AFC, NFC championship preview: Schedule, X factors, stats - ESPN

The NFC and AFC conference championships are set. The Philadelphia Eagles will host the Washington Commanders and the Buffalo Bills will face the Kansas City Chiefs with a trip to Super Bowl LIX on the line.

To look ahead at next weekend's conference championship matchups, we asked our NFL Nation reporters to pick one thing we learned about the teams they cover during the divisional round. Seth Walder explored how each team can advance, and Matt Bowen picked an early X factor. We also provided opening lines from ESPN BET and game projections from ESPN's Football Power Index (FPI).

Jump to a matchup:
WSH-PHI | BUF-KC

When: Sunday, 3 p.m. ET (Fox)
FPI projection: PHI, 63.7% (by an average of 5.1 points)
Opening line: PHI -5.5 (48.5)

Matchup background: These two NFC East rivals split the series this season. The Eagles took the first game in November 26-18 and the Commanders won the December battle 36-33, though Jalen Hurts exited due to a concussion in the first quarter. Rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels fared well against the Eagles in 2024; he combined for 449 passing yards, a 78.2 QBR, 6 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. Philadelphia and Washington last met during the playoffs in 1990; Washington won 20-6. — ESPN

Stat to know: Eagles running back Saquon Barkley has had his way against Washington in his career, averaging just over 137 scrimmage yards per game. The only player to average more scrimmage yards against a single opponent in NFL history is Hall of Famer Jim Brown against the Eagles (minimum of 10 games, including playoffs). — ESPN Research

Early X factor: Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter. His ability to create interior havoc is critical for the defense. Including the playoffs, he has 6.5 sacks, 28 pressures