AFC Championship Game: Count down the days to the AFC Championship Game on January 29th, 2023. Find out more about the AFC Championship Game. Two of the NFL’s hottest teams enter an AFC divisional matchup this weekend, when Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars travel to Kansas City to take on Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs.
When is the AFC Championship?
- Date: Sunday, Jan. 29
- Time: 6:30 p.m. ET (5:30 p.m. CT)
- Venue: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta
The Jaguars got hot at the right time and have remained that way. Jacksonville has won six straight games, including downing the Chargers in an epic comeback victory last weekend. Lawrence threw four interceptions in the first half, but overcame a 27-0 deficit to take a 31-30 victory in the Jaguars’ first playoff win since the 2017 season.
Jacksonville likely won’t have that margin of error against the Chiefs, who are riding a five-game win streak of their own, snatching the No. 1 seed in the AFC from the Bills in the late stages of the season. With Mahomes and the offense finding their groove once again, they’re a safe bet to challenge for the top spot in the AFC once again.
This high drama is all a result of the NFL’s 14-game playoff format, which was instituted for the 2021 postseason. Now entering its third year, the new format has been successful in creating more late-season competition in the NFL’s wild-card battles.
Soon, though, this drama will be sorted out. Teams will emerge as the 14 postseason participants and each of the season’s final few weeks will whittle out the teams that will be looking ahead to the offseason instead of a potential trip to Glendale.
For the third consecutive year, 14 teams will make it into the NFL postseason. The league will feature seven teams from each conference in the 2023 playoffs, and the No. 1 seed in each conference will be the only team to receive a bye.
The NFL postseason has also been shifted back by a week for the second consecutive season. This is because the league implemented a 17-game schedule in 2021 and continued that practice in 2022. As a result, the Super Bowl will be held on the second Sunday in February instead of the first.
Conference championships
Sunday, Jan. 29
Matchup | Start time | TV channel | Live stream | Tickets |
---|---|---|---|---|
NFC Championship | 3:00 p.m. | Fox | Fox Sports app, fuboTV | Buy tickets |
AFC Championship | 6:30 p.m. | CBS | Paramount+, fuboTV | Buy tickets |