The NFL playoff picture will came into sharper focus Sunday, the final day of the regular season, and Sportsnaut followed all the Week 18 games with the biggest playoff implications.
Sportsnaut covered all the important stories, players, and moments that determined the final playoff seedings heading into next weekend’s wild-card round — from the initial games at 1 p.m. ET up to the biggest game of the day, Buffalo at Miami, at 8:20 p.m. ET.
Check out how the day played out. Timestamps on all live update are ET.
Related: Ranking the top 5 games of NFL Week 18
11:00 A.M. — Trevor Lawrence is still a game-time decision
The status of Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence remains up in the air for today’s must-win game against the Tennessee Titans.
Lawrence, who missed the first NFL game of his career last week, suffered an injury to his throwing shoulder during a Week 16 loss to Baltimore. C.J. Beathard started in his place against Carolina, and the Jaguars ended a four-game skid.
There will be an update as soon as we know whether Lawrence will be starting today.
Related: The 10 must-see players of Week 18, including Trevor Lawrence
11:17 a.m. — Final games for several head coaches?
Although our primary focus will be on the games with playoff implications, it’s important to note that a number of head coaches could be coaching their final games with their current teams.
There have been rumblings on everyone from Ron Rivera in Washington, to Arthur Smith in Atlanta, to Bill Belichick in New England.
Concerning Belichick, who’s in his 24th season in New England, there are reports that he could be replaced by one of his former players, Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel, sometime after this weekend.
Related: NFL coaching hot seat 2023-24
11:22 a.m. — Trevor Lawrence update
Trevor Lawrence just jogged out to the field to commence his pregame warmups, and that alone could be a good sign for the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Of course, his injury is to his right shoulder, not his legs. The inactives for the 1 p.m. games will be announced shortly, so we will keep an close eye on whether Lawrence is activated or not.
Here is Lawrence doing some light throwing.
11:30 a.m. — Trevor Lawrence will play
The Jacksonville Jaguars just officially activated Trevor Lawrence for today’s game.
The Jaguars must have liked what they saw during pregame warmups enough to allow Lawrence to play. The Jaguars need to beat the Titans to wrap up the AFC South division and enter the playoffs as the AFC’s No. 4 seed.
A list of other critical players either activated or not will be posted shortly.
11:42 a.m. — Baker Mayfield active for Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield was questionable this week with a rib injury, but he’ll be active for today’s big game at Carolina.
Also, the Atlanta Falcons will start Desmond Ridder at quarterback because they have placed Taylor Heinicke on the inactive list.
Other players who are inactive for the 1 p.m. games are Titans quarterback Will Levis, Jaguars receiver Christian Kirk, Saints running back Alvin Kamara, and Bengals receiver Tee Higgins.
Also worth noting, New England quarterback Mac Jones is a healthy scratch, meaning he will serve as the emergency third-string QB behind starter Bailey Zappe and Nathan Rourke.
Here is a complete list of inactive players for the 1 p.m. games.
11:50 a.m. — More on Baker Mayfield’s big day
It’s a big day for Baker Mayfield in more ways than just leading the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to the playoffs with a win over the Carolina Panthers.
Mayfield can earn himself some extra money if he is able to activate some contract incentives, depending on where he lands in several key statistical categories for quarterbacks.
At his current numbers, Mayfield would make an additional $900K in bonuses. But he’s not the only player with dollar signs on their mind heading into Sunday’s Week 18 games.
12:05 p.m. — An update on T.J. Watt’s injury, from J.J.
The Pittsburgh Steelers played their way back into the NFL playoff picture on Saturday night, but it came with a potentially significant cost when T.J. Watt went down with what looked like a serious knee injury.
Watt, the NFL sack leader with 19, suffered a MCL sprain during the Steelers’ 17-10 win over the Baltimore Ravens. Here was an update from his brother, J.J. Watt.
A Grade 2 injury is better than a Grade 3 sprain, but it still means Watt won’t play again unless the Steelers at least advance to AFC championship game.
They have to make the playoffs first. For that to happen, the Steelers need either Buffalo or Jacksonville to lose today.
Related: NFL Defensive Player of the Year odds
12:20 p.m. — D’Andre Swift likely out for Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles is reportedly not expected to have their leading rusher, D’Andre Swift, for their game against the New York Giants.
Swift, who was invited to the Pro Bowl and has rushed for 1,049 yards, is suffering from an illness and is questionable for the Eagles, who are still hopeful of winning the NFC East crown today.
The Eagles, currently the No. 5 seed in NFC, needs a victory over the Giants, combined with a Dallas Cowboys loss to the Washington Commanders, to win the NFC East.
