl for Christmas. How can Santa say no?

Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images

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Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts requested for a Super Bowl for Christmas. How can Santa say no?

Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images

Will Jalen Hurts get his Christmas want?

For impartial followers searching for a really capricious purpose to root for a random crew, contemplate this: Late final 12 months, the Eagles’ offensive line launched a Christmas album known as A Philly Special Christmas. It’s extraordinarily charming, and all proceeds profit native charities in Philadelphia.

Pro Bowl heart Jason Kelce hatched the concept whereas volunteering in 2021. “The problem is, I can’t sing, so I knew I was going to have to coax guys that could sing to come do this,” Kelce said in a mini-documentary about the making of the album, which hit the highest 10 on a handful of Billboard album charts this month.

A trio of linemen took vocal classes with members of the Philadelphia-based band The War On Drugs. Then, in July, they recorded the album, together with visitor appearances by star teammates — together with quarterback Jalen Hurts, who stated, “You know what’s on my Christmas list: the Super Bowl.”

As for the precise soccer, the Eagles might need had probably the most full roster of any crew this season. Hurts, a hazard to attain each along with his arm and his legs, has had a breakout season, and this week he was named a finalist for Most Valuable Player. They have been a severe contender all season and, with their 38-7 domination of the New York Giants final week, appear to be peaking at simply the fitting second.

(Also value mentioning: Jason Kelce is the brother of Chiefs tight finish Travis Kelce. If the Chiefs and Eagles each advance this weekend, the Kelce brothers would develop into the primary siblings to play in opposition to one another in a Super Bowl.)

Oh, and have you ever heard of this child Brock Purdy?

If you’ve got watched even an hour of NFL broadcast protection prior to now two months, you’ve got in all probability heard about quarterback Brock Purdy, aka Mr. Irrelevant, aka the last pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, who was thrust into the beginning position for the 49ers after a collection of unfortunate accidents to their first- and second-string QBs.

Purdy, who was handed on a number of occasions by all 32 NFL groups earlier than the Niners took him at #262, has improbably led San Francisco to eight straight wins since he took over in December.

If the Niners win Sunday, Purdy — once more, a seventh-rounder — would develop into the primary rookie quarterback to guide his crew to the Super Bowl. It’s exceptional stuff.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan already has the popularity as an offensive wizard. But this — taking a rookie Seventh-round quarterback the gap within the playoffs, giving San Francisco an opportunity at its first Super Bowl win since 1995 — is his finest magic trick but.

Of course, the 49ers are stacked with different expertise, so Purdy should not must work miracles to beat the Eagles. He simply must capably get the ball to playmakers like tight finish George Kittle and jack-of-all-trades Deebo Samuel. And San Francisco’s top-rated NFC protection, led by defensive finish Nick Bosa, must do their half in opposition to the Eagles’ top-rated NFC offense.