The Divisional Round of the 2019 NFL Playoffs was about as predictable as it could be with all four home teams advancing to their respective conference title games. Normally, at least one road team wins a game, but this year all four teams swept to victory for just the fourth time since NFL realignment in 2002. Being the top seeded team in either conference used to not mean much, but since 2013 it has meant everything in both conferences. Nine of the ten top seeded teams over the last five years advanced to the Super Bowl. Whereas just three of the ten top seeded teams achieved the same feat from 2008-2012. That means four of the last five Super Bowls have featured the top seeded team from each conference. Amazingly, this happened only one time from 1994-2012. Odds are, we are going to see the Chiefs and Saints playing in early February and that seems to be just fine with Denver Broncos fan on Twitter who overwhelmingly voted for their division rival to end a really long Super Bowl drought over seeing Tom Brady add to his collection of trophies. Who would you rather see win the AFC Championship game? #BroncosCountry — MileHighReport (@MileHighReport) January 14, 2019 Anyway, here is when you’ll want to watch. The NFC is first up then we’ll see about the AFC in the evening. CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES SUNDAY, JANUARY 20 NFC: 1:05 PM MT - Los Angeles Rams at New Orleans Saints (FOX) AFC: 4:40 PM MT - New England Patriots at Kansas City Chiefs (CBS)<doc-sep>The schedule for the conference championship round of the 2019 NFL playoffs is such that the winner of the NFC title game will be able to kick back and watch the AFC title game as it awaits its challenger for Super Bowl 53 in Atlanta. The Rams and Saints kick off what should be a dandy of a conference championship Sunday with their game in New Orleans. It's a rematch of the high-scoring affair in the regular season that ended with a Saints victory, also at the Superdome. Patriots vs. Chiefs also happens to be a rematch, though when New England beat Kansas City in the regular season, the game was played in Foxborough. MORE: Watch NFL conference championships live with fuboTV (7-day free trial) FOX will carry the NFC championship game, with kickoff scheduled for 3:05 p.m. ET. CBS will broadcast the AFC championship game, with kickoff set for 6:40 p.m. ET. Below is all the info you need, including SN's predictions, for conference championship weekend in the NFL. NFL conference championship schedule Date Matchup Time Channel Sun., Jan. 20 NFC: No. 2 Rams at No. 1 Saints 3:05 p.m. FOX/fuboTV Sun., Jan. 20 AFC: No. 2 Patriots at No. 1 Chiefs 6:40 p.m. CBS/fuboTV Los Angeles Rams at New Orleans Saints: Sunday, Jan. 20, 3:05 p.m. ET, FOX TV: FOX — Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Erin Andrews (field reporter), Chris Myers (field reporter) Radio: WESTWOOD ONE — Kevin Harlan, Kurt Warner, Ed Werder | SIRIUS/XM: 88 (WW1) The Rams and Saints, as the two best teams in the NFC should, will play for the conference championship Sunday. Top-seeded New Orleans earned the right to host the penultimate playoff game by beating second-seeded Los Angeles at the Superdome back in Week 9. Not much separated the teams' high-flying, balanced offenses in the first meeting. The Rams finished the regular season as the higher-scoring offense overall, ranked second in the NFL with 32.9 points per game. But the Saints were right behind them at 31.5 points per game. The Rams ranked No. 3 in rushing offense; the Saints were No. 6. There was a bigger difference on the other side of the ball. The Saints ranked No. 14 in both total and scoring defense, including No. 2 against the run. The Rams were No. 19 in total, No. 20 in scoring and No. 23 against the run. In just their second year together as Rams coach and quarterback, Sean McVay and Jared Goff are looking to advance to their first Super Bowl. Saints counterparts Sean Payton and Drew Brees are looking for