As the road to the Super Bowl starts to wind down, the conference championship games will be held this weekend. With that in mind, the majority of the focus for the final four teams is on the field, but that does not mean that teams around the league are not making news off the field.
Let’s take a look at the matchups for this weekend and news from around the league this week.
Conference Championships Set For Sunday
And just like that, there are only four teams remaining in the NFL playoffs. Come Sunday, the Super Bowl matchup will be set. Here are the two matchups for Sunday:
AFC Championship: Tennessee Titans at Kansas City Chiefs
The Titans just keep shocking opponents. First, it was New England, then last weekend, it was the shocking upset of the No. 1-seeded Baltimore Ravens by a final score of 28-12.
The Titans continue to dominate teams with a punishing run game. Against the stout Baltimore defense, Derrick Henry ran rampant, rushing 30 times for a whopping 195 yards (6.5 average). Ryan Tannehill wasn’t special, but did enough to get the job done.
The Chiefs dismissed the Houston Texans 51-31. Unlike the Titans, Kansas City relies heavily on the pass game. In last week’s win, Patrick Mahomes threw for 321 yards and five touchdowns. Damien Williams also had two touchdowns rushing for the Chiefs.
NFC Championship: Green Bay Packers at San Francisco 49ers
Last week, Green Bay was able to get by the Seattle Seahawks 28-23. Aaron Rodgers threw for just 243 yards and two touchdowns, but it was enough to get the job done.
San Francisco will have to try to find a way to stop Davante Adams because he and Rodgers are absolutely on the same page. Last week, Adams had eight receptions for 160 yards and two scores. On the ground, Aaron Jones had 62 yards rushing and two touchdowns.
The 49ers were easily able to get by the Minnesota Vikings last week 27-10. In the win, Jimmy Garoppolo threw for just 131 yards, a touchdown and an interception, but it was still enough.
The ground game was strong as Tevin Coleman ran for 105 yards and two touchdowns while Raheem Mostert added 58 yards on 12 carries. Add an amazingly strong defense, and the 49ers will be a tough matchup for the Packers.
Keuchly Retires
In shocking news, Carolina Panthers’ inside linebacker Luke Kuechly announced his retirement on Tuesday. Sadly, Kuechly has long struggled with concussions. Despite consistent injuries, the 28-year-old has been phenomenal on the field, having made seven straight Pro Bowls.
In 2012 he was the NFL AP Defensive Rookie of the Year, and in 2013, he was the NFL AP Defensive Player of the Year. This season, he played in all 16 games, amassing 144 tackles (four for loss) and two interceptions.
With Kuechly retired, new head coach Matt Rhule will be looking for someone to take over the role of the veteran leader on the defense.
Gates Officially Announces Retirement
In significantly less surprising news, Antonio Gates has officially announced his retirement. If you did not know that he wasn’t already retired, I wouldn’t blame you, considering he did not play this season and only started one game in 2018 (although he played in all 16).
Still, the tight end has had a phenomenal run as one of the best to play the position ever. During his career, Gates made 955 receptions for 11,841 yards and 116 touchdowns. His best season was probably in 2009 when he had 79 receptions for 1,157 yards and eight touchdowns.
Browns Hire New Coach
The Cleveland Browns have found their new head coach, and it comes in the form of Kevin Stefanski, the former Minnesota Vikings offensive coordinator. Stefanski has served numerous roles with the Vikings since joining the team in 2006 but will now have his first opportunity as a head coach.
The Browns were not unfamiliar with him as he was a finalist for the job last year before it was given to Freddie Kitchens. Now, Cleveland hopes that a new opportunity to acquire his services will be just what the team needs.
Brown Continues To Embarrass, Distance Himself From NFL
It has certainly been quite the season for wide receiver Antonio Brown. In what started with a bizarre start to the year with the Oakland Raiders (remember he cryogenically froze his foot this year) to being dismissed by both the Raiders and Patriots to accusations to a host of other oddities.
Sadly, another chapter of this season has unfolded as Brown posted a sad video that shows him berating the mother of one of his kids and yelling at police all while his kids are present. If the act wasn’t bad enough, the fact that it was being live broadcasted was worse.
Even though his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, insists teams are interested, it is starting to become tough to see Brown playing in the NFL again. Brown has seemingly burnt too many bridges and would be a big publicity nightmare for the acquiring team.
Not to mention, he is also still being investigated by the NFL, one that could lead to a suspension. His talents were undeniable (his best season he caught 129 receptions for 1,698 yards and 13 touchdowns), but the risk may be starting to outweigh the reward for most teams.
