Tag: AFC Championship

Taylor Swift’s Eyes Will Be All Over Former Notre Dame Player in AFC Championship

Will Kyle Hamilton provide the Bad Blood on Sunday?

The most popular star in pop music today will be in Baltimore for Sunday’s AFC Championship game between the Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs and you can bet Taylor Swift’s eyes will largely be on a former Notre Dame star most of the afternoon.

That’s because if the Ravens are to take down the Chiefs, they’ll have to take away Patrick Mahomes’ favorite target, tight end Travis Kelce, who Swift’s eyes will obviously focused on.

How will the Ravens do that?

You can bet their lengthy, all-purpose safety Kyle Hamilton, who plays all three levels of the defense, will be a big part of the game plan to try and neutralize Kelce, and likely spend a lot of time covering the future Hall of Famer on Sunday.

Hamilton spoke about that earlier this week:

[Travis Kelce] is a great player in our league,” Hamilton said Wednesday. “He has been a great player for as long as I can remember, as long as I have been watching him at this level. He has earned every ounce of respect that he has received until this point, and it will be a challenge. I am part of the plan to hopefully take him away, but it is a team effort at the same time.”

It certainly won’t all be on Hamilton to stop Kelce as he’ll have other assignments throughout Sunday’s showdown, but the former Notre Dame All-American will play a big factor in Kelce and the Chiefs success.

The Ravens and Chiefs square off as action starts at 3 p.m. ET on Sunday afternoon with the winner going to Super Bowl 58 in two weeks.

See some of the recent social media reaction to Hamilton’s stellar play in 2023-24 below

Fantasy football injury report: Conference Championships

Latest status of fantasy football weapons who are on the mend entering the Conference Championships.

This is a team-by-team review of any key fantasy football player injury news after this week’s practice activity and team statements. Only those players listed on the team’s official injury report will be addressed, unless the situation warrants further attention.

PLEASE NOTE: The NFL releases its final official injury report each Friday (approximately 5:30 p.m. ET). West Coast teams often report their injuries late and may not be included in the initial publication.

Conference Championships fantasy football injury report

This week’s key game-time decisions: RB Isiah Pacheco

BALTIMORE RAVENS
TE Mark Andrews (ankle) was activated from the Reserve/Injured list and will play for the first time since Week 11. CB Marlon Humphrey (calf), WR/KR Tylan Wallace (knee), and CB Rock Ya-Sin (knee) are questionable.

DETROIT LIONS
OG Jonah Jackson (ankle) and WR Kalif Raymond (knee) will not play. LB Alex Anzalone (ribs, shoulder), TE Sam LaPorta (knee), WR Josh Reynolds (ribs), and C Frank Ragnow (ankle, toe, knee, back) do not carry injury designations.

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
NT Derrick Nnadi (elbow), WR Skyy Moore (knee) and OG Joe Thuney (pec) have been ruled out. S Mike Edwards (concussion), RB Isiah Pacheco (ankle, toe), LB Willie Gay Jr. (neck) and WR Kadarius Toney (hip) are questionable. Pacheco says he is playing but should be considered a game-time decision. WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling (oblique) CB Trent McDuffie (ankle), and CB L’Jarius Sneed (calf) avoided injury tags.

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
WR Deebo Samuel (shoulder), DE Arik Armstead (foot, knee), and LB Dre Greenlaw (Achilles) fully practiced Friday and will play.

Chiefs’ Joe Thuney, Derrick Nnadi are officially out vs. Ravens in AFC Championship Game

Chiefs’ Joe Thuney, Derrick Nnadi are officially out vs. Ravens in AFC Championship Game

The final injury report has been released for the Kansas City Chiefs ahead of their AFC Championship Game with the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday.

The Chiefs have officially ruled out offensive guard Joe Thuney and defensive tackle Derrick Nnadi on Friday before the team’s trip to Baltimore. Wide receiver Skyy Moore and offensive lineman Prince Tega Wanogho are also ruled out. Mike Edwards (concussion), Isiah Pacheco (ankle/toe), Willie Gay (neck), and Kadarius Toney (hip) are listed as questionable as they continue to be evaluated before kickoff.

Thuney’s pectoral injury will hold him out, while Nnadi’s triceps will keep him sidelined for a second consecutive postseason game. Neither player had practiced this week.

Chiefs head coach Andy Reid shared his thoughts on Gay’s injury status and the importance of having him in the lineup earlier in the week’s press conference.

“Willie is a big part of our defense,” said Reid. “I would not slight Drue (Tranquill) for the job he did coming in, but Willie is a good player. He’s part of the success that we’ve had.”

Toney has been a limited participant in practice this week. He missed the previous five games, not seeing game action in over a month.