12:45 p.m. — Commanders ‘enamored’ with Bill Belichick possibility
The Ron Rivera era is likely to come to an end sometime after the Washington Commanders play the Dallas Cowboys. And that opens up the possibility of the Commanders landing someone like Bill Belichick, who might be coaching his last game in New England today as well.
Commanders owner Josh Harris is reportedly “enamored” with the idea of hiring Belichick, but there could be one potential stumbling block to that happening.
12:53 p.m. — Which QB will have the best day?
The quarterbacks will be the focus of today’s game affecting the NFL playoff picture.
According to fantasy guru Matthew Berry, here are the QBs he’s projecting to have a great day at the office.
1 p.m. — Let the games begin!
The early games are getting under way, and once again, we will be hyper-focused on the following:
- Jacksonville at Tennessee
- Tampa Bay at Carolina
- Atlanta at New Orleans
- Minnesota at Detroit
1:11 p.m. — Jaguars are on the board
On Jacksonville’s first drive, Trevor Lawrence drove the Jaguars into position for a 43-yard field goal from Brandon McManus to give them a 3-0 lead at Tennessee.
Lawrence’s shoulder seemed to be fine on the drive; he was able to complete 3-of-5 passes for 31 yards.
1:20 p.m. — Sam LaPorta’s 10th TD
Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta needed one more reception to break Keith Jackson’s 35-year-old record for receptions in a season by a rookie tight end. And he got it on a 2-yard TD pass from Jared Goff to give the Lions a 7-0 lead over Minnesota.
That was LaPorta’s record 82nd reception and his 10th touchdown of the season, only two short of Mike Ditka’s all-time rookie record of 12.
1:22 p.m. — Titans answer with TD and the lead
If the Jacksonville Jaguars are going to make the playoffs, they need to stop the Tennessee Titans, something they couldn’t do on the Titans’ first drive.
Ryan Tannehill was 4-of-4 for 59 yards, with his final completion coming on a swing pass to rookie Tyjae Spears, who took it the distance for a 28-yard touchdown.
The Titans made it look easy in driving down the field, with Derrick Henry getting in on the act with 16 yards on two carries.
1:30 p.m. — Bijan Robinson strikes for Falcons
The New Orleans Saints and the Atlanta Falcons need significant help to make the playoffs, and they are trading blows in New Orleans, where Falcons rookie Bijan Robinson just caught a pass from Desmond Ridder and took it 71 yards to the house to give Atlanta a 14-7 lead.
Going into today, the odds of the Saints and the Falcons making the playoffs were 31 and 10 percent, respectively.
1:37 p.m. — Bucs and Panthers scoreless after 1Q
The Carolina Panthers might have the worst record in the NFL, but they aren’t making it easy for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The game is scoreless after the first quarter.
The Bucs have outgained the Panthers, 54-30, but still have nothing to show for it. They have also held rookie Bryce Young to 1-of-2 passing for eight yards.
1:42 p.m. — Jags 10, Titans 7: Deep TD strike from Trevor Lawrence to Calvin Ridley
If there were any doubts about Trevor Lawrence’s right shoulder, he just answered them.
The Jaguars quarterback connected with Calvin Ridley for a 59-yard touchdown to give Jacksonville a 10-7 lead early in the second quarter.
According to NFL’s NextGen Stats, the ball traveled 52.2 yards in the air, the longest completed pass of Lawrence’s career.
So far Lawrence has performed well, hitting 9-of-12 passes for 132 yards and the touchdown. On the TD pass to Ridley, the ball landed perfectly into Ridley’s hands in stride.
1:55 p.m. — Titans 14, Jaguars 10: Derrick Henry running wild
The Tennessee Titans will go down against the Jacksonville Jaguars if Derrick Henry has anything to do with it.
Henry just scampered 18 yards for a touchdown to put Tennessee back on top with 8:27 left in the first half in a seesaw battle. It was the 12th rushing touchdown of the season for Henry, who could be playing his final game in Tennessee.
Henry, who entered the game with 1,014 yards, already has 63 yards on seven carries.
2:02 p.m. — Bucs 3, Panthers 0: Tampa Bay scores, while Winfield saves TD
It’s about time. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers finally broke a scoreless game with a 36-yard field goal from Chase McLaughlin for a 3-0 lead near the end of the second quarter.
The Bucs drove 53 yards in eight plays to get on the board first. Baker Mayfield is 11-of-17 passing for 72 yards.
