The conference finale presents us with two realities, on the one hand, the NFC Championship Game presents us with two of the most representative figures of a generation of quarterbacks living their last years in the NFL, as the duel for the Super Bowl LV ticket in the AFC offers us a duel between two quarterbacks who are starting to profile themselves as two of the top stars of the next generation of quarterbacks.
The clash between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Green Bay Packers is the framework in which Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers will seek to bolster the legacies that already have them as future members of the Hall of Fame.
For their part, Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen try to bolster the youth movement in the quarterback position, led by the Chiefs passer, who is trying to reach his second consecutive Super Bowl, while the Bills try to get back to that franchise by playing for the NFL title after 27 years.
The stakes are high and experts from ESPN Deportes debate, analyze highlights and give us their predictions for the conference finale.
NOTE: Each expert’s choices are in capital letters and bold.
– WHICH DEFENSIVE IS BETTER FOR THE CHALLENGE OF STOPPING TWO VERSATILE ATTACKS, BUFFALO OR KANSAS CITY?
IVIS ABURTO / Twitter: @IvisAburto
The Bills and Chiefs are very similar in general, more in the characteristics of their attack systems, with the difference that Patrick Mahomes has a more varied and dangerous arsenal than Josh Allen, not to mention that Buffalo has no weapons to handle. to cause damage. to attack.
The Kansas City defense allows plenty of yards in the 60-yard space between the 20-yard lines on each field, but close the rows in the red zone and know how to pressurize the opponent at key moments, not to mention that he practices against the Mahomes. ‘ability and the variety of goals the Chiefs quarterback has.
The same could be said for the Bills defense, which trains daily with a quarterback with similar attributes to Allen’s, but the potential of the Chiefs’ weapons makes all the difference.
Main role: DEs Jerry Hughes and Mario Addison – The job of the Bills’ defenses is to keep Patrick Mahomes in the protection bag to take away the ability to improvise or buy time to find his receivers, as he usually does.
CHOICES
Tampa Bay 24-34 GREEN BAY
Buffalo 27-31 KANSAS CITY
EDUARDO VARELA / Twitter: @LaloVarelaTV
The Bills follow last year’s Chiefs’ formula: throw more than 70 percent of the time, but it’s too much. Throwing so much against the reigning champions makes it easier for the Chiefs, who intercepted 16 passes in the regular season.
Tyrann Mathieu is arguably Josh Allen’s worst adversary who will have to monitor the Chiefs’ safety all the time, who is a hungry hawk looking for balls.
Main role: QB Patrick Mahomes – For the Kansas City quarterback there is no difference, he can throw or run first or third, in the red zone or with less than two minutes on the game clock.
CHOICES
TAMPA BAY 31-24 Green Bay
Buffalo 17-28 KANSAS CITY
PABLO VIRUEGA / Twitter: @PabloViruega
Both teams are more driven by fouls, but their defenses have done well in recent games.
I’ll stick with Bills’s, who comes from giving a great play to the defensive side by managing to stop the Ravens’ running game and put pressure on Lamar Jackson. Buffalo may come at a better time, but the Chiefs’ defense has a great coordinator like Steve Spagnuolo, as well as players who can take and make big moves at the right time. It will be a very even duel on that side of the ball.
Main role: S tyrant Mathieu – He is not the tallest or the strongest, but he is the fastest and a player of great determination. He can be placed in his zone to defend passes or come down to stop play in progress and is always involved in a ball exchange, either by causing a fumble or an interception, like the one he got against the Browns. If the defense needs a major action, it will have to come from Mathieu.
CHOICES
Tampa Bay 21-27 GREEN BAY
Buffalo 30-34 KANSAS CITY (if you play Mahomes)
– HOW WILL THE NFC FINAL DEFEAT IMPACT TOM BRADY OR AARON RODGERS?
SEBASTIÁN M. CHRISTENSEN / Twitter: @SebastianMCESPN
I don’t think it will change the legacy of either quarterback. In my opinion, Tom Brady is already the greatest quarterback of all time and although the Buccaneers lose on Sunday, what they did this season, at the age of 43, is taking his hat off in a new team and new system.
It will be Aaron Rodgers’ first time playing an NFC championship game at Lambeau Field, but other than that, win or lose, it won’t change my perception that he’s the most talented quarterback in history. Often times, the number of rings earned is used to evaluate a quarterback, in Rodgers’ case “only one” to detract from a career.
It’s not easy to win in this team sport, so a title won’t affect the legacy of two of the greatest quarterbacks in history in my opinion.
Main role: QB Aaron Jones – Aaron Rodgers looked so good that the running game seems secondary, but when this attack is balanced, Green Bay is impossible to stop. The Packers rush for 188 yards in their dominant win over the Rams. The Buccaneers, in turn, have the best defense against the NFL’s career and it is imperative that they limit Aaron Jones or this duel will be defined early.
CHOICES
Tampa Bay 20-31 GREEN BAY
Buffalo 34-37 KANSAS CITY
ALFONSO MANCILLA / Twitter: @poncho_mancilla
After Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady’s high level in the Divisional Round, it’s easy to think that they both still have a lot of gas in their tanks no matter what happens over the weekend.
In the analysis of what has been the performance of both in conference finals, Rodgers is the one who has the greatest pressure due to his 1-3 figure at these appointments and a very poor 78 points rating compared to the 103.9 he collects for. life.
With the level of competition and the uncertainties that come with each season, Sunday could be the best chance for Rodgers to win the ticket to the Super Bowl, which he only played once and won. The re-engineering the Packers have had with coach Matt LaFleur over the past two years suggests that Rodgers would remain active for the next season if they lose at home.
He has long stated about Brady that he wants to play until he is 45 years old. He is currently 43 and with the high level he returned to with Tampa Bay, he might make it to his 10th Super Bowl and winning it could give him the reason to push him into opting for retirement while at the top.
In the case of both quarterbacks, of course, even if they lost this Sunday and decide to play next season, they would have guaranteed ownership.
Main role: WR Davante Adams – The receiver proved against the Rams defense, none other than the best in the league, that his role is fundamental in Packers’ attack. Tampa Bay may not be betting on personal cover against him, so it’s sure his defensive plan will revolve around Adams, who likes to keep the Packers in constant motion ahead of the snap to open spaces for him in the defensive.
CHOICES
Tampa Bay 23-30 GREEN BAY
Buffalo 27-28 KANSAS CITY
CARLOS NAVA / Twitter: @TapaNava
I think each of them will have a different and unfair impact in both cases.
In the case of Rodgers, who has already lost three conference finals, including last year, the stigma will start to build up for some ‘fans’ and ‘journalists’ that he cannot return to the Super Bowl and say he needs to has. to retire now. It’s been ten years since he won the Super Bowl for the only time.
Tom Brady is under pressure that anything short of a Super Bowl win will be a trifle, even if unimaginable things are seen in his case. From the day he announced he would sign with Tampa Bay, there has been talk of the Buccaneers being contenders. When Brady is out this week, many will think his season, with the very good selection he has on both sides of the ball, was a failure.
In either case, Brady or Rodgers, loss does not mean retirement.
Main role: QB Aaron Rodgers – The Packers are in the National Conference Championship Game, thanks to the great season their quarterback is going through, despite having a running game, with a more than compliant defense and good coaches. When Rodgers gets out of sync with receiver Davante Adams and avoids interceptions, his Packers head to the Super Bowl.
In week 6 of the regular season, when they lost to Tampa Bay, Rodgers had one of his worst days on time with two interceptions without touchdowns.
CHOICES
Tampa Bay 17-28 GREEN BAY
BUFFALO 31-28 Kansas City