NFL Playoffs: How to Watch the Conference Championships with DISH
After a Wild Card weekend that was flush with blowouts, the Divisional round of the NFL playoffs was loaded with close contests and shocking upsets. In their 23-14 win over the Houston Texans on Saturday, the Kansas City Chiefs applied relentless pressure to Texans QB C.J. Stroud as they punched their ticket to the AFC Championship for a seventh-straight season. Saturday’s night game was a complete shocker, as the top-seeded Detroit Lions turned the ball over five times to fall to the Washington Commanders in a massive upset.
Sunday’s snow–blown games were even better. In Philadelphia, star RB Saquon Barkley broke off touchdown runs of 62 and 78-yards, but a heroic effort from Los Angeles Rams QB Matthew Stafford made things close at the end, as Philly held on 28-22 for their second trip to the NFC Championship in three years. The final game of the weekend might have been the best, as the duel between leading MVP candidates Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson was everything fans could have hoped for. Ultimately, Baltimore’s comeback came up just short and the Bills are heading to Kansas City to try to beat Patrick Mahomes for the first time in their fourth playoff game against the Chiefs.
With two more games to go before the Super Bowl, here’s a full preview of the Conference Championship games and how to watch them with DISH. Not a DISH subscriber? Follow this link to find the best offer and subscribe to DISH today!
NFC Championship
Washington Commanders at Philadelphia Eagles
Sunday, Jan. 26 at 3pm ET on FOX
If you put a $100 preseason wager on the Washington Commanders advancing to the NFC Conference Championship, congratulations, you’re rich. Washington’s sudden turnaround following a 4-13 season is one of the most improbable NFL stories since the 1999 St. Louis Rams. Like those Rams, Washington has pulled a U-turn largely thanks to the play of their first-year quarterback. In this case, it’s former Heisman winner Jayden Daniels, who has followed one of the best rookie seasons ever with a playoff performance marked by poise beyond his years. Through the first two rounds, Daniels ranks first in total yards, TDs, and QBR, all without throwing an interception. If Daniels can get his team to the Super Bowl, he’ll officially become the most overachieving prospect since Tom Brady pulled off the same feat in his first year as a starter nearly a quarter century ago.
To get there, the Commanders will have to best an experienced Eagles team on the road, no small feat. Philly looked much better in the Divisional round against the Los Angeles Rams than they did against the Packers, especially on defense. But it was running back Saquon Barkley and the Eagles’ offensive line who stole the show. At a time where RBs are increasingly marginalized, Barkley deserves MVP consideration as the Eagles biggest weapon. His incredible season continued on Sunday, and Barkley now leads all running backs in the playoffs in both yards (324) and attempts (51), while averaging an eye-popping 6.4 yards per carry. If the Eagles make the Super Bowl, it will likely be due to Barkley’s legs rather than QB Jalen Hurts’ arm (come to think of it, Hurts’ legs might actually play a significant factor as well, as his 44-yard rushing TD against LA was a career long).
AFC Championship
Buffalo Bills at Kansas City Chiefs
Sunday, Jan. 26 at 6:30pm ET on CBS
The Divisional round showdown between the killer B’s of Baltimore and Buffalo was one of those games where you wish neither team had to lose. But there are no ties or moral victories in the playoffs, and Lamar Jackson’s season is once again over before the Super Bowl. Instead, the task of slaying perennial AFC Championship contender Kansas City falls to Bills QB Josh Allen. Despite falling short in three previous meetings – including one of the most gut-wrenching losses in NFL history – there’s reason for optimism this year. Allen had by far the best season of his already remarkable career, mostly due to his lack of turnovers and deadly accuracy. That trend has continued into the playoffs: Allen has completed 75 percent of his passes without an interception, and has four touchdowns, two on the ground and two in the air.
That run-pass balance is a hallmark of the Bills offense, and they’ll need to stick with it to get past a Kansas City defense that might be the best in the remaining playoff field. It’s not just that the Chiefs had eight sacks against an admittedly shaky Texans offensive line; among the final four teams, their defense is also tops in passing yards per game, second in rushing YPG, and first in points allowed per game. Like last year’s Super Bowl-winning team, Kansas City’s biggest strength is their defense, a scary thought considering their offense is piloted by one of the game’s most ruthlessly effective playoff QBs in Patrick Mahomes. As the saying goes, you have to beat the best to be the best, and with KC firmly established as an NFL dynasty, that’s certainly true for the Bills, who are chasing their first Super Bowl appearance in over 30 years.
