NFL playoff conference championships: Previews, bracket schedule, X factors and overreactions for 49ers-Rams, Bengals-Chiefs

It doesn't get a whole lot better than that. The NFL's divisional-playoff weekend produced four of the most entertaining games of the entire season. All four were decided on the final play, and all four featured elite-level quarterback play. In the end, however, the NFL's 2021 season is down to four teams.

The NFC Championship Game will showcase the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium, site of Super Bowl LVI, while the AFC Championship Game will match the Cincinnati Bengals and Kansas City Chiefs. The games will include three division winners and one wild-card entrant into the NFL's 14-team playoff format. You're going to hear everything you can possibly imagine about them over the next four weeks, so for now, let's make a first run through the matchups.

Let's explore how each team can win next week, identify the biggest things to watch for in each game and update each franchise's chances to win Super Bowl LVI. Kevin Seifert will provide matchup previews and X factors for each game, and Dan Graziano will judge the biggest overreactions from the four divisional-round winners. Let's jump in.

Note: Game lines are via Caesars Sportsbook. Predictions are from ESPN's Football Power Index (FPI).

Jump to:
CIN-KC | SF-LAR
Overreactions for each team
Super Bowl chances

Seifert's AFC Championship Game preview

(4) Cincinnati Bengals at (2) Kansas City Chiefs

3 p.m. ET, Sunday, Jan. 30, CBS