Earlier, they got a touchdown-saving play from Antoine Winfield, who knocked the ball out of D.J. Chark Jr’s hands as he was running toward the end zone. Initially, the play was ruled a touchdown, but the replay showed that Winfield knocked the ball loose and out of the end zone for a touchback before Chark broke the plane.
2:15 p.m. — Titans 21, Jags 10: Amazing plays spur Tennessee
The Titans are giving the Jaguars all they can handle on both sides of the ball and took a 21-10 lead with 3:03 left in the second quarter on Tyjae Spears’ second TD of the half.
First, the defense got a highlight-reel interception from Terrell Edmunds on a ball that was tipped and he caught before it hit the ground.
Then, as the Titans navigated the short field, they got a one-handed grab from DeAndre Hopkins, his second one-hander of the day, as they drove into position for Spears to run for a 3-yard score.
Hopkins, who entered the game with 68 catches, can earn $250K in incentives with seven receptions today, and he already has four.
2:23 p.m. — Titans 21, Jags 10: Trevor Lawrence throws second INT of half
Trevor Lawrence threw his second interception on consecutive possessions, giving the ball back to Tennessee with 1:06 left in the first half.
Sean Murphy-Bunting made the pick of Lawrence, and the Titans took over at their own 38-yard line with three timeouts and plenty of time to get into position for a field goal before halftime.
2:28 p.m. — Bucs 6, Panthers 0 at halftime
Tampa Bay got its second field goal from Chase McLaughlin, a 57-yarder, to go up 6-0 on Carolina at the half.
The game has been ugly, featuring 10 punts and several dropped passes. Baker Mayfield has completed 15-of-26 passes for 93 yards, and Bryce Young is 6-of-11 for 67 yards, with 42 coming on the play to D.J. Chark Jr., in which he fumbled out of the end zone.
So, while the Panthers’ offense doesn’t look up to the task, Mayfield and the Bucs’ offense have done little to pull away from Carolina in a must-win game.
2:31 p.m. — Sam LaPorta hurt for Lions
The Detroit Lions suffered what could be a devastating injury when rookie tight end Sam LaPorta went down with a knee injury in the first half against the Minnesota Vikings.
LaPorta, who earlier set the rookie tight end record for receptions in a season, hurt his knee when he was tackled after catching a quick slant pass from Jared Goff with two minutes left in the half.
LaPorta, who was carted to the locker room, earlier scored his 10th touchdown of the season, as the Lions took a 13-6 lead at halftime. The only implications for the Lions today is that they could move up to the No. 2 seed in the NFC, but they would need help.
2:38 p.m. — It’s halftime all around!
Every game has reached halftime. Here are the scores at the moment:
- Titans 21, Jaguars 13
- Saints 17, Falcons 17
- Bucs 6, Panthers 0
- Lions 13, Vikings 6
- Bengals 24, Browns 0
- Jets 6, Patriots 3
2:43 p.m. — Browns losing with QB No. 5
The Cleveland Browns are set for the playoffs, heading to wild-card weekend with the No. 5 seed, and for that reason they have several key players in active for today’s game against Cincinnati, including quarterback Joe Flacco, receiver Amari Cooper and defensive end Myles Garrett.
With Flacco out, the Browns handed the QB reins to Jeff Driskel, their fifth starting quarterback of the season to tie four other teams with the most in a single season,.
And so tar, it’s not working too favorably for Driskel or the Browns. Driskel, making his 11th career start, completed 4-of-10 passes for 37 yards and two interceptions as Cleveland trailed 24-0 at halftime.
2:50 p.m. — Titans 28, Jaguars 13: Henry, Tannehill and Hopkins getting it done
The Jacksonville Jaguars will now need to make a two-TD comeback if they hope to make the playoffs.
The Tennessee Titans came out of the locker room after halftime ready to roll. On the first drive of the half, they got a 69-yard run from Derrick Henry to put them at the Jaguars’ 4-yard line.
Two plays later, Ryan Tannehill connected with DeAndre Hopkins for a 6-yard TD pass and a 28-13 Titans lead.
2:55 p.m. — Saints 24, Falcons 17: Chris Olave’s circus TD catch
The New Orleans Saints got a juggling TD catch from Chris Olave to take the lead over the Atlanta Falcons early in the third quarter.
Saints quarterback Derek Carr lofted on up the sidelines to Olave, who did the rest with terrific concentration to haul in the bouncing ball.
3:02 p.m. — Saints 31, Falcons 17, 3Q: Derek Carr is having a game
Derek Carr is taking ownership of the second half, and the New Orleans Saints have been the obvious benefactors of his excellence.