a chance to win their second Super Bowl over the past 10 seasons. Although the QBs are on the marquee, the Rams' Todd Gurley and C.J. Anderson and the Saints' Alvin Kamara and Mark ingram are red-hot rushing duos working behind elite offensive lines. Defensively, linemen Aaron Donald and Cameron Jordan lead star-studded casts. Given the volume of playmakers backed by great coaching, there's no reason this sequel in the Superdome can't be even more compelling than the original. Here are Sporting News' picks and predictions for Rams vs. Saints. New England Patriots at Kansas City Chiefs: Sunday, Jan. 20, 6:40 p.m. ET, CBS TV: CBS: Jim Nantz, Tony Romo, Tracy Wolfson, Jay Feely, Gene Steratore Radio: WESTWOOD ONE: Kevin Kugler, Tony Boselli, Ross Tucker | SIRIUS/XM: 88 Oddsmakers are not dishing out any favors to those who are tired of seeing the Patriots in the Super Bowl. New England's status as underdog for the AFC championship game in Kansas City plays right into Tom Brady's nonsensical claim that "everyone thinks (the Patriots) suck and can't win any games." Of course, there is a minuscule fragment of truth to the New England quarterback's words. The Patriots reaching an eighth consecutive conference title game on the strength of a 41-year-old passer is a mind-boggling accomplishment. And there's a reason the Chiefs are the favorites to reach the Super Bowl; his name is Patrick Mahomes. The Kansas City QB, likely the NFL MVP for 2018 after throwing 50 touchdowns in the regular season, is the kind of player who can give the Patriots problems. New England under coach Bill Belichick is known for its uncanny preparation habits, but Mahomes is capable of plays for which an opponent simply can't prepare. Then again, Brady remains the leader on the other side. And the Patriots' offense, now an established threat in the power running game to compliment Brady's precision in the passing game, can attack the Chiefs in multiple ways. If there are weaknesses in the Kansas City defense — and there are — New England will identify and exploit them. It all sets up what should be another AFC title-game classic. Here are Sporting News' picks and predictions for Patriots vs. Chiefs. (Contributing: Vinnie Iyer)<doc-sep>Questions remain today regarding what teams will make the NFL Playoffs 2018-2019 and how they will be seeded in the bracket but by the end of Sunday's action, we'll have all the answers. See the complete NFL Playoffs 2018-2019 schedule and bracket below including dates, times (when available) and TV channels for the games. And, see more on the NFL playoff picture here heading into today's final matchups. Already in the NFL playoffs this year are the NFC division winners who clinched before today's regular-season finale. These playoff-bound teams include Dallas Cowboys (NFC East), New Orleans Saints (NFC South), Chicago Bears (NFC North) and the Los Angeles Rams (NFC West). In the AFC, the New England Patriots have clinched (East) and the rest of the teams will have to battle today for the right to claim a division win or wildcard entry into the playoffs. Here's what we know so far: Seattle has secured an NFC wild card, and so have the Los Angeles Chargers. The Chargers are still in contention to win the AFC West. According to the AP, the "Rams (12-3) get the other opening-round bye if they beat San Francisco on Sunday. If they lose and the Bears win at Minnesota, Chicago (11-4) earns the week off and Los Angeles drops to the third seed. "A Bears win also could keep the Vikings (8-6-1) out of the postseason, providing defending champion Philadelphia (8-7) wins at Washington. Only the Vikings or Eagles can get the second NFC wild card." In the AFC, it's not so clear, according to the AP: "The simplest route is if Kansas City (11-4) and New England (10-5), currently the top two in the conference, both win Sunday. But if the Chiefs lose at home to Oakland and the Chargers (11-4) win at Denver, Los Angeles moves into the top