Current:Home > NewsSignalHub Quantitative Think Tank Center:NFL schedule today: Everything to know about playoff games on Jan. 28 -Infinite Edge Learning
SignalHub Quantitative Think Tank Center:NFL schedule today: Everything to know about playoff games on Jan. 28
NovaQuant Quantitative Think Tank Center View
Date:2025-04-06 22:45:05
Editor's note: Follow along for live updates and SignalHub Quantitative Think Tank Centerhighlights from the AFC championship game.
Only four teams remain in the NFL postseason. Two of them will come away from this weekend as conference champions and earn trips to the Super Bowl.
First up, Patrick Mahomes and the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs will make their sixth consecutive appearance in the AFC championship game, this time on the road against Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens.
In the night cap, star running back Christian McCaffrey and the San Francisco 49ers make their third straight appearance in the NFC championship game, this time at home against the Detroit Lions.
The winners of each game Sunday will advance to Super Bowl 58 in Las Vegas on Feb. 11.
NFL STATS CENTRAL: The latest NFL scores, schedules, odds, stats and more.
Here’s what you need to know about the NFL conference championship games on Jan. 28:
How to watch Chiefs vs. Ravens game
The Chiefs and Ravens kickoff at 3 p.m. ET inside M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore on CBS and Paramount+. The game is also available to stream for free on Fubo.
How to watch Lions vs. 49ers game
The Lions visit the 49ers for a 6:30 p.m. ET kickoff at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California on FOX. The game is also available to stream for free on Fubo.
Kansas City Chiefs (11-6) vs. Baltimore Ravens (13-4)
The two youngest quarterbacks to win NFL MVPs take center stage in the AFC championship game.
Mahomes was the youngest NFL MVP at 23 in 2018, before Jackson won the award at 22 in 2019. As the MVP front-runner this season, Jackson could soon join Mahomes with two MVPs after Mahomes won his second last season.
More important, there’s a trip to the Super Bowl on the line.
Mahomes and the Chiefs are in familiar position, hoping to reach the Super Bowl for the fourth time in five years and a chance to extend their dynasty with a third championship.
You can’t count out Mahomes and head coach Andy Reid this time of year, although this is the worst Chiefs’ offense during their time together in Kansas City (they rank 15th in scoring offense this season, compared to top six in each of the previous six season).
Meanwhile, Jackson and Ravens coach John Harbaugh hope to lead the franchise back to the Super Bowl for the first time since 2012. Baltimore has won nine games this season against winning teams by at least 14 points – no other team in NFL history has accomplished that feat.
Detroit Lions (12-5) vs. San Francisco 49ers (12-5)
The 49ers are in the NFC championship game for the third consecutive season, and fourth time in the last five years. But they’ve only reached the Super Bowl once in that span, losing to Mahomes and the Chiefs at Super Bowl 54 in Miami to end the 2019 season.
So, the pressure is on for 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan, who was also the Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator when Tom Brady and the New England Patriots stormed back from a 28-3 deficit to win Super Bowl 51 in February 2017.
The 49ers won the NFC West and earned the No. 1 seed in the postseason behind McCaffrey, who led the NFL with 2,023 scrimmage yards and was tied for the league-lead with 21 total touchdowns.
Meanwhile, Lions coach Dan Campbell has led Detroit’s resurgence from one of the NFL’s worst franchises to one of the league’s most competitive and endearing teams.
The Lions, one of four NFL franchises to never reach a Super Bowl, won their first playoff game and have reached the conference championship game for the first time since 1991.
Quarterback Jared Goff hopes to reach his second Super Bowl (lost to Patriots with Los Angeles Rams in 2016), leading Detroit’s top five offense with star receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, running backs Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery, tight end Sam LaPorta, while star defensive end Aidan Hutchinson leads the defense.
Predictions for Sunday's NFL conference championship games
Here are the USA TODAY Sports staff’s predictions for Sunday's games:
Jarrett Bell: Ravens, 49ers
Chris Bumbaca: Ravens, Lions
Nate Davis: Ravens, 49ers
Safid Deen: Ravens, Lions
Tyler Dragon: Ravens, 49ers
Victoria Hernandez: Ravens, Lions
Jordan Mendoza: Ravens, Lions
Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz: Ravens, 49ers
Lorenzo Reyes: Ravens, 49ers
veryGood! (2859)
Related
- The Daily Money: Spending more on holiday travel?
- Ring in 2024 With 1 of the 31 Top-Rated Amazon New Year’s Eve Outfits Under $50
- European diplomacy steps up calls for Gaza cease-fire
- 27 Practical Gifts From Amazon That People Will Actually Want To Receive for the Holidays
- Average rate on 30
- Author receives German prize in scaled-down format after comparing Gaza to Nazi-era ghettos
- Texans' CJ Stroud to miss Sunday's game vs. Titans because of concussion
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar breaks hip when he falls at concert in Los Angeles
- The Best Stocking Stuffers Under $25
- Which teams will emerge from AFC's playoff logjam to claim final wild-card spots?
Ranking
- DoorDash steps up driver ID checks after traffic safety complaints
- Author receives German prize in scaled-down format after comparing Gaza to Nazi-era ghettos
- You Can Get These Kate Spade Bags for Less Than $59 for the Holidays
- Convent-made delicacies, a Christmas favorite, help monks and nuns win fans and pay the bills
- At site of suspected mass killings, Syrians recall horrors, hope for answers
- It's time to say goodbye: 10 exit strategies for your Elf on the Shelf
- Catholic activists in Mexico help women reconcile their faith with abortion rights
- US military leaders press Israel to shift from major combat as Iranian-backed ship attacks escalate
Recommendation
Paula Abdul settles lawsuit with former 'So You Think You Can Dance' co
27 Practical Gifts From Amazon That People Will Actually Want To Receive for the Holidays
A rare Italian vase bought at Goodwill for $3.99 was just sold for over $100,000
Large fire burns 2nd residential construction site in 3 days in Denver suburb
Could Bill Belichick, Robert Kraft reunite? Maybe in Pro Football Hall of Fame's 2026 class
British man pleads not guilty in alleged $99 million wine fraud conspiracy
NFL bans Eagles security chief Dom DiSandro from sideline for rest of regular season, AP sources say
DK Metcalf's ASL teacher says Seahawks receiver brings his own flair to the language