Patriots se enfrentarán a Broncos por el título de la AFC; Seahawks recibirán a Rams en la NFC – Chicago Tribune
By ROB MAADDI
The NFL conference champion is on the list: Rams vs. Seahawks and Patriots vs. Broncos.
The clash between the National Conference West rivals between Los Angeles (14-5) and Seattle (15-3), and the American Conference duel is a revenge of those years when Tom Brady lost before Peyton Manning. This time around, Denver (15-3) did it again with backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham because Bo Nix broke up the game, while New England (16-3) had second-year sensation Drake Maye.
The Patriots are 5.5-point favorites according to BetMGM Sportsbook, while the Seahawks are 2.5-point favorites.
Chicago field marshal Caleb Williams became a Villano Domingo hero on the night, and gave the Rams an opportunity when they threw their third interception of the game in overtime. Harrison Mevis kicked a 42-yard field goal after Matthew Stafford raced for 54 yards on offense, and Los Angeles won against the Bears 20-17 in the wind and at Nevada Soldier Field.
“This is playoff football. We have a lot to say about what we could improve on, but we and our guys as a team are figuring out how to win a game away from home in tough conditions,” Stafford said.
Williams had a sensational, desperation touchdown pass on a fourth-down opportunity in the final minute to force overtime, but it was intercepted by Kam Curl after Chicago played on the Rams’ 48th.
The Rams are in the NFC championship game in doubles and third under coach Sean McVay. There’s a 5-6 record in those games, but he’s won his last four games, including four years when Stafford won the Super Bowl title.
Most recently, Drake Maye, Mike Vrabel and the Patriots will secure a trip to the AFC Football Club for the first time since Brady and Bill Belichick stood up for back-to-back games from 2011-2018.
They threw maybe three touchdown passes and a defense had five turnovers in a 28-16 win over CJ Stroud and the Houston Texans in game and snow conditions.
“They did it all week,” Maye said of the Patriots defense. “Es divertido de ver. Podemos ayudarles un poco más. Orgulloso de los chicos”.
The Patriots visit Denver next in their Year 16 appearance in the conference title game. Stidham had his fifth opening in his race because Nix was injured on the final out of the Broncos’ win over Buffalo. Stidham, who has a 1-3 single-day record, was selected by the Patriots in the 2019 draft round to answer Brady.
“You have one (number) of the two that are capable of starting for a puñado, a team number. So he told you. As you watch him. Only the observer,” commented Broncos coach Sean Payton.
Los Patriots have an 11-4 record entering the AFC title game. Fueron went 4-13 last season under Jerod Mayo, but Vrabel, a Super Bowl champion with the Patriots, took charge and had a quick turnaround with the team.
Sam Darnold and the Seahawks advanced in the NFC camp game by dominating the battered San Francisco 49ers 41-6 on Saturday night.
The Seahawks and Rams split their temporary series, each winning at home. Seattle rallied from a 16-point deficit in the final game to place Victoria 38-37 in overtime thanks to a two-point conversion in Week 16.
This is Seattle’s fifth trip to a conference title and first in 11 years. The Seahawks have a 3-1 record, losing first.
Meanwhile, Josh Allen and the Bills met again recently, with questionable officiating playing a role in Denver’s 33-30 overtime victory that was sent to the Broncos in the second conference championship game in franchise history. Denver has an 8-3 record in these games.
Allen and the Bills (13-6) recently lost the opportunity to win the franchise’s first Trofeo Lombardi. Buffalo was eliminated in the divisional or campeonato rounds in its consecutive seasons under Allen and coach Sean McDermott.
Since the NFL expanded the playoff field to 14 teams in 2020, only one team in each conference has received a call. They took on No. 1 today and have a 9-3 record in the divisional round. The 2022 Chiefs are the only one to have won the Super Bowl this period.
___
Sports in AP Spanish: https://apnews.com/hub/deportes
