Four NFL teams remain in the hunt for Super Bowl glory, with the Buffalo Bills set to visit the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship, and the Philadelphia Eagles set to play host to the rival Washington Commanders in an NFC East fight for their conference crown. All four have proven talented enough to make a legitimate run at the Lombardi, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have additional hurdles to clear.
Here are some of the most pressing questions still facing each of the remaining teams:
Buffalo Bills
Can they overcome the aura of Arrowhead?
It’s not that Josh Allen is incapable of besting the Chiefs; he’s 4-1 against Patrick Mahomes in the regular season, justifying perennial MVP buzz. The postseason stage has been different, with Mahomes unbeaten in three playoff matchups with Allen’s Bills, and darn near flawless as a passer in the process. Buffalo probably has a higher offensive ceiling thanks to Allen’s big-play magic, but the Chiefs are a force of inevitability on their home turf, going 13-2 in home playoff matchups since Mahomes took over in 2018. Allen, meanwhile, is still searching for his first playoff win on the road, entering with an 0-3 career mark.
Kansas City Chiefs
Are they cutting it too close?
On one hand, the Chiefs are unmatched when it comes to finishing games, excelling at both situational strategy and execution. And yet it stands to reason that the more you play with fire, the more likely you are to get burned. This isn’t 2019, when Mahomes was slinging the rock deep every other play, lifting Andy Reid’s attack to high-scoring victories. Eleven of the Chiefs’ 16 wins that Mahomes started this season have been one-score decisions, with Steve Spagnuolo’s defense again running the show.
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Philadelphia Eagles
How healthy is Jalen Hurts?
Two years ago, the Eagles entered the playoffs with the same question hanging over their title aspirations, and Hurts played through a banged-up shoulder to reach — and nearly win — the Super Bowl. This time around, it’s his knee, which could severely hamper his ability to draw at least some rushing attention away from the MVP-level Saquon Barkley. He’s also been better at managing, not taking over, games lately.
Washington Commanders
Can Jayden Daniels offset Sam Cosmi’s absence?
Lost in the magic of their divisional-round upset of the Detroit Lions was a season-ending injury to Cosmi, who’d quietly graded out as one of this year’s top 25 interior pass blockers, per PFF. Daniels has an effortless ability to extend plays or move the chains with his legs, but now up against a stingy Eagles front that includes the ferocious Jalen Carter, he might need to be especially quick with his decisions.
