NFL Playoffs Cheat Sheet is a weekly series featuring a quick glance at upcoming games, including odds, records, things to watch for, and how to watch/listen to the games.

The NFL rolls into the final slate before the Super Bowl with the NFC and AFC Conference Championship games this weekend. Here are details about those games.

Sunday, January 28

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AFC: Kansas City Chiefs at Baltimore Ravens

• Time: 3:00 PM ET
• Location: M&T Bank Stadium | Baltimore, MD
• TV: CBS, Paramount+
  • Jim Nantz, Tony Romo, Tracy Wolfson, Jay Feely
• National Radio: Westwood One
  • Ian Eagle, Jason McCourty, Devin McCourty
• Satellite Radio:
  • Home Stream – (Sirius 83, XM/SXM 226, Internet 802)
  • Away Stream – (Sirius 82, XM/SXM 225, Internet 815)
  • National Stream – (Sirius 88, XM/SXM 88, Internet 88)
• Referee: Shawn Smith

Chiefs Notes

• CHIEFS advanced to 6th-straight AFC Champ. Game, 2nd-longest streak in NFL history. Seeking 4th SB appearance in past 5 years.
• ANDY REID has 24 career playoff wins, 2nd-most ever by HC. Appearing in 11th Champ. Game as HC, surpassing HOFer Tom Landry (10) for 2nd-most ever by HC. With win, can become 4th HC ever to appear in 5 SBs.
• QB PATRICK MAHOMES completed 17 of 23 atts. (73.9 pct.) for 215 yards & 2 TDs vs. 0 INTs with 131.6 rating in AFC-Div., 5thstraight playoff game with TD pass & 0 INTs. Is 13-3 in 16 career playoff starts & can become 6th QB all-time with 14+ career playoff wins. Is 3-1 with 1,479 pass yards (369.8 per game) & 13 TDs (12 pass, 1 rush) vs. 2 INTs & 119.1 rating in 4 career starts vs. Bal., with 325+ pass yards, 2+ TD passes & 90+ rating in each game.
• RB ISIAH PACHECO led team with 111 scrimmage yards (97 rush, 14 rec.) & had rush TD in AFC-Div., 6th-straight game overall with TD. Has 75+ scrimmage yards in each of 5 career playoff games, with rush TD in each of past 3.
• TE TRAVIS KELCE had 5 catches for 75 yards & 2 TDs in AFC-Div., 12th-straight playoff game with 5+ catches & 11th-straight playoff game with 50+ rec. yards, both 2nd-longest streaks in NFL history. Needs 7 catches to surpass HOFer Jerry Rice (151) for most postseason receptions ever. Has 6+ catches & 70+ rec. yards in each of 5 career games vs. Bal, incl. 109 rec. yards & rec. TD in last meeting.
• WR RASHEE RICE (rookie) has 5+ catches & 50+ rec. yards in 7 of past 8. Has 304 rec. yards (101.3 per game) in his past 3 overall.
• WR MARQUEZ VALDES-SCANTLING had 62 rec. yards in AFC-Div. Had 5 catches for 98 yards & TD in only career game vs. Bal. (12/19/21 w/ GB).
• DT CHRIS JONES had 1st-career playoff FF & PD in AFC-Div. Has 0.5+ sacks in 4 of past 5 overall. Has 2 sacks & 2 FFs in 2 career games at Bal. Had 10.5 sacks in 2023 reg. season.
• DE GEORGE KARLAFTIS aims for 4th in row with TFL. Has 1.5+ sacks in 2 of past 3. Had career-best 10.5 sacks in 2023.
• LB NICK BOLTON led team with 13 sacks in AFC-Div., 3rd-straight game with 10+ tackles. Had 9 tackles & TFL in last meeting.
• CB L’JARIUS SNEED had 5 tackles in AFC-Div. Has 8 PD in his past 6 overall. Had career-high 14 PD in 2023.
• CB CHAMARRI CONNER had career-high 10 tackles & FF in AFC-Div.

