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01/18 21:53 CST Patriots will face Broncos in the AFC title game. Seahawks will
host Rams in the NFC
Patriots will face Broncos in the AFC title game. Seahawks will host Rams in
the NFC
By ROB MAADDI
AP Pro Football Writer
NFL Championship Sunday is set: Rams vs. Seahawks and Patriots vs. Broncos.
It's an NFC West showdown between Los Angeles (14-5) and Seattle (15-3) and the
AFC matchup is a rematch from 10 years ago when Tom Brady lost to Peyton
Manning. This time, Denver (15-3) has to turn to backup quarterback Jarrett
Stidham because Bo Nix broke his ankle, while New England (16-3) has
second-year sensation Drake Maye.
The Patriots are 5 1/2-point favorites according to BetMGM Sportsbook, while
the Seahawks are 2 1/2-point favorites.
Caleb Williams went from hero to goat on Sunday night, giving the Rams an
opportunity when he threw his third interception of the game in overtime.
Harrison Mevis kicked a 42-yard field after Matthew Stafford drove the offense
54 yards, and Los Angeles beat the Chicago Bears 20-17 at blustery, snowy
Soldier Field.
"It's playoff football. We got a lot of things we could be better at but we
stuck together as a team and found a way to win a game on the road in some
tough conditions," Stafford said.
Williams made a sensational, fourth-down, desperation touchdown pass in the
final minute to force OT, but he was picked off by Kam Curl after Chicago had
reached the Rams 48.
The Rams are in the NFC championship game for the 12th time and third under
coach Sean McVay. They're 5-6 in those games but have won their last four,
including four years ago when Stafford led them to a Super Bowl title.
Earlier Sunday, Drake Maye, Mike Vrabel and the Patriots secured a trip to the
AFC championship game for the first time since Brady and Bill Belichick led
them to eight in a row from 2011-18.
Maye threw three touchdown passes and a tenacious defense forced five turnovers
in a 28-16 victory over C.J. Stroud and the Houston Texans in rainy, snowy
conditions.
"They bring it every week," Maye said of the Patriots' defense. "It's fun to
watch. We can help them some more. Proud of the guys."
The Patriots visit Denver next Sunday in their 16th appearance in the
conference title game. Stidham will be making his fifth career start because
Nix was injured late in the Broncos' win over Buffalo. Stidham, who is 1-3 in
seven seasons, was selected by the Patriots in the fourth round of the 2019
draft to back up Brady.
"I feel like I have a (No.) 2 (quarterback) that's capable of starting for a
handful of, a number of teams," Broncos coach Sean Payton said. "I know he
feels the same way. So watch out. Just watch."
Manning and a dominant defense led the Broncos to a 20-18 victory over Brady
and the Patriots in Denver's last appearance in the conference title game.
Brady led New England to a 37-31 overtime victory against Patrick Mahomes and
the Chiefs on Jan. 20, 2019 on the franchise's way to a sixth Super Bowl title.
The Patriots are 11-4 in the AFC title game. They were 4-13 last season under
Jerod Mayo but Vrabel, a Patriots Super Bowl champion linebacker, took over and
turned the team around quickly.
Sam Darnold and the Seahawks advanced to the NFC championship game by
dominating the injury-riddled San Francisco 49ers 41-6 on Saturday night.
The Seahawks and Rams split their season series, each winning at home. Seattle
rallied from a 16-point deficit in the fourth quarter for a wacky 38-37
overtime win on a 2-point conversion in Week 16.
It's Seattle's fifth trip to a conference title game and first in 11 years. The
Seahawks are 3-1, losing their first.
Meanwhile, Josh Allen and the Bills fell short again, with questionable
officiating playing a role in Denver's 33-30 victory in overtime that sent the
Broncos to the conference championship game for the 12th time in franchise
history. Denver is 8-3 in those games.
Allen and the Bills (13-6) again were denied an opportunity to win the
franchise's first Lombardi Trophy. Buffalo has been knocked out in the
divisional or championship rounds in six straight seasons under Allen and coach
Sean McDermott.
Allen and Nix traded go-ahead touchdown passes in the fourth quarter and
Buffalo's Matt Prater kicked a 50-yarder to send it to overtime.
After the Broncos punted on the opening drive, Allen threw a deep pass to
Brandin Cooks that would have put the Bills in field-goal range, but Ja'Quan
McMillian snatched it away for an interception as both players tumbled to the
ground.
Officials quickly reviewed the play and upheld the call, a decision that
McDermott criticized after the game. The Broncos took over at their own 20.
"That's too big of a play, in my estimation, too big of a play in a play that
decided the game, potentially as well, to not even slow it down," McDermott
said of the expedited review process.
Two pass-interference penalties on Buffalo gave the Broncos 47 yards and set up
Wil Lutz's game-ending chip-shot field goal. Tre'davious White, who was called
for the second one that moved the ball to Buffalo's 8, threw his helmet down in
disgust while arguing and got an unsportsmanlike-conduct penalty.
Since the NFL expanded the playoff field to 14 teams in 2020, only one team in
each conference gets a bye. Those No. 1 seeds are now 9-3 in the divisional
round. The 2022 Chiefs are the only No. 1 seed to win the Super Bowl in that
span.
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