Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Jayden Daniels and Jalen Hurts are the headliners of the NFL’s conference championship games. They touch the ball more than anyone else on the field and will have a major impact on who wins and loses on Sunday.
But what about their supporting casts?
We take a closer look at potential X-factors, players who aren’t as well-known but could be in position to make some critical plays that could send their teams to the Super Bowl.
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A major storyline heading into Sunday’s NFC Championship Game is whether Jalen Hurts can get Philadelphia’s passing game going, particularly after No. 1 receiver A.J. Brown had just two receptions for 14 yards on seven targets in last week’s win over the Los Angeles Rams.
To get rolling through the air, Hurts should lean on Goedert, a security blanket at the tight end position. The team’s leading receiver this postseason with eight receptions for 103 yards and a score, Goedert has proven to be a reliable target in critical situations for Hurts.
And Washington has been vulnerable in pass coverage over the middle of the field. According to Next Gen Stats, opposing teams have completed 67.6% of their passes at a depth of 10-to-19 yards in the middle third of the field, totaling 408 passing yards and four touchdowns, with no interceptions. Opposing quarterbacks have posted a 147.7 passer rating on those throws, No. 2 in the league.
Goedert had five catches for 61 receiving yards against Washington in Week 11.
The rookie out of Iowa was selected to the Pro Football Writers Association All-Rookie Team as a cornerback. DeJean played 63% of Philadelphia’s defensive snaps, finishing with 51 combined tackles — including three tackles for loss — six pass breakups, a forced fumble and half a sack.
Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio played nickel defense on 80.5% of the unit’s snaps, No. 3 in the NFL. So DeJean, Philadelphia’s slot corner, will be on the field most of the game defensively. And his play, both in coverage and potentially as a blitzer, will be important in slowing down Jayden Daniels.
Specifically, when the Eagles are in zone coverage and Daniels decides to take off, DeJean is one of the most athletic players on the field and a sure tackler. He’ll be critical in making sure that Daniels does not consistently move the chains with his feet.
Since DeJean took over as Philadelphia’s nickel corner, the Eagles have allowed a league-low 4.2 yards per play when using five defensive backs. DeJean also has a chance to make a big play as a returner.
[Related: NFC Championship preview: Commanders vs. Eagles breakdown, game prediction]
LB Bobby Wagner
Saquon Barkley has been an unstoppable force this season, and like most defenses, the Commanders struggled to stop him. In two games vs. Washington, Barkley had 296 rushing yards and averaged 5.4 yards per carry.
The Commanders allowed 137 rushing yards a contest during the regular season, No. 30 in the NFL. They also allowed the second-highest explosive run rate (13.2%) and the most yards before contact per carry (1.9) to running backs, per Next Gen Stats. In two games, the Commanders gave up 197 yards before contact to Barkley (3.6 YBC per carry), including six explosive runs.
In his prime with the Seattle Seahawks, veteran linebacker Bobby Wagner was one of the best run defenders for the Legion of Boom. His strengths have always been using his smarts to get his defense into the right play call before the snap, and then playing with anticipation and getting runners to the ground inside the tackle box.
The Utah State product led the Commanders during the regular season with 132 combined tackles. Per Next Gen Stats, Wagner has generated 55 run stops (tackles for negative EPA) this season, tied for 10th in the NFL.
Washington needs Wagner to help the front seven slow down Barkley, putting the onus on Hurts to move the ball.
Can the Commanders contain Saquon Barkley in NFC title game?
Eagles linebacker Zack Baun has been an amazing story this year, earning All-Pro honors in his first year as an inside linebacker after transitioning from an edge rusher during his time with the New Orleans Saints.
While Baun has been solid in coverage, he’s still learning the intricacies of the position, which could create an opportunity for one of the better third down backs in the league. A free agent pickup by the Commanders during the offseason, Ekeler finished with eight catches for 89 yards on nine targets in the first matchup between these two teams.
Baun allowed seven receptions on eight targets for 82 yards and a touchdown in that game. One way for Daniels and the Commanders to attack Philadelphia’s defense, particularly on third down, is to create favorable matchups where Baun must cover Ekeler or veteran tight end Zach Ertz in space.
Brown missed most of the season with a shoulder injury suffered during preseason play. Now that he’s back, pairing Brown with rookie speedster Xavier Worthy allows the Chiefs to play how they intended when this team was put together — two vertical threats to stretch the field for intermediate targets Travis Kelce and DeAndre Hopkins.
Brown totaled nine receptions for 91 yards on 15 targets during the regular season. Chiefs coach Andy Reid is a master at making the most out of role players at the receiver position, so don’t be surprised if Brown makes a big play against the Bills.
Are Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs officially three-peat ready?
LB Nick Bolton
The Chiefs must figure out how to contain the 6-foot-5, 240-pound Josh Allen, one of the most physical runners and dynamic passers in the league. And that starts with one of the most underrated linebackers in the league.
The leading tackler in the middle of Kansas City’s defense this season, Bolton is great at getting ball carriers on the ground. However, not only does he have to be good near the line of scrimmage against a diverse running game led by Allen and James Cook, but Bolton also must handle his business in zone coverage against pass-catchers Dalton Kincaid, Khalil Shakir and Curtis Samuel.
In their Week 11 loss to Buffalo, the Chiefs allowed the Bills to convert 9-of-15 third downs, giving up 30 points for the first time since Kansas City’s Super Bowl win after the 2022 regular season.
Bolton finished with seven combined tackles in the first matchup against Buffalo this season. And he allowed only three receptions for 13 yards on 33 coverage snaps, according to Next Gen Stats.
[Related: AFC Championship preview: Bills vs. Chiefs breakdown, game prediction]
With Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis having moved on last offseason, Shakir has taken on the role as Buffalo’s go-to receiver. He led Buffalo during the regular season with 76 receptions for 821 yards and four touchdowns. Shakir played well in Buffalo’s win over the Chiefs earlier this season, finishing with eight receptions for 70 yards on 12 targets, including 56 yards after the catch.
The Chiefs allowed 2,123 yards after the catch during the regular season, ninth-most in the NFL. So there will be opportunities for Shakir to create some explosive plays down the field against Kansas City’s defense.
Is this the BIlls’ best shot at beating the Chiefs?
DE Von Miller
Miller is one of the best closers in the postseason during his 13-year NFL career. His 10.5 sacks in the playoffs are tied for No. 11 all time, and second to Frank Clark among active leaders. And Miller clearly still has a knack for making big plays in big games. On Sunday night, he scooped up a Lamar Jackson fumble and returned it 39 yards, leading to a touchdown for Buffalo in its 27-25 win over the Ravens.
The 35-year-old edge rusher still has some gas left in the tank. According to Next Gen Stats, Miller has generated 19 pressures on 79 pass rushes since Week 12, good for a league-high 24.1% pressure rate over that span (min. 50 pass rushes). Miller’s 0.60-second average pass rush get-off on all downs was the fastest in the NFL over that span.
Eric D. Williams has reported on the NFL for more than a decade, covering the Los Angeles Rams for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Chargers for ESPN and the Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma News Tribune. Follow him on Twitter at @eric_d_williams.
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