Lamar Jackson talks about ‘heavyweight’ fight against Patrick Mahomes: ‘I don’t like competing against him at all’

Lamar Jackson ready for ‘heavyweight’ fight against Patrick Mahomes

Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson are two of the most electric quarterbacks the NFL has ever seen. Since entering the league just a year apart from one another, the two MVP quarterbacks have faced off four times, with Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs emerging victorious in three out of the four games.

Jackson can win his second game against Mahomes this Sunday, the biggest game of each team’s season. Jackson was abundantly honest earlier this week when asked what he likes about competing against Mahomes.

“I don’t like competing against [Patrick Mahomes] at all,” Jackson said. “But yes, he’s a great quarterback. [He’s] definitely a Hall of Famer. It’s a no-brainer; he’s definitely a Hall of Famer. But I believe [it’s] just two greats – up-and-coming greats – just going toe to toe, like a heavyweight fight [and] heavyweight matchup. That’s just what I see.”

Mahomes and the Chiefs have the edge in experience over the current iteration of the Ravens regarding the playoffs and Super Bowls, as this will be the sixth AFC Championship game in a row that Kansas City will play in and the first on the road in that timespan.

Conversely, this is Baltimore’s first trip to the conference championship since the 2012 season and the first in the city of Baltimore since the Colts defeated the Oakland Raiders 27-17 in January of 1971 with Hall of Fame quarterback Johnny Unitas at the helm.

Ravens activate TE Mark Andrews from injured reserve ahead of AFC Championship

Baltimore Ravens activate Mark Andrews from injured reserve ahead of AFC Championship

The Baltimore Ravens are getting one of their best players back in time for the most crucial game of their season this Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship.

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Ravens have activated tight end Mark Andrews from injured reserve with the expectation that he will play against the Chiefs this Sunday.

The All-Pro tight end has been out of the starting lineup since suffering a cracked fibula against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 11. Second-year tight end Isaiah Likely has stepped up as one of the focal playmakers of Baltimore’s offense in Andrews’ absence. Getting both on the field together now would be quite challenging for opposing defenses to prepare for.

Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson was asked earlier this week what it would mean if Andrews could return for Sunday’s game.

“It would mean a lot,” Jackson said. “That’s my – like I said – bread and butter, big bro, and it would definitely mean a lot … the type of caliber player he is, and what he brings to the table for us, it would definitely mean a lot for us.“

The ex-Bengals who will compete in AFC, NFC Championship Games

A quick look at some of the notable former Bengals competing in title games this weekend.

The Cincinnati Bengals have some pretty interesting connections ahead of this weekend’s conference championship slate.

Funnily enough, it goes beyond mere rivalry talk, though that AFC title game that features the AFC North Baltimore Ravens taking on the Kansas City Chiefs, Cincinnati’s biggest outright rival right now, is plenty interesting.

By comparison, the NFC title game between the San Francisco 49ers and Detroit Lions isn’t as notable for Bengals fans, though older fans might disagree on that point when it comes to the 49ers.

Either way, there are plenty of notable Benals connections on the rosters of the four teams left standing, be it on the depth charts or coaching staffs, so let’s take a look at those.

NFL Picks: Office pool pick’em – Conference Championships

Use our staff’s weekly pick’em against the spread and straight up for the win.

NFL picks are provided for straight up (moneyline) and against the spread (ATS) NFL pick pools.

Each week’s spread picks are graded by the line as of when the person entered their picks. This will create situations in which a movement of the line can result in two participants having the correct pick but with different teams chosen during an individual game.

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2023 Conference Championship picks: moneyline & against the spread

Odds provided by BetMGM Sportsbook

2023 Season-long rankings: moneyline

2023 Season-long rankings: ATS

NFL all-time picks leaderboard: moneyline

Moneyline DMD SG HS CC CJB HCG KH
2022 184-98-2 172-110-2 172-110-2 181-101-2 174-108-2 190-92-2 178-104-2
2021 167-104-1 159-112-1 176-95-1 175-96-1 176-95-1 174-97-1 n/a
2020 161-94-1 161-94-1 164-91-1 174-81-1 166-89-1 172-83-1 n/a
2019 162-93-1 156-99-1 161-94-1 164-91-1 157-98-1 163-92-1 n/a
2018 167-87-2 158-96-2 153-101-2 165-89-2 157-97-2 n/a n/a
2017 168-88 161-95 165-91 180-76 160-96 n/a n/a
2016 157-97-2 149-105-2 152-102-2 156-98-2 139-115-2 n/a n/a
2015 154-102 137-119 155-101 165-91 n/a n/a n/a
2014 166-89-1 158-97-1 163-92-1 177-78-1 n/a n/a n/a
2013 163-92-1 160-95-1 153-102-1 n/a n/a n/a n/a
All-time 1,649-944-11 1,571-1,022-11 1,614-979-11 1,537-801-10 1,129-698-9 699-364-5 178-104-2
accuracy (63.5%) (60.5%) (62.2%) (65.7%) (61.7%) (65.4%) (63.0%)

