Which star NFL player will take over in conference title game to power team to Super Bowl?

The NFL's conference championship games couldn't have provided much of a better platform for the league's stars.

All four of the teams remaining boast a Pro Bowl passer, as the Patriots' Tom Brady, Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes, Saints' Drew Brees and Rams' Jared Goff will all be in action on Sunday. And yet there's plenty of other skill-position talent that will be on display, including running backs Todd Gurley and Alvin Kamara as well as wide receivers Michael Thomas and Tyreek Hill, among others. And there's no shortage of notable names on the other side of ball, led by expected repeat defensive player of the year Aaron Donald.

With all those marquee names in mind, we asked our NFL staff: Which star player will have the signature performance of Sunday and lead his team to the Super Bowl?

Here are their answers:

Nancy Armour

Justin Houston. Maligned all season – and, let’s be honest, rightly so – Kansas City’s defense was a wrecking crew against the Indianapolis Colts, deserving equal billing with Patrick Mahomes for getting the Chiefs their first-ever AFC Championship Game at home. And no one came up bigger than Houston, who sacked Andrew Luck twice, deflected a pass and had a fumble recovery.

It’s no secret that pressuring Tom Brady will be the key Sunday, which means the Chiefs are going to need another star effort from their defense. But if Houston can duplicate last weekend’s performance, especially early in the game to set the tone, it’ll be a long day for Brady and the New England Patriots.

Jarrett Bell

Drew Brees. It's been a long time coming — and three consecutive 7-9 finishes in the middle of the journey — for the Saints icon to get another shot at Super Bowl glory. And the support system is set up perfectly: Home Dome advantage. Go-to receiver. Double-barreled running back combo. Big-play defense. Brees will do his part. Knowing how tough it is to get here, he won't blow it. Instead, he'll bring his A-game.  

Nate Davis

I’m gonna head off the reservation for a bit – it’s often where I’m most comfortable – and say Bill Belichick will be the star of the championship round. How will he do it? If I knew, I’d probably be comfortably retired … or a member of New England’s staff. But I’m fascinated to see what BB dreams up to slow down Patrick Mahomes and Co. The Patriots are renowned for their ability to negate an opponent’s top weapon, but that won’t be easy to do as it pertains to Mahomes, the NFL’s presumed MVP. I suspect Belichick will search for a way to make the forecasted frigid weather an equalizer. Maybe that means packing in against the run and taking away intermediate seam throws to Travis Kelce, potentially forcing Mahomes to try and throw a potentially slick ball deep and/or make Kansas City’s players run longer routes that might break down amid poor traction. Whatever it is, Belichick is sure to have something unexpected up his (cut off) sleeve.

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