MY NFL CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP SIMULATION RESULTS

It’s all No. 1 and No. 2 seeds left in the NFL’s conference title weekend. Who do see heading to Atlanta for Super Bowl LIII?

32 teams began this NFL season with hopes of making it here. After 17 weeks in the grueling regular season and two weeks of intense playoff football, the league’s final four teams — the New England Patriots, Kansas City Chiefs, New Orleans Saints and Los Angeles Rams – will play in their respective Conference Championship on Sunday for a chance to earn a spot in the Super Bowl.

On paper, this year’s crop seems to be the very best football has to offer at this point. Both respective No. 1 and No. 2 seeds from the AFC and NFC made it to this weekend, proving that home-field advantage and first-round byes most certainly have their value.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a weekend of NFL football without my simulations. Between both days last week, the game actually went 3-1 in its predictions. Turns out lacking faith in playoff Tom Brady and Bill Belichek in Foxborough proved fatal, but it’s an impressive mark nonetheless.

As usual, we’ll take the latest roster update, crank the AI up the game and throw each matchup into Super Sim to see who comes out on top and who will represent each conference in two weeks’ time.

Without further adieu, let’s get started!

NFC CHAMPIONSHIP: LOS ANGELES RAMS 40, NEW ORLEANS SAINTS 34 (OT)

Interestingly enough, both conference title games are rematches from earlier in the regular season. In the NFC, the Rams are looking to avenge a 45-35 loss to the Saints from Week 9 in which Michael Thomas torched L.A. with a 200-plus receiving yard performance. Last week, New Orleans averted disaster in getting by Nick Foles and the Philadelphia Eagles in the divisional round; while the Rams pulled away from Dallas at home.

Naturally, Madden calls this one as an offensive shootout much like the last time these teams met. However, this time it’s the Rams who pick up the road win and their first trip to the Super Bowl since 2001. It didn’t come easy though, as they needed 10 unanswered points late in the fourth quarter and a scoring connection from Jared Goff to Tyler Higbee on the first possession of overtime to seal the win.

Todd Gurley became the absolute star of the show, rushing for 191 yards and a pair of touchdowns including an 80-yard score on the opening play from scrimmage. C.J. Anderson also pounded in a score for the Rams after his breakout performance last week against Dallas. Goff allowed no turnovers under center and threw for 285 yards and two touchdowns of his own, with the first one also going to Higbee late in the second quarter.

Drew Brees saw his season end with another incredible Madden performance, as he put up 382 yards and three touchdowns in the loss. Thomas was subdued in this outing but did lead the team with 86 yards receiving and one of the two scoring catches. The other went to Ted Ginn Jr., who was second on the team with 75 yards on the day. Alvin Kamara had the team’s lone rushing touchdown and tallied up 73 yards on 17 carries.

AFC CHAMPIONSHIP: KANSAS CITY CHIEFS 29, NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS 14

Meanwhile, the AFC title game is all set as a rematch from Week 6’s thrilling Sunday night game in Foxborough. The Pats needed some typical Tom Brady late-game magic to get by in what became an all-out, 43-40 affair that left anyone who watched wanting more. Not only have the tables turned this time around with New England now coming to Arrowhead, but the stakes couldn’t be higher for both teams.

Much like in the NFC title game, payback was served here. This time it was by the Chiefs, who would not only advance to their first Super Bowl since Hank Stram’s teams of the 1960s, but it would mark the franchise’s first conference championship in the post-merger era.

The game ended up becoming a comeback win at Arrowhead, too. Down 14-13 at halftime in what was a back-and-forth type of game, the Chiefs tightened up on defense and dropped 16 unanswered points in the second half to pull away from Brady and his fourth-quarter sorcery.

Patrick Mahomes continued to dazzle audiences with a 348-yard passing performance and a pair of touchdowns to Tyreek Hill. The speedy wideout also led the Kansas City receiving corps with 103 yards on the day. Harrison Butker also went a perfect 5-for-5 on field goal tries, with his longest coming from 48 yards out.

Though held in check for the second half, Brady didn’t go away quietly. He put up 289 yards and two touchdowns to Julian Edelman to account for the Pats’ only scoring of the game. One of those scores was a scorching 75-yard play that took the lead away from Kansas City as quickly as they gained it. That play propelled Edelman to lead all receivers with 172 yards on just eight catches.

And there you have it, folks. I predict that the people will get what they want; a rematch between the Rams and Chiefs in Super Bowl LIII. If their legendary Week 11 meeting is anything to go off of, it could be one of the best matchups the game has seen in recent memory.