Ask a former NFL player: What’s the best position matchup in the Conference Championship Round?

It’s Friday before Conference Championship Weekend, and I just can’t wait for the games to get here. We have you covered at SB Nation with our picks, team rankings, quarterback rankings, and rooting guide for the two big matchups this weekend. So be sure to check all of those out.

But first, let’s get to the mailbag. If you want to send me a question in the future, you can do that on Twitter or Instagram.

Do you believe that the Packers’ O-line can handle the 49ers’ fierce defensive line? — @John_Moskal1

This is the matchup in the NFC Championship Game and of the entire weekend. The 49ers have an outstanding pass rush, led by their two-headed monster on the edges. Nick Bosa will win Defensive Rookie of the Year and Dee Ford is back from injury. His impact was felt against the Vikings.

However, the Packers are uniquely set up for this matchup, with two excellent pass protecting tackles: four-time All-Pro left tackle David Bakhtiari and stalwart right tackle Bryan Bulaga. They can neutralize the 49ers’ defensive ends.

The issue is inside, where the Niners have Arik Armstead and DeForest Buckner. This is a huge advantage for the home team. The 49ers will use their gameplan from their matchup earlier this season, when they attacked the Packers’ interior three with twists and stunts, outlined well here:

So how do the Packers avoid these situations? Well, for starters, being great on early downs is vital, as shorter third downs will avoid having Aaron Rodgers hold the ball longer in the pocket, even though he loves to hold the ball longer than usual. But a third-and-1 to third-and-4 is much different than a third-and-7 to third-and-10 for an offensive lineman.

Also, and along the same lines as throwing the ball quicker, is using empty protection. Empty protection is where you spread out the formation and have five blockers — just the offensive linemen — in the pass protection unit. When you spread the field out, in theory the quarterback can see the defense better, which should allow him to throw the ball quicker and thus the offensive line doesn’t have to block for as long.

It was the New England Patriots’ way to attack an awesome pass rush. We will see how the Packers handle it this weekend.

Who has a bigger impact in the Titans vs. Chiefs game: Patrick Mahomes or Derrick Henry? — @kyler_shake33

It’s clearly Mahomes, who is arguably the best player in the NFL. He’s healthy now and he’s back to using his great footwork and mechanics in the pocket. How many other quarterbacks in the NFL could seamlessly lead their team from a 24-0 hole to a 51-31 victory? No one else. Can Derrick Henry do this? Absolutely not.

Henry is on an unbelievable tear right now and he’s someone the Chiefs need to devote time to stopping, but he’s got nowhere near the impact on any game that a quarterback does. I’d even argue that Ryan Tannehill has a bigger impact on the game because the Titans will need to score points to keep up with the Chiefs, who don’t expect to be stopped often.

I’ve always been curious: with a heated field in Kansas City, does it provide any relief for the cold? Know it isn’t much, but nothing worse than being in cold on frozen ground. —@BA_in_SC

Here’s a good article on it. Basically, a heated field provides no relief from the cold for the players. The job of a heated field is making sure that the playing surface isn’t frozen and it’s playable. That’s about it. And I’m not even sure it does a great job of that. The goal is heating the field only warm enough to melt the snow, but not creating a mush.