NFL Conference Championship Sunday grades

Prior to a doomed final drive, Jimmy Garoppolo was effective in perhaps his final 49ers game. The formula San Francisco (12-8) relied upon to bolster its midlevel quarterback did not materialize. Two years after Raheem Mostert's historic NFC championship rampage, the 49ers managed just 50 rushing yards on 20 carries. They combined for 291 rushing yards in their two regular-season wins over the Rams, but a Los Angeles team intent on containing Deebo Samuel and Eli Mitchell put the game on Garoppolo's shoulders. The 49ers QB hit a wall late, converting one first down on the team's final three drives, and was 2-for-10 -- including that fateful INT -- against pressure Sunday.

49ERS OFFENSE GRADE: C

Cooper Kupp is approaching the Larry Fitzgerald tier for playoff receivers, shredding the 49ers for 142 yards on 11 catches. The All-Pro Ram now has 386 playoff receiving yards -- eighth in a single postseason -- and is on pace to challenge Fitz's storied 2008 record (546 yards). Like the Cardinal legend, Kupp has carried the Rams (15-5) to the Super Bowl, having become the NFL's first 2,000-yard (regular and postseason) receiver. He repeatedly beat 49er corners in big spots, while Beckham provided elite WR2 support (9/113, OBJ's first 100-yard game since 2019). Beckham turned from an injury-prone luxury into a player who helped alter Matthew Stafford's trajectory this season.

RAMS OFFENSE GRADE: A-minus 

The 49ers pressured Stafford on a season-high 38% of his dropbacks, but their overmatched cornerback group finally encountered a hurdle too high. The most consistent of these defenders, longtime slot man K'Waun Williams, allowed nine catches -- including Kupp's second TD -- while Emmanuel Moseley and rookie Ambry Thomas each ceded 60-plus yards. San Francisco intercepted Stafford once and missed a painful, punt-return-esque second pick on Jaquiski Tartt's brutal drop. The 49ers also sacked Stafford three times, but their corners' issues led to a Rams 11-for-18 third-down success rate that finally tipped the scales. The 49ers neglected this need in the offseason and could not mask it any longer.

49ERS DEFENSE GRADE: C-minus 

Garoppolo easily navigating the Rams' star-powered defense on a game-tying drive in Week 18 moved the 49ers into the playoffs, and the embattled passer hurt the Rams for a while Sunday night. Los Angeles did not sack the veteran starter and hit him only three times, with George Kittle's wide-open TD putting a third 49ers-Bengals Super Bowl on the brink. But on San Francisco's final drive, the Rams atoned for their regular-season no-show. Aaron Donald notched his third fourth-quarter pressure, with he and impact trade get Von Miller forcing Garoppolo's game-ending INT. Between these two and Jalen Ramsey, this will be one of the most famous defenses to ever play in a Super Bowl.

RAMS DEFENSE GRADE: B-plus

The Rams outgained the 49ers by 114 yards, and Kyle Shanahan punted from the Rams' 40- and 42-yard lines. But the "visitors" nearly toppled a superior Rams team despite seeing their rushing attack nixed, with Garoppolo's two TD passes putting the Rams in trouble. Shanahan maybe could have taken a timeout to avoid a delay-of-game penalty on the 49ers' penultimate drive, a three-and-out with three incompletions. But this flawed team, which had All-Pro Trent Williams playing at far less than 100%, hanging around to the end remains impressive. Despite his six-game Rams win streak ending at a bad time, Shanahan getting two Garoppolo-quarterbacked teams this far will age extraordinarily well.

49ERS COACHING GRADE: C-plus

Kupp and Beckham's 20 combined catches illustrate the fifth-year Rams coach's impact ahead of his second Super Bowl berth. The Rams changed everything with their 2017 hire, which came after 12 straight playoff absences. McVay's troops erasing a 10-point deficit made him 2-23 when trailing by double digits in the second half. His timeout management Sunday nearly cost the Rams, however. Burning a timeout to avoid a third-quarter delay of game is never a good idea, and McVay fired off two bad challenges. McVay's X's-and-O's acumen covered for this but had Tartt intercepted that pass, Los Angeles' wunderkind leader could have been in for a long offseason.

RAMS COACHING GRADE: B-minus

The 49ers came into Championship Sunday with by far the worst quarterback but kept a Super Bowl LVI berth in range. This flawed contender came alive at the right time, rallying from 3-5 to the franchise's fifth NFC championships in 11 years. Garoppolo's limitations showed throughout his tenure, but the 49ers making two NFC finals and holding a fourth-quarter Super Bowl lead with him represents historically good usage of a second-round pick. Shanahan did not show much trust in Trey Lance, and it is not out of the question Garoppolo returns on a manageable salary. But the draft capital expended will usher in the Lance era soon; it will be a must-follow NFL storyline.

Stafford is 1-for-13 in Pro Bowls and set an NFL record by making 185 starts before his first playoff win. The Lions deciding to rebuild, leading to their 12-year quarterback's January 2021 trade request, changed everything. The Rams outbidding the Panthers, Washington and others let the former No. 1 pick's gifts escape the 1 p.m. Sunday time slot, and the 33-year-old passer rewarded his team's investment by providing a significant upgrade on Jared Goff. The Stafford-McVay partnership helps the NFL, aiding a still-iffy Los Angeles market, and the Rams' go-for-broke M.O. producing another Super Bowl berth will hopefully influence other GMs to take similar risks.

