PFF broke down the numbers immediately after the conference championship games, including scores, rookie standouts, offensive line performances and more.
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SF@PHI | CIN@KC
Philadelphia Eagles 31, San Francisco 49ers 7
Offensive spotlight: Running back Christian McCaffrey did all he could to keep the 49ers' offense afloat amid injuries to quarterbacks Brock Purdy and Josh Johnson. He forced six missed tackles on 15 carries, recording 84 rushing yards — 57 of which came after contact — and a score.
Defensive spotlight: The efficiency with which the Eagles' pass rushers created pressure was simply remarkable. Interior defender Javon Hargrave won 50% of his 12 pass-rushing snaps en route to four pressures, and edge defender Haason Reddick turned 14 pass-rushing snaps into three pressures — including two sacks — and two other reps where he beat his blocker without generating pressure.
Rookie spotlight: This is usually a section dominated by 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy, but an elbow injury limited him to just four passing attempts in the contest. Neither squad featured many other rookies in prominent roles, although 49ers fourth-round guard Spencer Burford did let up two pressures on just 12 pass-blocking snaps. He is set to earn the lowest grade of any player in the game.
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Kansas City Chiefs 23, Cincinnati Bengals 20
Offensive spotlight: This was far from an uninhibited duel between two of the NFL's best quarterbacks, with one nursing a high ankle sprain and the other maneuvering behind a patchwork offensive line. Still, both Patrick Mahomes and Joe Burrow are on track to earn 70.0-plus overall grades.
Burrow made two big-time throws and two turnover-worthy plays, while Mahomes tallied one of each. Both signal-callers completed three deep shots targeted 20-plus yards downfield, with Marquez Valdes-Scantling accounting for all three for Kansas City.
Defensive spotlight: Chiefs interior defender Chris Jones, after not recording a postseason sack in 13 previous career outings, was a constant thorn in Joe Burrow‘s side. He broke that sackless streak, notching two to go along with seven other pressures for a game-high nine. Jones is on track to finish with a 90.0-plus grade as the game's highest-graded player.
Rookie spotlight: The Chiefs amazingly leaned on four rookie defensive backs in the contest, and each one contributed significantly to the end result. Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson fared the worst of the bunch, combining to let up 14 catches on 18 targets for 168 yards and a score. But they also broke up three passes between them, and Watson and Joshua Williams snagged interceptions — the last of which was off a pass breakup by fellow rookie Bryan Cook.
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