Championship Sunday has arrived. The Detroit Lions will face the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship Game, and the Kansas City Chiefs will square off with the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship Game. Spots in Super Bowl LVIII are at stake. Competition is palpable.
Star power will be present in abundance. Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson are among the superstars that will take center stage. Underdog contributors often decide closely-contested matchups, however. Big-time performances from lesser-known commodities can make the difference. These talents are capable of serving as X-factors. We've identified three potential X-factors in this weekend's championship matchups.
JOSH REYNOLDS, WR, LIONS
The Lions are now tasked with going on the road after stringing together back-to-back postseason victories at Ford Field. The high-flying Lions offense will face quite the challenge when encountering a stingy 49ers defense. Detroit's fifth-ranked scoring offense (27.1/game) is tasked with getting the better of San Francisco's top-ranked scoring defense (16.3/game).
Offensive coordinator (and head-coach to-be) Ben Johnson must creatively spread the ball around while going toe-to-toe with defensive coordinator Steve Wilks. One underrated weapon that's capable of making an impact is wide receiver Josh Reynolds. Reynolds scored the Lions' first touchdown in last weekend's victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, giving them a 10-3 advantage in the second quarter. Reynolds only recorded two receptions for 27 yards, but his touchdown was crucial in what ended up being a one-score win.
CLYDE EDWARDS-HELAIRE, RB, CHIEFS
Everyone is looking forward to the Mahomes-Jackson showdown, but both Andy Reid and John Harbaugh could rely on a ground-game approach to take pressure off their star quarterbacks. The Chiefs rushed for 146 yards and a touchdown in last weekend's divisional-round road win over the Buffalo Bills. The Ravens own the league's top-ranked rushing attack (156.5/game).
Last week, backup Chiefs running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire rushed for 31 yards on two carries. Edwards-Helaire had an explosive 28-yard rush that’s likely earned him a bigger role this weekend. Two plays later, Mahomes threw a 22-yard touchdown to Travis Kelce. Edwards-Helaire is capable of making an underrated play that helps the Chiefs advance past the Ravens.
ISAIAH LIKELY, TE, RAVENS
Jackson was extremely efficient throughout Baltimore's 34-10 dominant victory over the Houston Texans. Jackson completed 16-of-22 passing attempts for 152 yards, two touchdowns, and zero interceptions. One of Jackson's passing scores went to sophomore tight end Isaiah Likely.
Likely totaled two receptions for 34 yards and the aforementioned score. Likely's 15-yard touchdown occurred mere seconds into the fourth quarter, busting open Baltimore's advantage to 24-10, their first two-score lead of the contest. The Ravens are attempting to get All-Pro tight end Mark Andrews healthy for Sunday. Andrews hasn't played since a mid-November victory over the Cincinnati Bengals.
Even if Andrews heals, expect Likely to be critical to offensive coordinator Todd Monken's approach. Likely has scored touchdowns in three consecutive appearances, and six touchdowns in his last six games overall. Another Likely touchdown could send the Ravens to Super Bowl LVIII.
