NFL schedule today: Everything to know about playoff games on Jan. 28
Editor's note: Follow along for live updates and highlights from the AFC championship game.
Only four teams remain in the NFL postseason. Two of them will come away from this weekend as conference champions and earn trips to the Super Bowl.
First up, Patrick Mahomes and the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs will make their sixth consecutive appearance in the AFC championship game, this time on the road against Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens.
In the night cap, star running back Christian McCaffrey and the San Francisco 49ers make their third straight appearance in the NFC championship game, this time at home against the Detroit Lions.
The winners of each game Sunday will advance to Super Bowl 58 in Las Vegas on Feb. 11.
NFL STATS CENTRAL: The latest NFL scores, schedules, odds, stats and more.
Here’s what you need to know about the NFL conference championship games on Jan. 28:
How to watch Chiefs vs. Ravens game
The Chiefs and Ravens kickoff at 3 p.m. ET inside M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore on CBS and Paramount+. The game is also available to stream for free on Fubo.
How to watch Lions vs. 49ers game
The Lions visit the 49ers for a 6:30 p.m. ET kickoff at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California on FOX. The game is also available to stream for free on Fubo.
Kansas City Chiefs (11-6) vs. Baltimore Ravens (13-4)
The two youngest quarterbacks to win NFL MVPs take center stage in the AFC championship game.
Mahomes was the youngest NFL MVP at 23 in 2018, before Jackson won the award at 22 in 2019. As the MVP front-runner this season, Jackson could soon join Mahomes with two MVPs after Mahomes won his second last season.
More important, there’s a trip to the Super Bowl on the line.
Mahomes and the Chiefs are in familiar position, hoping to reach the Super Bowl for the fourth time in five years and a chance to extend their dynasty with a third championship.
You can’t count out Mahomes and head coach Andy Reid this time of year, although this is the worst Chiefs’ offense during their time together in Kansas City (they rank 15th in scoring offense this season, compared to top six in each of the previous six season).
Meanwhile, Jackson and Ravens coach John Harbaugh hope to lead the franchise back to the Super Bowl for the first time since 2012. Baltimore has won nine games this season against winning teams by at least 14 points – no other team in NFL history has accomplished that feat.
Detroit Lions (12-5) vs. San Francisco 49ers (12-5)
The 49ers are in the NFC championship game for the third consecutive season, and fourth time in the last five years. But they’ve only reached the Super Bowl once in that span, losing to Mahomes and the Chiefs at Super Bowl 54 in Miami to end the 2019 season.
So, the pressure is on for 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan, who was also the Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator when Tom Brady and the New England Patriots stormed back from a 28-3 deficit to win Super Bowl 51 in February 2017.
The 49ers won the NFC West and earned the No. 1 seed in the postseason behind McCaffrey, who led the NFL with 2,023 scrimmage yards and was tied for the league-lead with 21 total touchdowns.
Meanwhile, Lions coach Dan Campbell has led Detroit’s resurgence from one of the NFL’s worst franchises to one of the league’s most competitive and endearing teams.
The Lions, one of four NFL franchises to never reach a Super Bowl, won their first playoff game and have reached the conference championship game for the first time since 1991.
Quarterback Jared Goff hopes to reach his second Super Bowl (lost to Patriots with Los Angeles Rams in 2016), leading Detroit’s top five offense with star receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, running backs Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery, tight end Sam LaPorta, while star defensive end Aidan Hutchinson leads the defense.
Predictions for Sunday's NFL conference championship games
Here are the USA TODAY Sports staff’s predictions for Sunday's games:
Jarrett Bell: Ravens, 49ers
Chris Bumbaca: Ravens, Lions
Nate Davis: Ravens, 49ers
Safid Deen: Ravens, Lions
Tyler Dragon: Ravens, 49ers
Victoria Hernandez: Ravens, Lions
Jordan Mendoza: Ravens, Lions
Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz: Ravens, 49ers
Lorenzo Reyes: Ravens, 49ers