spot," according to the AP. "Houston (10-5) also could wind up No. 1 in the AFC with losses by the Chiefs, Patriots against the Jets, and Chargers. New England, the only unbeaten team at home this year, would get the first seed with a victory and losses by the Chiefs and Chargers. "If the Texans fall at home to Jacksonville, the winner of the Colts at Titans game in Tennessee takes the AFC South, and the Texans become a wild card, joining either the Chiefs or Chargers." Here's the NFL 2018-2019 playoff schedule and bracket: NFL Wild-Card Games Sat., Jan. 5 AFC (TBD) NFC (TBD) Sun., Jan. 6 AFC (TBD) NFC (TBD) NFL Division Playoff Games Sat., Jan. 12 AFC (TBD) NFC (TBD) Sun., Jan. 13 AFC (TBD) NFC (TBD) NFL Conference Championships Sun., Jan. 20 NFC (TBD) 3:05 p.m. (Fox) Sun., Jan. 20 AFC (TBD) 6:40 p.m. (CBS) Super Bowl Sun., Feb. 3 6:30 p.m. (CBS)<doc-sep>Steven Senne/Associated Press The NFL playoffs are set, so now fans and analysts alike can begin predicting how they think the postseason will unfold and which team will win Super Bowl LIII. In the AFC, the top four seeds took care of business in Week 17. The Kansas City Chiefs, New England Patriots, Houston Texans and Baltimore Ravens all won to secure their spots, with the Chiefs (AFC West), Texans (AFC South) and Ravens (AFC North) clinching their respective divisions. In the NFC, the defending Super Bowl-champion Philadelphia Eagles notched a win over the Washington Redskins, which, paired with a Minnesota Vikings loss to the Chicago Bears, allowed them to return to the playoffs as the No. 6 seed and final wild-card team. Now, the action will really start to pick up as 12 teams will battle it out to try to win a Super Bowl championship. Wild-Card Round Video Play Button Videos you might like Saturday, Jan. 5 No. 6 Indianapolis Colts at No. 3 Houston Texans, 4:35 p.m. ET, ESPN/ABC No. 5 Seattle Seahawks at No. 4 Dallas Cowboys, 8:15 p.m. ET, Fox Sunday, Jan. 6 No. 5 Los Angeles Chargers at No. 4 Baltimore Ravens, 1:05 p.m. ET, CBS No. 6 Philadelphia Eagles at No. 3 Chicago Bears, 4:40 p.m. ET, NBC Divisional Round Saturday, Jan. 12 No. 4, 5 or 6 AFC seed at No. 1 Kansas City Chiefs, 4:35 p.m. ET, NBC No. 3, 4 or 5 NFC seed at No. 2 Los Angeles Rams, 8:15 p.m. ET, Fox Sunday, Jan. 13 No. 3, 4 or 5 NFC seed at No. 2 New England Patriots, 1:05 p.m. ET, CBS No. 4, 5 or 6 NFC seed at No. 1 New Orleans Saints, 4:40 p.m. ET, Fox Conference Championships Sunday, Jan. 20 NFC Championship Game, 3:05 p.m. ET, Fox AFC Championship Game, 6:40 p.m. ET, CBS Super Bowl LIII Sunday, Feb. 3 AFC champion vs. NFC champion in Atlanta, 6:30 p.m. ET, CBS View the full NFL Playoffs bracket here. Top Three Super Bowl Contenders (In Descending Order) New England Patriots The Pats always find a way to get it done in the playoffs, so they have to be considered among the top contenders again this season. Sure, Tom Brady is getting up there in age, but the five-time Super Bowl-champion quarterback had another strong season for New England. The 41-year-old passed for 4,105 yards and 25 touchdowns while leading the Patriots to an 11-5 regular season, earning them the No. 2 seed in the AFC and a first-round bye. They may not be a popular pick, but the Pats always find a way to enter the conversation when late January rolls around. New Orleans Saints Bill Feig/Associated Press How can you not consider a dominant team led by a veteran quarterback who powered it to a 13-3 record and the No. 1 seed in the NFC? Drew Brees may have only passed for 3,992 yards—his lowest regular-season total since 2005—but he threw 32 touchdowns and set the NFL single-season record for completion percentage at 74.4 percent. And he didn't play the Saints' Week 17 game against the Carolina Panthers. With two weeks of rest, Brees and the Saints will be ready to begin their postseason run in the divisional round on Jan. 13. As the No. 1 seed, they'll also have home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs. Los Angeles