Ravens Notes

• RAVENS are hosting AFC Champ. Game for 1st time ever. Can advance to 3rd SB in franchise history (XXXV & XLVII). Led NFL in rushing offense in 2023 (156.5 yards per game).
• JOHN HARBAUGH led Baltimore to SB XLVII title in 2012.
• QB LAMAR JACKSON totaled 252 yards (152 pass, 100 rush) & 4 TDs (2 pass, 2 rush) vs. 0 INTs with 121.8 rating in AFC-Div., becoming 2nd player ever with 100+ rush yards, 2+ TD passes & 2+ rush TDs in a playoff game (Colin Kaepernick on 1/12/13). Has 100+ rush yards in 3 of 5 career playoff starts, most by QB in NFL history. Had career-high 3,678 pass yards in 2023 & led QBs with 821 rush yards, becoming 2nd player ever with 3,500+ pass yards & 800+ rush yards in a season, joining Kyler Murray (2020). Totaled 346 yards (239 pass, 107 rush) & 3 TDs (2 rush, 1 pass) in last meeting vs.KC.
• RB GUS EDWARDS set career highs in rush yards (810) & rush TDs (13) in 2023, 2nd-most rush TDs in a season in franchise history.
• RB JUSTICE HILL had 77 scrimmage yards (66 rush, 11 rec.) in AFC-Div.
• TE MARK ANDREWS can make 1st appearance since Week 11. Had 6 rec. TDs in 2023 & is 1 of 2 TEs (Travis Kelce) with 5+ rec. TDs in each of past 5 seasons.
• TE ISAIAH LIKELY had TD catch in AFC-Div. & has rec. TD in 5 of past 6 overall, incl. each of past 4 at home.
• WR ZAY FLOWERS ranked 4th among rookies with 77 catches & 5th with 858 rec. yards, both most-ever by Ravens rookie.
• WR NELSON AGHOLOR had TD catch in AFC-Div. Has TD catch in each of 3 career games vs. KC.
• DT JUSTIN MADUBUIKE had TFL in AFC-Div. Was selected to 1st-career Pro Bowl after leading team with 13 sacks in 2023, most by Bal. player since 2014.
• LB ROQUAN SMITH led team with 7 tackles & 2 TFL in AFCDiv., 8th-straight game overall with 7+ tackles. Ranked 6th in NFL with 158 tackles in 2023, 3rd-straight season with 150+ tackles
• LB PATRICK QUEEN aims for his 5th in row with 5+ tackles. Totaled career-best 133 tackles this season.
• LB JADEVEON CLOWNEY tied career high with 9.5 sacks in 2023. Has TFL in each of 4 career games vs. KC.
• S KYLE HAMILTON led team with career-high 13 PD in 2023.
• S GENO STONE ranked 2nd in NFL with 7 INTs in 2023.

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NFC: Detroit Lions at San Francisco 49ers

• Time: 6:30 PM ET
• Location: Levi’s Stadium
• TV: FOX, FOX Deportes
  • Kevin Burkhardt, Greg Olsen, Erin Andrews, Tom Rinaldi
• National Radio: Westwood One
  • Kevin Harlan, Kurt Warner, Laura Okmin
• Satellite Radio:
  • Home Stream – (Sirius 158, XM/SXM 227, Internet 827)
  • Away Stream – (Sirius 82, XM/SXM 225, Internet 810)
  • National Stream – (Sirius 88, XM/SXM 88, Internet 88)
• Referee: Clete Blakeman

Lions Notes

• DETROIT makes 2nd NFC-C appearance in franchise history (1991). Tied franchise record with 12 reg. season wins & clinched 1st division title since 1993. Became 2nd team ever (2013 Broncos) with 4+ players (4) each with 10+ scrimmage TDs in same season.
• QB JARED GOFF aims for his 3rd in row in 2023 playoffs with 275+ pass yards & 100+ rating. Aims for his 5th playoff game in row with TD pass & 0 INTs. Ranked 2nd in pass yards (4,575) & 4th in TD passes (30) in 2023 reg. season. Passed for 338 yards & 3 TDs in last reg. season meeting (9/12/21). Has 2+ TD passes in each of his 4 career starts at SF.
• RB DAVID MONTGOMERY has 115 scrimmage yards & rush TD in 2023 playoffs. Had 1,132 scrimmage yards (1,015 rush, 117 rec.) & career-high 13 rush TDs in 2023, his 5th-straight 1,000-yard season.
• RB JAHMYR GIBBS had 114 scrimmage yards (74 rush, 40 rec.) & rush TD in NFC-Div. vs. TB. Can become 1st rookie with rush TD in each of 1st 3 playoff games since 2019 (Sony Michel). Ranked 1st among rookies in rush TDs (10), tied-1st in scrimmage TDs (11) & 3rd in scrimmage yards (1,261). Montgomery & Gibbs became 1st pair of teammates in NFL history each with 1,000+ scrimmage yards & 10+ rush TDs in same season.
• WR AMON-RA ST. BROWN had 8 catches for 77 yards & 1st-career postseason TD last week. Can become 1st player with 7+ catches in each of 1st 3 career playoff games since 2018 (Michael Thomas). Ranked tied-2nd in NFL with career-high 119 catches, 3rd with careerhigh 1,515 rec. yards & had career-high 10 rec. TDs in 2023.
• TE SAM LAPORTA had 9 catches last week, most by rookie TE in playoff game all-time. Set NFL rookie TE record in receptions (86), had 4th-most rec. yards (889) by rookie TE all-time & became 3rd rookie TE ever with 10+ rec. TDs (10). Gibbs & LaPorta became 1st pair of rookie teammates each with 10+ TDs.
• DL AIDAN HUTCHINSON aims for his 3rd in row in playoffs & 5th in row overall with sack. Had career highs in sacks (11.5) & TFL (14), FFs (3) & PD (7) in 2023.
• LB ALEX ANZALONE has 5+ tackles in 17 of 18 games this season, incl. playoffs. Had career-high 129 tackles in 2023.
• DB BRIAN BRANCH had 1st-career playoff sack last week.
• DB C.J. GARDNER-JOHNSON had 1st-career playoff INT in NFC-Div.
• S IFEATU MELIFONWU had 1.5 sacks last week.

