2025 has been a refreshing post-season for fans; with no Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, or Joe Burrow to speak of, they were likely to see a fun new matchup between quarterbacks who have not made a Super Bowl. Now, after the divisional round, the only team to have made the bowl in the last half-decade is the LA Rams.
The AFC and NFC championship games are set in stone: The Patriots will travel to Mile High to play Denver, while the Rams head north to Seattle for a chance at revenge, having lost a thriller in the regular season. How did the final four get this far? Here is the rundown:
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
Photo: patriot.com.
In 2024, the Patriots were 4-13. Fast forward 365 days, and they finished the regular season 14-3; a shocking turnaround. Despite being the 2 seed in the AFC, many doubted the Pats – and still do – pointing to their easy schedule, and inability to beat playoff teams when they’ve come up against them. With convincing wins against the Chargers and Texans, the Patriots have silenced the naysayers.
DENVER BRONCOS
Photo: milehigh.com
The Broncos have leaned on their defense to win games – allowing only 18 points per game – as the saying goes, defense wins championships. This motto is especially true for the Broncos now, as quarterback Bo Nix is out for the remainder of the playoffs – a development that comes ahead of their matchup versus the Patriots this Saturday.
LOS ANGELES RAMS
Photo: news.de
The Rams are the only team left in the playoffs with recent playoff DNA. In fact, they are the only ones to have reached the divisional round since 2020 (before 2025). The Rams, led by MVP candidate Matthew Stafford, along with All-pro receiver Puka Nacua and head coach Sean McVay know how to win; they demonstrated as much in their nail-biting final drive against the Carolina Panthers in the wildcard round, followed by an overtime win against Chicago – though they haven’t won convincingly, they’ve found ways to win close games, and that is a sign of a great team.
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
Photo: seahawks.com
Sam Darnold deserves an apology. Granted, he had a horrific start to his NFL career before being reborn in Minnesota last season and is now cementing himself this season as an upper-echelon NFL quarterback. As the #1 seed, the Seahawks did not play in the wildcard; in the divisional, they played the 49ers. How would Seattle fare against a 9ers team with a playoff pedigree? They shellacked them, winning 41-6.
PREDICTIONS
Here are my predictions for the conference championship games:
AFC CHAMPIONSHIP: Patriots @ Broncos
Photo: totalprosports.com
This matchup has become really interesting now that Bo Nix is out for Denver. The Broncos have the best squad, but New England has a QB; Denver does not. Despite the injury, I am taking the Broncos. Both teams are vastly inexperienced in the playoffs, but Denver has the Super Bowl-winning head coach and the outstanding defense. I am not a Patriot believer, and this will be the end of the road for Drake Maye – the Broncos win 20-17.
NFC CHAMPIONSHIP: Rams @ Seahawks
Photo: totalprosports.com
I will start by saying that the winner of this year’s Super Bowl will be the winner of this matchup. I like both teams a lot, and going into the playoffs, though they were the two best teams. That being said, I am picking the Rams over the Seahawks. I am a big believer in experience, and LA has plenty of it. Stafford will march down the field with a minute left, and get them into field goal range, winning via a walk-off kick – Rams win 30-27.
