It has now dawned on me that we are only two more weekends of football away from having no NFL or college football to watch for about nine months. While that is certainly a bit sad, we still have a couple more games to get into before that big hiatus arrives.
With the AFC and NFC Championship games signalling the penultimate round of NFL football, we also have a bracket challenge to continue with, and we certainly need a bounce back after last week’s disaster when it comes to our picks.
AFC Conference
This game is a battle between two smash mouth football teams that have both taken major jumps this season, driven by their sophomore quarterbacks becoming legitimate players in this league.
However, the hype around this game has lost a step because of the dramatic shift we saw in both teams chances, with Bo Nix, the Broncos’ signal caller, breaking his ankle on the second to last snap of the game against the Bills in overtime. Now instead, Denver will have to lean on journeyman backup Jarrett Stidham, who at 29 has not thrown a football in a game this season. I am sure when the game comes, Sean Payton will have cooked up some form of game plan around the run game and easy completions to try and take pressure off early. The issue with that is this is the AFC Championship game, and you cannot play to not lose while playing scared football. Meaning, at some stage, they will need to put Stidham in situations where he has to take risks, and there will be some serious reservations about whether he will be able to pull them off.
On the other hand, the Patriots have been flying all season, and plenty of that can be attributed to their head coach, Mike Vrabel. However, I think the key cog is Drake Maye. The sophomore quarterback is a flat out stud who will likely be the runner up for the MVP award in just his second season. Maye has every tool imaginable for a franchise quarterback. He sees progressions well, has an electric arm, prototypical size, and the prerequisite athleticism for the modern NFL. Essentially, he is the ideal quarterback for the year 2026 and is showing exactly why this season.
Outside of Maye, the team just plays hard and are fully bought into the message that Mike Vrabel delivers as the leader of the group. That shows in the way they are playing all over the park. Which is why, when you combine the way the Patriots are playing with the fact the Broncos are operating with a backup quarterback, the away side is my selection in this one.
My Pick: Patriots To Win @ $1.38
NFC Conference
Whenever anything in the entertainment business is any good, generally the fans and creators of the series would love a trilogy. When it comes to the 2025/26 Seahawks vs Rams, that is exactly the case, with already two blockbuster affairs this season. The season series is split at 1–1, with the aggregate score sitting at 58 to 56 in the Rams’ favour, which just shows how close and high octane these games have been.
Looking at this weekend, I would expect much of the same between the two sides, as they will likely end up neck and neck, with one or two plays deciding the game. Looking at the home side in this one, the Seahawks have been a wagon all year, earning the one seed on the back of a dynamic defence that flies around with some of the most cutting edge schematics in the league. Throw in the fact they have a big play offence led by Sam Darnold and Klint Kubiak, and it feels like they have the tools in place to continue their vertical passing game in this matchup.
For me, and I will continue to state it, the biggest worry is indeed Sam Darnold. Now, that might seem bizarre based on the year he has had, but I just cannot shake the playoff loss he had last year to the Rams, where when the pressure was dialled up, he reverted straight back to his early years self. Last weekend he was solid, but this will be the real test against a Rams defence that has generally caused him issues.
For the Rams, I have said it and will say it again, they have been my Super Bowl pick since prior to the season. A lot of that has to do with their dynamic combination of head coach and quarterback, as Sean McVay is far and away the best in the business, and Matthew Stafford is playing the best football of his Hall of Fame career. Outside of those two, they have superstar and ultra productive wide receiver Puka Nacua, while Davante Adams, another future Hall of Famer, is still one of the best route runners opposite him.
The Rams also have one of the best defensive units in the league, despite having the lowest paid group in the NFL. That fact is a major testament not only to the players they have drafted over the years, but also to their defensive coordinator, Chris Shula, who will likely become a head coach in the next few weeks.
With all of this information accounted for, I am going to stick with the way I have felt all season. Regardless of the fact the Rams are on the road, I have them going to another Super Bowl this year.
My Pick: Rams To Win @ $2.25