49ers Notes

• 49ERS have made NFC-C for 3rd-straight year & 4th time in past 5 seasons. Have 19 Champ. game appearances, most in NFL since 1970. Ranked 3rd in scoring offense (28.9 ppg) & scoring defense (17.5). Became 4th team ever with 4,000-yard passer & 4 players each with 1,000+ scrimmage yards in same season.
• QB BROCK PURDY became 5th QB ever to win a playoff game in each of his 1st 2 seasons. Led NFL in rating (113.0), ranked 3rd in TD passes (31) & 5th in pass yards (4,280) in reg. season. Became 5th player ever with 8 games of 120+ rating in a season.
• RB CHRISTIAN MCCAFFREY had 7 catches, 128 scrimmage yards (98 rush, 30 rec.) & 2 rush TDs in NFC-Div. vs. GB. Can become 3rd player ever (HOFers Marcus Allen & Terrell Davis) with 50+ scrimmage yards & TD in each of his 1st 6 career playoff games. Led NFL in scrimmage yards (2,023) & rush yards (1,459) & tied-1st in scrimmage TDs (21) in reg. season.
• WR BRANDON AIYUK had 75 receptions for career-high 1,342 rec. yards (7th-most in NFL this season) & 7 rec. TDs in reg. season.
• WR DEEBO SAMUEL had 60 catches, 1,117 scrimmage yards (892 rec., 225 rush) & 12 TDs (7 rec., 5 rush) in reg. season. Had 9 catches for 189 yards & rec. TD in last meeting.
• WR JAUAN JENNINGS had 5 catches for 61 yards last week.
• TE GEORGE KITTLE had 81 rec. yards & 2nd-career playoff rec. TD last week. Had 65 catches for 1,020 rec. yards (most among TEs in 2023) & 6 rec. TDs in reg. season. 49ers became 1st team ever with RB, 2 WRs & TE each with 1,000+ scrimmage yards in same season.
• DL NICK BOSA had 10.5 sacks & 16 TFL in reg. season. Has 8 sacks & 9 TFL in 10 career playoff games. Had 3 TFL & sack in last meeting.
• DL JAVON HARGRAVE had 7 sacks & 8 TFL in reg. season.
• DL ARIK ARMSTEAD has 7 sacks in 10 career playoff games. LB FRED WARNER led team with 132 tackles & had career highs in PD (11) & INTs (4) in reg. season. Aims for his 4th in row in playoffs with TFL & 11th in row in playoffs with 5+ tackles.
• LB DRE GREENLAW had 8 tackles & 2 INTs in NFC-Div. vs. GB. Had INT-TD in last meeting. Had 120 tackles in reg. season.
• CB CHARVARIUS WARD led NFL with career-high 23 PD & had careerhigh 5 INTs in reg. season. Has 13 PD in 15 career playoff games.

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The 2023 NFL Playoff field

American Football Conference

1. Baltimore Ravens (13-4), AFC North Champion
2. Buffalo Bills (11-6), AFC East Champion
3. Kansas City Chiefs (11-6), AFC West Champion
4. Houston Texans (10-7), AFC South Champion
5. Cleveland Browns (11-6)
6. Miami Dolphins (11-6)
7. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7)

National Football Conference

1. San Francisco 49ers (12-5), NFC West Champion
2. Dallas Cowboys (12-5), NFC East Champion
3. Detroit Lions (12-5), NFC North Champion
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-8), NFC South Champion
5. Philadelphia Eagles (11-6)
6. Los Angeles Rams (10-7)
7. Green Bay Packers (9-8)

 

Statistics and game information courtesy of the Pittsburgh Steelers and/or National Football League.