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We have officially made it past the Divisional Round and now move on to the Conference Championship games. The Baltimore Ravens and the Kansas City Chiefs will face off in an exciting matchup in the AFC Conference Championship. Both teams are led by elite quarterbacks (Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes) and a very talented defense.
On the other side, in the NFC Conference Championship game, the San Francisco 49ers will take on the Detroit Lions. Both quarterbacks, Brock Purdy and Jared Goff, have had solid seasons and will now look to lead their respective teams to a Super Bowl appearance. San Francisco comes in as the heavy favorite, but don't count out Dan Campbell and his unit.
I've been ranking all the NFL quarterbacks in the playoffs since Super Wild Card Weekend based on their play this season only. Now, let's continue that into the NFC/AFC Conference Championships. Let's dive in and see where these quarterbacks land in the rankings.
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4. Jared Goff, Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff has done his job this year, in both the regular season and the playoffs. In the regular season, Goff threw for 4,575 yards and 30 touchdowns while leading the Lions to a 12-5 record. His 4,575 yards and 30 passing touchdowns were both his most in a year since he's been with Detroit (2021). That's how good the 29-year-old quarterback has been in his third season with the team.
In the first two rounds of the playoffs, Goff has continued to do his job. His numbers in the postseason won't wow you, but he's been efficient. He's thrown for a combined 564 yards and three touchdowns while throwing for at least 275 pass yards in both playoff contests. The eight-year veteran was also called upon in the Wild-Card Round win against the Los Angeles Rams to secure the victory. He answered the call and delivered a game-sealing first-down pass to wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown.
Goff has been great for the Lions this year, and it wouldn't be surprising to see him get an extension this offseason. But he definitely comes in as the fourth-best quarterback remaining in the playoffs, given the other three Pro Bowlers who are in front of him.
3. Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers
Many people doubted San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy heading into this year. However, it's safe to say that people have started to buy into Purdy after the 2023 regular season. The 24-year-old quarterback threw for 4,280 yards and 31 passing touchdowns with just 11 interceptions in his first full season as the 49ers signal-caller.
Of course, Kyle Shanahan's offensive scheme tremendously helps Purdy and makes things so easy for the young quarterback. But he continues to do his job right and limits mistakes. The 24-year-old threw for over 280 pass yards in seven of 16 games in 2023 while also throwing multiple touchdown passes in nine contests.
Purdy wasn't at his best in the Divisional Round against the Green Bay Packers, throwing for just 252 yards and one touchdown. But, when it counted the most, he led the 49ers down the field for the game-winning drive. Down by four with 6:18 remaining in the game, he helped march the offense down the field, which led to a Christian McCaffrey touchdown for the win. Purdy showed up with the game on the line.
2. Patrick Mahomes
We need to stop counting out Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes when it matters most. Everyone counted out Mahomes before the postseason started because of his rocky regular season. The two-time MVP winner threw for 4,183 yards and 27 touchdowns with 14 interceptions. His 14 interceptions were a career-high, while his 4,183 pass yards and 27 touchdowns were the second-fewest in a season over his career.
Mahomes' lack of weapons was a large reason for his down year. But that hasn't affected his play in the postseason, where the 28-year-old always thrives. He has thrown for a combined 477 yards and three touchdowns in the playoffs so far to lead the Chiefs to the AFC Championship for the sixth straight year.
To kick off the quarterback rankings before Super Wild Card Weekend, I ranked Purdy higher than Mahomes based on both their play this season. Purdy had more passing yards, touchdowns, and fewer interceptions than Mahomes -- among several other categories -- in the regular season. But his ranking has quickly changed, given the Chiefs quarterback's recent play in the postseason.
1. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson has been the best at his position all season, and he should win his second MVP award. He not only led the Ravens to the number one seed in a very competitive AFC conference but also did it all on the ground and through the air.
Jackson threw for a career-high 3,678 passing yards to go with 24 passing touchdowns, 821 rush yards, and five rushing touchdowns in 16 games. This Ravens' offense is at a new high this season following the addition of offensive coordinator Todd Monken. Baltimore averaged 28.4 points per game in the regular season, which is exactly eight points more than what they averaged in 2022 (20.4).
That offensive success with Jackson continued in Baltimore's first playoff game in the Divisional Round against the Houston Texans. The Ravens quarterback totaled 152 passing yards and two passing touchdowns with 100 rush yards and two rushing touchdowns. Teams have had a hard time stopping him this year, and not many teams have had an answer for him during the 2023-2024 season.
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