NEXT: SUPER BOWL LVI, 6:30 p.m. Feb. 13

While the 49ers' suspect cornerback group burned them Sunday, the Bengals keep getting away with a bad O-line plan. Fortunate to be healthy after taking 62 sacks coming into the AFC title game, Burrow was masterful amid constant pocket disruption. Putting Tee Higgins to work through the air, Burrow displayed his crunch-time chops best on two fourth-quarter scrambles -- both on third down -- to position the Bengals (13-7) for one of the most unlikely wins in conference championship history. Burrow faced a degree of difficulty Patrick Mahomes did not and came through with a record-tying 18-point comeback in the championship round. Burrow has changed everything about this franchise, which was 6-25-1 from 2019-20.

BENGALS OFFENSE GRADE: A

After Mahomes started the game 13-for-14 and had the Chiefs poised to expose the Bengals as unready for this stage, the hosts posted just 83 yards and three points after halftime. Seemingly past his midseason issues that stemmed from teams keeping their safeties back, Mahomes could not solve a Bengals defense that spent much of the second half rushing three players. The Chiefs (14-6) fared well on the ground (5.8 yards per carry) but understandably tried to KO the Bengals with their top gun. That backfired. Mahomes' two INTs and a near-deadly fumble marked a steep departure from his previous AFC championship showings. As a result, the would-be Super Bowl favorite missed a prime opportunity. 

CHIEFS OFFENSE GRADE: D-plus

After letting Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill show their usual January form in the first half, a Bengals defense that ranked 17th this season (19th in DVOA) took over the game. Cincinnati's seminal tactical pivot -- moving to eight-plus defenders in coverage -- flummoxed Mahomes, and even three-man rushes got home in crucial spots. Sam Hubbard's second sack denied the Chiefs a go-ahead touchdown and set up Jessie Bates' savvy tip to Vonn Bell. Bell's overtime INT gives the Bengals six playoff picks. As a result, the NFL's OT format -- now featuring playoff toss winners at 10-2 -- will stick. The Bengals defense can be credited/blamed for that.

BENGALS DEFENSE GRADE: A-minus

A Chiefs defense facing a bottom-tier O-line kept pressuring Burrow but failed to prevent game-changing completions or crucial escapes. Chris Jones missing two sack chances on one play epitomized the favorites' undoing. Booking an elite WR2 Super Bowl matchup against Odell Beckham Jr., Higgins kept beating Chiefs defenders -- six catches for 103 yards, including for two overtime grabs -- and Kansas City did not contain Joe Mixon (115 scrimmage yards). K.C.'s defense prevented a second Ja'Marr Chase detonation and did not get the usual help from its offense. But the unit's midseason turnaround tells an incomplete story. When finally matched up with top-tier QBs in the playoffs, the Chiefs crumbled.

CHIEFS DEFENSE GRADE: C-minus

The Bengals letting Anarumo return for a third season as defensive coordinator drew criticism. Despite veteran players, the first-time DC's 2019 and '20 units ranked 29th and 26th, respectively, in total defense. After Mahomes torched what looked like an unreliable defense in the first half, Anarumo adjusted, doubling down on his deployment of eight-plus cover men. The Bengals dropped eight on 45% of their second-half plays, after doing so on 24% in the first half, and became the first team to truly minimize Mahomes on the AFC championship stage. Zac Taylor finding ways to feed Higgins, dial-up a quality two-point play after previously going 1-for-5 on two-pointers, and sweep the Chiefs: also good.

BENGALS COACHING GRADE: A

The Chiefs owe much of their current status to Reid, one of the NFL's premier offensive minds. But this is Reid's sixth conference championship loss, eclipsing John Madden and Tom Landry for most ever (though, Madden also had an AFL title game loss). Four of Reid's defeats came at home, but none featured the point spread the Chiefs (-7.5) carried into Sunday. Reid chasing a touchdown late in the first half burned him, and Mahomes throwing short of the goal line on the play let the Bengals hang around. The Chiefs also probably could have hurt a retreating Bengals defense more on the ground to protect their lead. This is one of the worst collapses in playoff history, dinging Reid's reputation a bit.

CHIEFS COACHING GRADE: D

Justifiably labeled frugal during Mike Brown's ownership tenure, the Bengals deserve credit on two non-Burrow fronts. They have shined on Day 2 of the draft, finding several starters -- Bates, Mixon, Hubbard, Higgins, Tyler Boyd, linebacker Logan Wilson -- to form a strong core. Brown deviating from his free agency stinginess in 2020 to support Burrow, leading to several defensive additions, also changed the franchise's course. The Bengals are the latest team to maximize a rookie QB contract but the first to advance to a Super Bowl a year after making the No. 1 pick. After two defeats against the Bill Walsh-Joe Montana tandem, the Bengals' first Super Bowl in 33 years may double as their best championship chance.

NEXT: SUPER BOWL LVI, 6:30 p.m. Feb. 13

Do not be surprised if Vegas makes the Chiefs the early Super Bowl LVII favorite. They have the NFL's best QB-coach combination, a future Hall of Fame tight end, and an improved O-line. Being the first team to host four straight conference title games makes this one of the better runs in NFL history, but going 1-for-4 in Super Bowl wins during that span represents a slight letdown. Mahomes and his team-friendly contract will give the Chiefs more chances, but Kelce will be 33 this year. Tyrann Mathieu is also unsigned and pushing 30 and left tackle addition Orlando Brown is due a massive raise. Rival QBs are also narrowing the gap between Mahomes and the field, raising the stakes for Kansas City.