Rams Rick Scuteri/Associated Press The Super Bowl pick here is the Rams, who have a strong all-around team and have had an impressive season. Los Angeles opened the regular season with 11 wins in its first 12 games, which included an incredible 54-51 victory over Kansas City on Monday Night Football on Nov. 19. The Rams lost two straight games in December to fellow NFC playoff teams—the Chicago Bears and Philadelphia Eagles—but they'll be ready to peak at the right time in January. The Rams' postseason success could depend on the health of star running back Todd Gurley, who missed the final two weeks of the regular season due to a knee injury. But if Gurley returns and plays at top form, Los Angeles will be a tough team to beat. Where to Watch: NFL playoff games, studio shows and more are available through fuboTV.<doc-sep>
In the divisional round of the NFL playoffs, the best teams took over. The better seed and home team won all four games. That sets up a couple of amazing matchups for conference championship weekend. On one side of the bracket, the No. 2 seed New England Patriots are back in the AFC championship game for the eighth straight season. They’ll face the top-seeded Kansas City Chiefs, who haven’t been to the Super Bowl since Len Dawson led them to Super Bowl IV. Kansas City has never hosted a conference championship game before. In the other conference championship game, the top-seeded Saints advanced and will face the No. 2 seed Rams. The Saints haven’t been to the Super Bowl in nine years. It has been 17 years since the Rams’ last Super Bowl appearance, when they lost to the Patriots in Super Bowl XXXVI. Tom Brady will face the Chiefs on Sunday, in his eighth AFC championship game in eight seasons. (AP) Here is the schedule for both championship games, to be played on Sunday, Jan. 20: Los Angeles Rams at New Orleans Saints, 3:05 p.m. ET, Fox The Saints had a tough test against the Eagles in their divisional round playoff game. New Orleans fell behind 14-0 in the first quarter, but then shut out the Eagles after that, winning 20-14. The Saints’ offense gets most of the attention due to NFL all-time leading passer Drew Brees, but the defense has played very well in the second half of the season. The Rams beat the Cowboys by running the ball. Todd Gurley and C.J. Anderson each had 100 yards rushing as the Rams pounded Dallas 30-22. Los Angeles ran for 273 yards, by far the most rushing yards Dallas allowed all season. The two teams faced each other in the regular season. On Nov. 4, the Saints charged out to a 35-14 lead in the first half. The Rams came back, tying the game 35-35 in the fourth quarter. New Orleans hit a go-ahead field goal and then put the game away on a 72-yard touchdown from Brees to Michael Thomas on third down with less than four minutes to go. That Saints win is why the NFC championship game will be at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Story continues New England Patriots at Kansas City Chiefs, 6:40 p.m., CBS The Patriots and Chiefs met in one of the best games of this NFL regular season. On Oct. 14, the Patriots beat the Chiefs 43-40 with a field goal as time expired. Patrick Mahomes had 352 yards and four touchdowns, three of which went to Tyreek Hill. Tom Brady threw for 340 yards. The teams combined for 946 yards. Both teams looked great in the divisional round. The Chiefs blew out the Indianapolis Colts 31-13, with their defense having a surprisingly dominant day. Then on Sunday the Patriots never left a doubt in handling the Los Angeles Chargers, 41-28. The starkest contrast between the two franchises is this: The Chiefs haven’t played in a Super Bowl since Jan. 11, 1970, while the Patriots have played in three of the last four Super Bowls. – – – – – – – Frank Schwab is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdown.corner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Subscribe to The Yahoo Sports NFL Podcast Apple Podcasts• Stitcher • Google Podcasts