NFL Playoff Picture 2020: AFC, NFC Championship Scenarios, Picks After Saturday

Few people would have predicted the Tennessee Titans' postseason run.

After going 9-7 during the regular season and getting into the playoffs as the second AFC wild card, the Titans have toppled the reigning champion New England Patriots and the No. 1 seed Baltimore Ravens in back-to-back weeks.

Consequently, Tennessee is heading to the AFC Championship Game for the first time since the 2002 season. If it wins, then it will go to the second Super Bowl in team history. The only other time the Titans have played for the championship was when they lost in Super Bowl XXXIV.

The San Francisco 49ers also advanced with a win Saturday, defeating the Minnesota Vikings to move on to the NFC Championship Game. San Francisco reached the NFC title game in three straight seasons from 2011 to 2013, but it missed the playoffs every year from 2014 to 2018.

With the second half of the divisional round to be played Sunday, here's a look ahead at the potential matchups for the conference championship games.

AFC Championship Game

Matchup: No. 6 Tennessee Titans at No. 2 Kansas City Chiefs/No. 4 Houston Texans

Date: Sunday, Jan. 19 at 3:05 p.m. ET

TV: CBS

The Titans aren't going back home this season. They will try to keep their incredible road run going when they travel to either Kansas City or Houston to play for the AFC title January 19.

Either way, it will be a matchup that already took place during the regular season. Tennessee beat the Kansas City Chiefs at home in Week 10 and it played the Houston Texans twice—a Week 15 home loss and a Week 17 road win. That victory got the Titans into the playoffs and started their current three-game winning streak.

The Chiefs are the only one of these three teams that have been in this spot recently. They are trying to reach the AFC Championship Game for the second straight season. Last year, they lost to the Patriots in overtime in the conference decider.

It would be historic for the Texans to advance to the AFC title game. In the franchise's five previous trips to the playoffs, Houston has lost in either the Wild Card Round or the divisional round, all of which have come since the 2011 season.

Whether the Chiefs or Texans advance, they are going to have a challenge taking on the Titans, who are playing their best football of the season at the right time. Their playoff run has been fueled by running back Derrick Henry, who led the NFL in rushing yards during the regular season (1,540) and has rushed for 182 and 195 yards in Tennessee's first two postseason wins.

So which team will be getting the chance to face the Titans again this season?

The Chiefs and Texans are likely to combine for a lot of yardage and points, as they did in Week 6 of the regular season when Houston won at Kansas City 31-24. However, the result will be different Sunday. Expect a big performance from Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes to power the team back into the AFC Championship Game.

NFC Championship Game

Matchup: No. 2 Green Bay Packers/No. 5 Seattle Seahawks at No. 1 San Francisco 49ers

Date: Sunday, Jan. 19 at 6:40 p.m. ET

TV: Fox

The 49ers can rest easy Sunday, knowing that they will be hosting the NFC Championship Game no matter what happens. That's the perk of being the No. 1 seed, which San Francisco secured when it won at Seattle in the final week of the regular season.

It's possible that the 49ers and Seattle Seahawks will play for the third time this season in the NFC title game. And that would be an exciting matchup for fans, who were treated to a thrilling pair of games between these teams during the regular season. Seattle notched a 27-24 overtime win in San Francisco in Week 10, while San Francisco won 26-21 in Seattle in Week 17.

The 49ers also played the Green Bay Packers during the regular season, but it was not a competitive game, with San Francisco rolling to a 37-8 home win in Week 12. It was one of the 49ers' most impressive victories of the season and helped to cement their status as a Super Bowl contender.

All three of these teams reached the NFC Championship Game at some point in the last decade.

The Seahawks played in the NFC title game in both the 2013 and 2014 seasons, while the Packers reached it in the 2010, 2014 and 2016 seasons. Seattle went on to win the Super Bowl in the 2013 campaign, while Green Bay won the championship three years earlier.

But only one of these teams will get back there and have a chance to avenge a loss to the 49ers. And that's going to be the Seahawks, who will set up an NFC West showdown for the conference title.

Seattle and Green Bay will play a competitive game, but Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson will continue his stellar play this season by leading a key late drive to lift his team to victory and into the NFC Championship Game.