Sunday’s N.F.L. conference championship games forced four playoff teams to interrogate and counter their opponent’s well-documented strengths and weaknesses. Those games ended with the Philadelphia Eagles downing the 49ers, after San Francisco’s towering defense could no longer keep pace, and the Kansas City Chiefs finally batting back the Bengals for their first win over Cincinnati in four tries.
The Eagles’ balance can frustrate any defense.
The entire 2022 Philadelphia Eagles offensive campaign has been a showcase in winning games in different ways. With the explosive receivers DeVonta Smith and A.J. Brown and the big-armed quarterback Jalen Hurts, they often torched teams down the field, like they did against the Detroit Lions in Week 1 and the Tennessee Titans in Week 13.