#STATEtoSundays: Conference Championships Update
January 28, 2025 | Football
Regardless of which team wins Super Bowl LIX between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles, there will be a Mississippi State alum hoisting the Lombardi Trophy afterwards.
Chris Jones and the Chiefs qualified for their third consecutive Super Bowl with a 32-29 victory over the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Championship Game. It'll be a rematch from Super Bowl LVII because the Eagles and cornerback Darius Slay dominated the Washington Commanders 55-23 in the NFC Championship Game this past Sunday.
Pro Football Focus (PFF) gave Jones the highest defensive grade in the NFL during the conference championships at 90.6 overall. His 91.9 pressure grade was also the highest in the league and finished the game with a pair of quarterback hurries and one assisted tackle.
Slay notched three solo tackles and one pass defense during the NFC Championship Game. He earned the third-highest overall defensive grade among NFL cornerbacks at 74.2 and the fourth-best coverage grade at his position (74.3) this past weekend.
Due to Kansas City reaching the Super Bowl again this season, Jones will not compete in the Pro Bowl Games this year leaving Logan Cooke and Jeffery Simmons to represent the Bulldogs in Orlando, Florida this week.
The Pro Bowl Games get underway with a skills competition on Thursday at 6 p.m. on ESPN and the Pro Bowl Games Championship on Sunday starting at 2 p.m. on ESPN, ABC, Disney XD, NFL+ and ESPN+.
CHRIS JONES | DE | KANSAS CITY CHIEFS | AT MSU: 2013-15
Last Week: Jones started and made one assisted tackle and two quarterback hurries in a 32-29 win over the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Championship Game.
Postseason: Five tackles (one solo, four assists), one tackle for loss, one sack, four quarterback hurries
Regular Season: 38 tackles (19 solo, 19 assists), nine tackles for loss, 5 1/2 sacks, one forced fumble, 21 quarterback hurries
DARIUS SLAY | CB | PHILADELPHIA EAGLES | AT MSU: 2011-12
Last Week: Slay started and made three solo tackles and one pass defense in a 55-23 win over the Washington Commanders in the NFC Championship Game.
Postseason: 12 tackles (10 solo, two assists), one interception, five pass defenses
Regular Season: 49 tackles (38 solo, 11 assists), one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, 12 pass defenses, three tackles for loss