NFL all-time picks leaderboard: ATS

ATS DMD SG HS CC CJB HCG KH
2022 136-142-6 132-148-4 143-136-5 132-150-2 145-136-3 142-134-8 127-152-4
2021 141-130-1 142-129-1 136-135-1 152-119-1 143-128-1 151-120-1 n/a
2020 118-138 122-134 129-127 130-126 143-113 130-126 n/a
2019 121-135 133-123 139-117 121-135 137-119 139-117 n/a
2018 132-124 131-125 133-123 132-124 130-126 n/a n/a
2017 129-127 136-120 132-124 136-120 131-125 n/a n/a
2016 110-146 125-131 124-132 132-124 127-129 n/a n/a
2015 125-131 121-135 123-133 141-115 n/a n/a n/a
2014 122-134 124-132 132-124 123-133 n/a n/a n/a
2013 115-136-5 119-132-5 117-134-5 n/a n/a n/a n/a
All-time 1,249-1,343-12 1,285-1,309-10 1,308-1,285-11 1,199-1,146-3 956-876-4 562-497-9 127-152-4
accuracy 48.2% 49.5% 50.4% 51.1% 52.2% 53.0% 45.6%

DMD – David Dorey, SG – Steve Gallo, HS – Harley Schultz, CC – Cletis Cutts, CJB – Cory Bonini, HCG – HC Green, KH – Kevin Hickey

Isiah Pacheco plays angry but Patrick Queen is angrier

Kansas City Chiefs RB Isaiah Pacheco should know that Baltimore Ravens LB Patrick Queen plays angry on defense.

Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco should know that Baltimore Ravens linebacker Patrick Queen plays angry on defense.

Queen recorded 133 total tackles and 11 stuffs this season on a defense that allowed just six rushing touchdowns all year. 

Pacheco did not reach 1,000 rush yards this season but did average 4.6 yards per carry. Regardless, Queen and the Ravens will be looking to pummel Pacheco in the AFC Championship.

Stopping Pacheco as a rusher is only half of the battle. Queen will likely match-up as a pass defender on Pacheco out of the back-field on passing downs. With a 40-yard dash time of 4.5 seconds, Queen is well-able to go stride for stride with Pacheco if needed.

Kansas City will probably try to pull blockers and use counter schemes to create rush lanes for Pacheco. Pacheco better run his angriest if he thinks Queen and the Ravens are going to lay down in the AFC Championship.

Previewing Kansas City’s AFC Championship Game vs. Ravens on Chiefs Wire Podcast

On the latest episode of @TheChiefsWire podcast: @EdEastonJr and John Dillon look ahead to Baltimore #KCvsBAL

We’re back with an all-new episode of the Chiefs Wire podcast! This week, we’re previewing the Kansas City Chiefs’ AFC Championship game with the Baltimore Ravens.

The Chiefs are the number three seed traveling to Baltimore to play their first road AFC Championship during their six consecutive years in the game. We check in with this week’s press conferences featuring comments from head coach Andy Reid, quarterback Patrick Mahomes, and defensive tackle Chris Jones as they recapped last Sunday’s Divisional Round victory over the Buffalo Bills. 

Chiefs Wire’s Ed Easton Jr. shared his thoughts on their victory last Sunday as they overcame the Bills’ high-powered offense at Highmark Stadium. Chiefs Wire managing editor John Dillon discusses Kansas City’s goals ahead of the next big road battle with the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship game, emphasizing Mahomes playing his first postseason game as a visitor. Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson’s comments on Mahomes and the Chiefs defense during his press conference.

Listeners can look forward to being well-informed about the Chiefs’ mindset as the team seeks one more victory to return to their second consecutive Super Bowl. 

Check out the link below to get your fill of Chiefs talk ahead of Sunday’s kickoff:

Bengals fans spark debate over Chiefs vs. Ravens AFC title game rooting interest

Should Bengals fans root for the Chiefs or Ravens in the AFC title game?

With the AFC championship matchup set, Cincinnati Bengals fans find themselves in a tough spot.

On one side of the conference championship are the Baltimore Ravens, an AFC North rival and one of three from the division to make the playoffs this year and actually pick up a win.

On the other side is Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs, arguably Cincinnati’s biggest outright rival of the Joe Burrow era and one of the league’s overall better rivalries right now.

Once the matchup became official, Bengals fans got to debating whether they should root for Lamar Jackson and the Ravens, Travis Kelce and the Chiefs — or nobody at all.