Over in the CBS Sports Research group we’ve been crunching numbers furiously to get you hyped up for the NFL’s Championship Sunday. Read up so you can prove to your friend that you are smarter than they are.
Here are 15 facts to know for Sunday’s games:
1. Passing the torch. Either Tom Brady or Patrick Mahomes has started a conference championship game in each of the last 13 postseasons. Brady made the conference title game in eight straight seasons from 2011-18 and Mahomes’ six-year streak overlapped with Brady’s, starting in 2018. Those are the two longest streaks by QBs in NFL history. Mahomes has made this round in every season as a full-time starter.
2. Best of the best: Lamar Jackson will win NFL MVP this year and Patrick Mahomes won last year, making their matchup the third between the last two MVP QBs in playoff history, along with Tom Brady vs. Patrick Mahomes in 2018 and Brett Favre vs. Steve Young in 1995
3. If you ain’t first, you’re last: Reese Bobby’s wisdom from ‘Talladega Nights’ holds true in the NFC Championship Game. Jared Goff (first overall pick in 2016) vs. Brock Purdy (262nd overall pick in 2022) is the first playoff matchup in NFL history between QBs drafted first and last in the draft.
4. Baltimore blowouts: Lamar Jackson has won four straight starts by 14+ points. Patrick Mahomes has lost four starts by 14+ points in his entire career (112 starts). Mahomes even has more conference championship starts (six including Sunday) than he has 14-point losses (four).
5. Rushing title curse: Christian McCaffrey has a chance to stop the “you can’t win a title with a great running back” talk. He can be the first RB to win a rushing title and make the Super Bowl since Shaun Alexander in 2005. The only rushing title winners to win a Super Bowl are Emmitt Smith (three times) and Terrell Davis (1998).
It won’t be easy going through Detroit. They haven’t allowed a RB to rush for 70 yards in a game this year. They are the first team to do this since … the 49ers last year.
6. Just the two of us: There will be a lot of attention on the QBs, but don’t forget the Ravens and Chiefs have the top two scoring defenses in the NFL. Baltimore is the first team in NFL history to lead the league in scoring defense, takeaways and sacks. The Chiefs are the first team since the 2011 49ers to allow under 28 points in every regular-season game.
7. Mahomes’ Michael Jordan impersonation: Mahomes is ring blocking like Jordan did to Patrick Ewing, Charles Barkley, Karl Malone and John Stockton. Mahomes has won five straight playoff starts vs. a murderers’ row of QB talent: Josh Allen, Tua Tagovailoa, Jalen Hurts, Joe Burrow and Trevor Lawrence. He is the first QB in playoff history to win five straight starts, all vs. QBs under age 28.
8. Deebo: Deebo Samuel’s status is up in the air (injured shoulder) for Sunday’s NFC Championship Game. The 49ers are 18-1 when Brock Purdy, Christian McCaffrey and Deebo Samuel play the entire game in the Purdy era, and 2-4 in all other games. The 49ers lost three straight earlier this year with an injured Samuel, although they escaped last Saturday’s playoff opener with a win after he was hurt in the opening quarter.
9. Flawless Mahomes: Just when you think you’ve heard all the Mahomes history, there’s this. He hasn’t turned it over or been sacked in his last three playoff games. He’s the only QB in NFL playoff history without a turnover or sack in three straight playoff games. It would be incredible if he produced another clean sheet vs. Baltimore’s defense.
10. Action Jackson: The Super Bowl has never seen a talent like Lamar Jackson. Heck, the AFC Championship Game hasn’t either. Jackson is the first QB to lead his team in rush yards during the regular season and start a conference title game (h/t ESPN Stats & Info).
11. Road to redemption: The Lions haven’t won a road playoff game since 1957 in San Francisco. They have lost 11 straight road playoff games, the longest streak in NFL history.
They’ve also lost 13 straight road games at the 49ers, the longest active road losing streak by one team vs. another in the NFL.
12. Purdy sweep: The 49ers are a perfect 5-0 in Brock Purdy’s starts this year vs. the NFC playoff field, beating the Cowboys, Buccaneers, Eagles, Rams and Packers. A win vs. the Lions would mean a clean sweep and an exclamation point on San Francisco’s NFC title. Purdy can become the first QB (for any team) since Joe Montana in 1984 to sweep every playoff team in his conference, between the regular season and postseason.
13. Tight end university: Former Iowa tight ends square off in the NFC Championship Game. George Kittle led all tight ends in receiving yards this season (1,020) while Sam LaPorta led everyone at the position in touchdown catches (10).
14. Ohio State vs. Michigan: The NFC Championship Game also features two of the best pass rushers in the NFL — Nick Bosa (former No. 2 overall pick from Ohio State) and Aidan Hutchinson (former No. 2 overall pick from Michigan). The game could come down to which sack artist wrecks the game. Hutchinson (79) and Bosa (77) rank one-two in natural pressures (aka their team did not blitz) this year, including playoffs
15. Super Bowl trips at stake: A few things to consider rooting for this weekend
- The Chiefs can become the third team to make four Super Bowls in a five-year span (1990-93 Bills and 2014-18 Patriots)
- Lamar Jackson would have the most rush yards ever by QB to make the Super Bowl (921 this year including playoffs)
- The Lions can make their first Super Bowl
- Brock Purdy (262nd pick) can be the lowest drafted QB to ever start a Super Bowl. Two undrafted QBs have started a Super Bowl (Kurt Warner and Jake Delhomme).
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Author: Douglas Clawson
January 23, 2024 | 12:50 pm
