The activation of Mark Andrews, Baltimore’s standout tight end, off injured reserve on Friday is fantastic news for the team ahead of their game against the Chiefs. After missing the previous two months due to an ankle ailment, the three-time Pro Bowler returns to the field with gusto, catching three touchdown passes from Lamar Jackson in his first game back.
On Sunday, David Montgomery will score two touchdowns via rushes.Two touchdowns on the ground while rushing? That’s your audacious guess, Grant?Okay, so… For any player, two rushing touchdowns is a respectable day’s work. It’s a particularly favorable day while facing the 49ers defense. Until Aaron Jones last week, San Francisco hadn’t given up a 100-yard rusher this season. This season, the Niners have not allowed a player to score more than one touchdown on the rush in any game. Look for Monty to take the call when the Lions are getting close.
The quarterbacks leading the four conference championship teams have received a lot of attention. There are a lot of different storylines going into the weekend, including those involving the top player in the league (Patrick Mahomes), the front-runner for MVP this season (Lamar Jackson), the acclaimed hero of Detroit (Jared Goff), and Mr. Highly Relevant (Brock Purdy). The quarterback quintet, led by Purdy with four touchdown passes, will add one more to the tally on Sunday when they record a conference championship-high twelve passing touchdowns combined.
With their 16th postseason touchdown in last week’s Divisional Round triumph, Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce became the greatest quarterback-receiver combination in playoff history. That triumph should have pleased them, because Sunday will feel very different. With fewer than three receptions, which would be his lowest catch total in a game this season, the Ravens defense, which has shut out elite opponents all season long, locks up the formidable Chiefs. The result is another double-digit victory for the Ravens.
It makes sense that everyone is anticipating the quarterback duel in the AFC championship game. But the performance by Brock Purdy will be the topic of conversation for everyone. Against a Lions defense that has been strong against the run and porous against the pass, he passes for 300 yards and three touchdowns. Purdy leads the Niners to the Super Bowl, making up for the chance he lost due to an injury sustained in the NFC title game the previous year.
