It’s Championship Sunday with one final hurdle to overcome on the road to Super Bowl 60, but who will make it through to Santa Clara?
The big story is the Denver Broncos having to play back-up quarterback Jarrett Stidham, the first man to start a Championship game without throwing a single pass for two seasons.
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Can a home crowd and the Broncos defence help Stidham go from beanchwarmer to Super Bowl starter or will Drake Maye’s New England Patriots prove too strong?
In the NFC, the Seattle Seahawks host the Los Angeles Rams for their third meeting of the season – there’s been almost nothing between them in their two previous thrilling games.
We have a panel of experts to try to pick the winners – BBC Sport’s Hugh Ferris, host of The Whole 10 Yards, BBC Radio 5 Live’s Rob Staton and BBC Sport journalist Paul Higham.
AFC Championship: New England Patriots at Denver Broncos
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Mile High – 20:00 GMT kick-off
Hugh Ferris: Patriots
Ah, Jarrett Stidham. I wonder how many internet searches there have been this week from Broncos fans for “back-up quarterbacks to win the Super Bowl”. As much as I believe in Sean Payton’s ability to elevate his QB – just look at some of those he survived with post-Drew Brees in New Orleans – I can’t see Denver overcoming the Patriots. They’ll have to hope that Drake Maye completely folds under the pressure of the Broncos pass rush and Stidham can hold his nerve on the other side of the ball, but I still favour the Pats.
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Rob Staton: Patriots
Part of me expects Sean Payton will pull out all the stops in this one. Denver is a very difficult place to go and play and they still possess a tremendous defence. Jarrett Stidham has got to avoid turnovers and make a handful of plays. It’s not improbable he can be managed through this.
However, the Patriots are undefeated on the road. They handled the Chargers and dangerous Texans. Drake Maye is capable of making big plays and if you’re going to bet on a battle between these two quarterbacks, don’t you have to side with Maye?
It might not be pretty but the Pats get the job done.
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Paul Higham: Patriots
Make no mistake, if Jarrett Stidham can steer Denver to the Super Bowl in his fifth career start, his first for over two seasons and 749 days since he last threw a pass in a competitive NFL game, it’ll be one of the biggest achievements ever in the sport.
Sean Payton has an unwavering confidence that he can do it though, and he’ll have a plan, involving protecting Stidham, running the ball and Denver’s league-leading sack masters on defence smothering Drake Maye – who’s been sacked 10 times already in the play-offs.
And I think this will be a close one, but the problem is Denver have been winning close games all season with Bo Nix, 12 one-score wins in fact, and we’ve seen already Maye can make the clutch plays – it’s so hard to expect Stidham to do the same when it counts.
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NFC Championship: Los Angeles Rams at Seattle Seahawks
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Lumen Field – 23:30 GMT kick-off
Hugh Ferris: Rams
The week 16 game between these two was insane, but in amongst all the high-scoring and overtime drama, was there a clue as to how this one will go? If the Rams, a rare team to figure out Seattle’s number one defence, can repeat their offensive performance I can’t see Sam Darnold mounting the kind of second-half comeback he did in their last meeting. Put it this way, if Puka Nacua chalks up 225 receiving yards again, the Rams will win.
Rob Staton: Seahawks
You can make an argument Sean McVay is the one coach who has Mike Macdonald’s number. In the last three years, Macdonald’s defence (in Baltimore and Seattle) has given up 28 points per game against McVay and the Rams. Against everyone else, it’s 18 points per game. Matthew Stafford is a proven top performer, Puka Nacua is arguably the player of the season at any position in the NFL and the Rams should have won in Seattle in week 16.
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However, the Seahawks have upped their game since then. The defence has reached new heights, they’re running the ball far better and they’ve massively reduced turnovers on offence. They also have a lot more balance on their roster. The Rams have regressed a bit on defence and there’s a significant special teams advantage to Seattle.
I think it’ll be close and could go down to the wire. Either team could win in what is probably a meeting of the best two teams in the NFL. I think the home team will find a way.
Paul Higham: Seahawks
Just one point and amazingly just one yard of offense between these sides in two pulsating games this season, and this really is a coin toss of a game between the two best teams in the NFL.
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Matthew Stafford put up 37 points on this imposing Seattle defence, which only allowed 44 points combined across the other six of their past seven games, so maybe LA just have their number?
Seattle had seven turnovers across those two games and generated just one from the Rams. That again could signal LA having the advantage, but it’s unlikely the Hawks commit that many again.
So with a clean game, that home crowd and just a sprinkling of Sam Darnold finally proving himself in the play-offs, the Seahawks can pinch it.
