Monday, January 20, 2020

3 Standouts from NFL's Conference Championships

The Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers punched their tickets to Super Bowl LIV. The AFC Champion Chiefs defeated the Tennessee Titans 35-24, while the NFC Champion 49ers pounded the visiting Green Bay Packers 37-20. Here are three offensive players who dominated the Conference Championship Round.

 1. Raheem Mostert
The 49ers fed Tevin Coleman the rock 22 times during their win over Minnesota last week. It was Raheem Mostert’s turn in the NFC Championship. 

 On the 49ers’ second drive, Mostert busted out a 36-yard TD run on a halfback draw. By game’s end, Mostert had amassed a jaw-dropping 220 yards and four TDs.

Mostert carried the ball 29 times, as Coleman exited the contest early with a shoulder injury. The undrafted running back gashed the Packers for 160 yards and three TDs in the first half.  He is the only player in NFL history to rush for at least 150 yards and a trio of TDs in the first half of a playoff game. Mostert’s 220 yards were the second-most rushing yards by a player in league history.

The 49ers’ offensive line did a remarkable job at creating holes up front for Mostert. According to Pro Football Focus, the 49ers provided nearly three yards of open run room before contact per carry. Mostert took advantage of these gaps and refused to go down once he was hit by a defender. Mostert gained 159 yards after contact and broke seven tackles.

The rushing attack was so dominant that quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo attempted only eight passes, the second fewest ever in a postseason contest. 24 minutes of game time went by between Garopolo’s sixth and seventh pass attempts. He ended the night with six completions for 77 yards.

2. Patrick Mahomes
Patrick Mahomes demonstrated why he is the best player in football Sunday afternoon. The 24-year-old quarterback threw for 294 yards and three touchdowns. His most highlight-worthy play came on a 23-yard TD run. He finished with 53 yards rushing on eight carries.

All three of Mahomes’ TD passes were thrown to wide receivers. This is a direct contrast to last week’s touchdown barrage in which Mahomes threw all five scores to running backs and tight ends.
Mahomes will play in his first Super Bowl after winning the AFC Championship. (Charlie Neibergall/AP)
Mahomes has compiled nine TDs (eight passing) in two games this postseason. A week after the Chiefs stormed back from a 24-0 deficit, they erased a 17-7 early hole behind Mahomes to advance to the franchise’s first Super Bowl in 50 years.

3. Sammy Watkins
Sammy Watkins caught three 3 TDs this season—all three coming in Week 1—but dismantled the Titans’ secondary in the AFC Championship. He collected seven receptions for 114 yards and the dagger touchdown halfway through the fourth quarter. 

Watkins broke wide open in the middle of the field on his 60-yard TD grab, building a commanding 35-17 advantage for Kansas City.

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