NFL | Prelude to an excellent Super Bowl

There are very few certainties in this world. Taxes, death and Luce Dufault at Live from the universe. Another persists a few hours before the NFL Association Finals: we will be entitled to two good football games.

San Francisco 49ers v. Philadelphia Eagles, Sunday 3 p.m.

All good things have an end. Brock Purdy will lose a game someday. His streak of seven wins in as many starts to start his professional career is stunning, inspiring and historic. The final pick in the NFL’s latest draft has likely secured the starting quarterback job for next season, come what may by the end of the playoffs.

However, he showed his first signs of vulnerability against the Dallas Cowboys last weekend. He didn’t even complete 20 passes and was unable to throw a single touchdown pass. Dallas’ defense is extremely voracious, to be sure. Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan is a genius with offensive schemes and a lover of option plays. The ball was carried a lot during the game and that’s normal given the offensive artillery the team has with receivers able to run and ball carriers able to catch.

By picking the pass option very little, Shanahan no doubt wanted to save or spare his rookie quarterback against the heavy Cowboys defense.

However, the Eagles ranked first in the NFL this season with an average of 4.1 quarterback sacks per game. Josh Sweat, Haason Reddick, Fletcher Cox and Brandon Graham have been starved for three games. The Niners offensive line will have their hands full.

Eagles coordinator Jonathan Gannon’s defense also ranks first in the league in yards allowed per game, averaging 297.3.

Who comes second? The San Francisco 49ers. The unit led by Nick Bosa is not left out. The best quarterback hunter in the world is the conductor of this defense and his acolytes Arik Armstread, Samson Ebukam and Fred Warner can also animate the show.

The 49ers get their way through attrition. It’s not always spectacular or always clean, but it’s ridiculously effective.

However, they will have the challenge of killing a quarterback capable of saving himself from all situations. Jalen Hurts has wowed everyone this season and his performance in the game against the Giants must have silenced many of his detractors. Powerful in the pass, skilful in the run and smart in the face of opposing schemes, the third-year player is made to shine on the big occasions.

Prediction:

Eagles 2449ers 20

Cincinnati Bengals v. Kansas City Chiefs, Sunday 6:30 p.m.

We all knew that the Chiefs would reach the conference finals for the fifth consecutive season without too much difficulty. It remained to be seen which team would join them there. Patrick Mahomes would certainly have preferred another scenario. Joe Burrow beat him in their three meetings, including last year, in the conference final. It is therefore a resumption of this match, with a few differences.

First, Mahomes is suffering from a sprained right ankle, sustained in the first half of the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars last week. If his ankle still hurts, he will be limited. We should expect less ground games, less explosive games and fewer missiles, because he will no longer be able to rely completely on his supporting leg to release long relays. In other words, part of Mahomes’ DNA will be sacrificed. A potential problem, given the way the Bengals defense shattered Josh Allen and his offense.

Then Burrow is even better than last year. He gained more confidence and self-assurance. His offensive line played really well last week, nothing to do with last year. Then, the Bengals know how to win, especially against the Chiefs. The finalists of the last Super Bowl are young, but experienced. Too often in the position of underdogs, they are comfortable with the idea of ​​shaking up assumptions.

If the two teams have many qualities, they have one weakness in common: coverage against aerial play. This season, the Chiefs have arrived at 18^e ranked NFL in yards against the pass per game and the Bengals finished at 24^e rank. Where the shoe pinches for the Chiefs, however, is that they arrived at 28^e rank for the number of passes completed by the opponent. The loss of Tyrann Mathieu may hurt more than expected.

Burrow will definitely exploit this facet of the game. Against the Bills, he advocated short wins and possession. A reusable recipe against Andy Reid’s defense. The quarterback of the Bengals joined almost all the receivers available on the bench in the first half against the Bills and it will have been beneficial to him.

If the Chiefs hope to win, the pressure is also on Travis Kelce. He had one of his best career games against the Jaguars. If Mahomes is in trouble due to his limitations, he will instinctively turn to his tight end. Kelce will need to secure plenty of catches and prove why he’s the best in the league at his position.

Prediction:

Bengals 33, Chiefs 27