On January 26th, in the NFC Conference Championship finals, the Eagles beat the Commanders 55-23. Commanders Quarterback Jayden Daniels had 255 yards and kicker Zane Gonzalez assisted with 3 field goals, but their lack of offense overall made the Eagles a difficult team to face. “The Commanders just couldn’t lock in,” said senior Trai Riley. Meanwhile, Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts had a 246-yard game while running back Saquon Barkley scored 3 touchdowns and ran 118 yards, unable to be stopped by the Commanders defense. “I think the eagles earned the win and they are good superbowl contenders,” said junior Nazier Hudson.
Also on January 26th, the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs went head to head in the AFC Conference Championship game. The two power house teams finished 1st and 2nd in the conference with the Chiefs only regular season loss being against the Bills. It was a huge matchup for both teams to determine who would face the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX. Both teams fought a hard game, with the Chiefs ultimately coming out on top by only a field goal with a final score of 32-29. The game was sealed when the Bills were unable to convert on a crucial fourth down play. After a fantastic regular season by the Bills led by Josh Allen, it would once again be cut just short, making this game Allen’s 4th postseason loss to the Chiefs led by Patrick Mahomes. Many fans looking for a big Buffalo win were disappointed with the final outcome of the game, with some, like senior Matthew Lekosiotis, believing that “the game was rigged.” Others are excited for the possibility of Kansas City’s path to destiny. “Winning three super bowls in a row would be a first in NFL history and would be cool to witness,” said junior Jack Smith.
Super Bowl Sunday kicks off on February 11th, where the two top teams of the year will face off. Coming off a strong season, the NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles will face off against the AFC’s most powerful team, the Kansas City Chiefs. These are both amazing teams with a lot of upsides and downsides to them, but with Patrick Mahomes not having one of his best seasons, some football fans credit something other than the team’s talent with their Super Bowl appearance. “Refs have consistently bailed him out,” says junior Connor Claussen. “They wouldn’t even be here if they didn’t save him every other game this season.” The Eagles are currently coming in hot with a huge win over a good Washington team and they have been on a very good run this playoffs. In the end, it is unlikely that the Chiefs defense will be able to handle the Eagles incredible offense. Not everyone agrees, which is leading some would-be viewers to skip the game altogether. ”I’m not gonna watch this Superbowl,” said junior Collin McLemore. “But I do believe that the Chiefs will win.”
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