Kansas City Chiefs fans at Arrowhead Stadium. Photo: William Purnell/Icon Sportswire
If the American sporting public have their way, this year's Super Bowl LIX will be contested by Buffalo Bills and Washington Commanders.
More likely, they will end up with Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles.
As the Chiefs shoot for their third straight Lombardi Trophy - and fourth in six years - their dominance has done nothing to win over fans outside the 'Heart of America'.
Specifically, there is considerable suspicion that the NFL, through its game officials, has conspired to keep the Chiefs in primetime viewing, simply because one of its players is dating a certain musical megastar, who features prominently in any game coverage.
Since Taylor Swift began attending Chiefs games, the league has unearthed a whole new demographic of followers, and having her and the Chiefs in New Orleans next month is obviously something commissioner Roger Goodell would love to see.
This weekend's conference championships will decide who reaches the season climax. Here's how they shape up…
Philadelphia Eagles v Washington Commanders
- NFC Conference Championship
- Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia
- 9am, Monday, 27 January
Head to head: Eagles won 26-18 at home, Commanders won 36-33 at home
Commanders (12-5)
- Super Bowl champions 1983, 1988, 1992
- Beat Tampa Bay Buccaneers 23-20 (wild card) & Detroit Lions 45-31 (divisional playoff)
This divisional rivalry dates back to 1934, when the Commanders were known as the Boston Redskins. They actually lead the series 89-80-8, but more than 30 years have passed since they last contested the NFC championship, defeating Detroit Lions in 1991, en route to a Super Bowl win over the Bills.
Amid a messy debate over the Redskins name, which was scrapped in 2020, and controversy over the franchise's dodgy workplace culture under previous owner Dan Snyder, Washington fell out of title contention, returning a 3-7 playoff record since that Super Bowl crown.
They probably weren't expected to fare this well under first-year general manager Adam Peters and coach Dan Quinn, but uncovered a real draftday gem in Jayden Daniels, who became the eighth different quarterback to start the season for the Commanders in as many years.
Jayden Daniels looks for his receivers against Detroit. Photo: Steven King/Icon Sportswire
Daniels, who won the Heisman Trophy as US college player of the year at Louisiana State University, was only the second quarterback taken in the draft, with Chicago Bears taking Caleb Williams at No.1, but wasted little time showing he was the most ready for the NFL.
Ironically, the highlight of his season was against Chicago - a last-gasp 'Hail Mary' pass into the endzone, caught by receiver Noah Brown for victory.
Washington have a well-rounded offence, with receiver Terry McLaurin benefitting from improved quarterback play, while running backs Brian Robinson and Austin Ekeler have anchored the ground game. Veteran Ekeler's return from injury for the playoffs has added another dimension to their hopes.
They also boast a top-10 defence, led by safety Jeremy Chin, and linebackers Bobby Wagner and Dante Fowler.
Eagles (14-3)
- Super Bowl champions 2018
- Beat Green Bay Packers 22-10 (wild card) & Los Angeles Rams 28-22 (divisional playoff)
It's worth noting their win over Philadelphia, achieved through a receiving touchdown and two-point conversion with six seconds remaining, came against an Eagles outfit without starting quarterback Jalen Hurts, as he recovered from concussion.
Hurts is again struggling physically, carrying a knee injury, but he's unlikely to miss a game at this stage of the season.
Last week, he unleashed the longest run of his career - a 44-yard scramble to put his team ahead of Los Angeles Rams on the opening drive.
As they have all season, the Eagles relied on their ground game to beat the Rams in the snow, with running back Saquon Barkley accumulating more than 200 yards and two touchdowns - both off 60-yard rushes - as his stellar campaign continues.
Jalen Hurts in action for the Eagles. Photo: Icon Sportswire/Photosport
While the smart money is on quarterbacks Josh Allen or Lamar Jackson to win Most Valuable Player honours, you could make a strong case for Barkley, who probably missed out on the single-season rushing record only because he was rested for the final regular season game against New York Giants.
His success has caused some tension within the receiving corps, with AJ Brown venting frustration at his quarterback mid-season.
Philadelphia also have the No.1 ranked defence in the league, restricting opponents to just 17.8 points and 278 yards a game, especially effective against the pass, although Rams quarterback Matt Stafford was able to throw for 324 yards and two touchdowns last week, without interception.
The Eagles last won the Super Bowl in 2017, but they took a big hit on the offensive line this season, with the retirement of veteran centre Jason Kelce. They compiled a 10-game winning streak during their schedule, which ended with their loss to the Commanders on 23 December.
Key players: Saquon Barkley (Eagles) & Jayden Daniels (Commanders)
Prediction: Eagles will have too much experience and win by eight
Kansas City Chiefs v Buffalo Bills
- NFL Conference Championship
- Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City
- 12.30pm, Monday, 27 January
- Head to head: Bills won 30-21
