Finally the bills, or still the chiefs? The return eagles, where the ever higher commanders? This weekend, we will finally know the Player of the Super Bowl!
Kansas City, the start of serious things?
Monday January 27 – kick -off at 00.30
Kansas City Chiefs – Buffalo Bills
Finally, the season begins for the Kansas City Chiefs! Obviously, it is exaggerated, but it is the impression that it leaves. After a successful start to the season and wrecking victories against Ravens and Bengals, the chiefs unrolled. Kansas City seems to have a level of playing a level of play which ensures its presence in the conference final. Too bad for the poor mortals who go away to dream of getting there. So much so that it feels like they never needed to surpass themselves to get there. Can they still raise their performance? What do these chiefs really worth? It's crazy to write, but we would not know it until next week after the coming match. And it is not even certain: to win titles, it is sometimes better to avoid errors than having an optimal higher level of play (ask the lions!).
The best comparison is undoubtedly tennistic. For years, whether it rains, whether it sells, with or without panache, Novak Djokovic has been tirelessly in the semi-finals of Grand Chelem. And if it has occasionally reached stratospheric game levels, the Serb has more than once won without appearing untouchable, by mastering key moments. If we all dream of breathless matches between two teams to their peak to conclude a season, the big posters often play with the knife and in the ability to manage events. Difficult to bet against the Missouri squad in this game.
The awakening of Travis Kelce
Buffalo nevertheless arrives with certainties. During their first meeting, the men of Sean McDermott had succeeded in the feat. Even if the stake was radically different, they had surpassed the chiefs. This weekend, Josh Allen has shown real qualities to advance his team without making mistakes, and the play on the ground worked well against the formidable defense of the Ravens. The Bills are on the way to becoming the first team in history to commit less than 10 ball losses in a season (8).
Faced with the defense of Steve Spagnuolo, it will be necessary to do at least as well. In defense, it could be more complicated. Yes, the chiefs are no longer the explosive team other times. But, as if by chance, a certain Travis Kelce woke up with the Playoffs, and Patrick Mahomes with it. This could be the third quarterback in history after Tom Brady and John Elway to join a 5th Super Bowl. Have the chiefs never scored more than 30 points? Except for the Carson Wentz match against the Broncos, they only went below 20, and never below the 15.
The Bills, the fourth is the right one?
Then, and this is good news for the show, the Bills never had to be ashamed against Kansas City. The three clashes over the last four seasons in playoffs have all been lost, but the last two times it was with a line. More than ever, we have the impression this year that Buffalo can win by leaving his best match, that these chiefs are “takeable”. But it will have to be done. In Arrowhead, a week after a huge shock against the Ravens, at the end of a season where you had to fight, it will not be an easy task. This is the price to be paid to see if in these circumstances, the chiefs will have the necessary respondent.
So we come back to this first unknown unknown from the Kansas City ceiling. Bills could again lose, even having nothing to blame themselves for. Ask Tsonga, Berdych, Ferrer and so on … Sport does not care about rehearsals, even if it is difficult not to wish for another Buffalo team which has already stumbled in four years against this opponent . The New York State franchise is however better placed than no one to know that ignoring three times guarantees anything for the fourth attempt.
Speaking of fourth attempt, Sean McDermott will undoubtedly have to be more daring if he wants to overthrow the red and white ogre. With 76% success in 4th Down, the coach chose Field Goal in the last quarter against the Ravens. He was a released ball of Mark Andrews to severely bite your fingers: do not count on Travis Kelce to make the same gift to the Bills this Sunday.
Washington, are the beautiful stories an end?
Sunday January 26, kick -off at 9 p.m.
Philadelphia Eagles – Washington Commanders
It becomes difficult not to believe in these commanders. In the well -stopped system of observers' expectations, Washington should never have gone so high. The consequence of this feeling is to say that, of course, their epic should end in the face of more installed and logically favorite Eagles. However, it would be forgetting that Washington is a damn good team.
The men of Dan Quinn are out of 7 consecutive successes. And in the list of victims is their opponents of this weekend in the person of the Eagles. Certainly, Philadelphia had at the time fell without Jalen Hurts, injured during the match. But Nick Siriani's men cannot take their opponents high.
Already because Jayden Daniels is just marking the history of the NFL. In the event of a victory, the quarterback would be the first rookie in this position to lead a team to the Super Bown by starting all the matches as a holder. He would also glean a 15th success over the year, which would beat the brand of 14 for a first year launcher. It dates from Ben Roethlisberger in 2004. Behind him, Washington, is solid. The team did not concede any loss of ball into two matches, while recovering no less than 6 balloons. In general, ball losses are a common theme between the 4 remaining teams: none has committed it in playoffs.
Saquon Barkley, always more?
To continue, Daniels will have a heavy task. Its offensive line will already have to be at the level, even in the absence of Sam Cosmi. The Rush pass of the Eagles led by Jalen Carter and Nolan Smith inflicted 5 sacks on Matthew Stafford, while the commanders have only undergone in playoffs at the moment. And, even with the shoulder injury of Quinon Mitchell, Philadelphia has the weapons in secondary school to contain the duo Terry McLaurin – Dyami Brown. On the other side of the field, Philadelphia can trust Saquon Barkley. The runner is in an Olympic form and if the commanders have a weakness, it is in defense against the race (30th of NFL in yards conceded). Whoever combines 324 yards in two games could still play a big role this Sunday. As a reminder, no player exceeded 500 yards in the playoff race in the history of the league.
If Barkley is a safe bet for Philadelphia, the racing game almost showed its limits against the Rams. To go further, Jalen Hurts will have to do better. Too wait -and -see in his pocket, Hurts did not display the level of play he had shown two years ago when he had led Philadelphia to the Super Bowl.