The Saints’ quarterback, only a few minutes after his second TD pass to Chris Olave, connected with Rashid Shaheed for TD pass No. 3, a 39-yarder to give the Saints a 31-17 lead.
Carr has completed 17-of-21 passes for 221 yards and the three scores, and he and the Saints are doing their part to make a push for the playoffs, even though their chances are rather slim.
3:14 p.m. — Bucs 9, Panthers 0, 4Q: Field goals instead of TDs
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers can’t seem to get into the end zone against the Carolina Panthers. So, they’ve settled for a trio of Chase McLaughlin field goals to take at least a two-score lead.
McLaughlin’s 39-yarder capped a nine-play, 37-yard drive for the Bucs, who took over possession after Carolina missed a FG attempt.
3:17 p.m. — Titans 28, Jaguars 20, 4Q: Trevor Lawrence to Evan Engram for TD
The two most important games of the 1 p.m. window have officially reached the final quarter of play, and the Jaguars began their fourth quarter with a 15-yard TD pass from Trevor Lawrence to Evan Engram.
It was the second TD pass of the day for Lawrence to go with his two interceptions. Engram caught three passes on the TD drive overall.
The onus is on the Jaguars’ defense now to show if it can stop Derrick Henry and company because they’ve been challenged to do so all day.
3:23 p.m. — Lions 20, Vikings 13 4Q: Justin Jefferson over 1,000 yards
How amazing is Justin Jefferson? The Minnesota Vikings receiver just eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark for the season. But remember this: He’s missed seven games this season.
Jefferson went over 1,000 yards on a 37-yard TD strike from Nick Mullens to pull the Vikings within 20-13 of the Detroit Lions.
He’s the third player in NFL history to achieve 1,000 receiving yards in fewer than 10 games.
3:30 p.m. — Lions 27, Vikings 20 4Q: It’s a wide receiver party
We’ve already seen some fantastic wide receiver play in Week 18. Add Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jordan Addison to the mix.
First, the Detroit Lions’ standout caught a long pass from Jared Goff and it turned it into a 70-yard TD catch-and-run to extend the Lions’ lead after the Vikings closed the gap on Justin Jefferson’s TD for Minnesota.
Then, Vikings rookie Jordan Addison scored on a 42-yard strike from Nick Mullens.
3:38 p.m. — Titans 28, Jaguars 20 4Q: Goal-line stand for Tennessee
The Tennessee Titans thwarted the Jacksonville Jaguars’ scoring attempt on fourth down when Trevor Lawrence dove for the end zone and came up short, giving the Titans the ball on downs with 7:13 left in the game.
The Jaguars had moved 27 yards on nine plays following a Andre Cisco interception, but they were unable to capitalize.
3:39 p.m. — Bucs 9, Panthers 0 FINAL: Tampa Bay is playoff-bound!
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers officially advanced to the playoffs with a hard-fought 9-0 victory over the Carolina Panthers.
The Buccaneers (9-8) secured the NFC South title and will enter the playoffs as the No. 4 seed.
The Tampa Bay victory also eliminated Atlanta from playoff contention.
3:52 p.m. — Titans 28, Jaguars 20, 4Q: Two-minute warning
The Jacksonville Jaguars have the ball with no timeouts and the ball on their own 33-yard line, needing a TD and a two-pointer to tie.
Trevor Lawrence just missed hitting a wide-open Calvin Ridley for what would have been a long TD.
3:57 p.m. — Titans 28, Jaguars 20 FINAL: The AFC playoff field is set
The Tennessee Titans beat the Jacksonville Jaguars and eliminated them from playoff contention with a 28-20 victory.
Trevor Lawrence had a chance to rally the Jaguars, but after just missing Calvin Ridley on a long pass, he then misfired on his final to give the ball to the Titans on downs, and conceivably end the game.
With the Jaguars’ loss, that means the Buffalo Bills and the Pittsburgh Steelers have officially advanced to the playoffs, and that gives the AFC South title to the Houston Texans.
4:20 p.m. — Green Bay Packers playing in win-or-bust game
The Green Bay Packers need a victory over the rival Chicago Bears to qualify for the playoffs.
Here are key games we’ll be focusing on in the 4:25 p.m. ET game window:
- Chicago at Green Bay
- Dallas at Washington
- Philadelphia at NY Giants
- Seattle at Arizona
4:27 p.m. — Late games are under way! Statement game for Justin Fields
As the 4:25 p.m. games begin, one player to watch will be Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields, who will be out to prove he is the unquestioned quarterback of the Bears’ future.
Fields has led the Bears to four wins in their past five games, but there is still speculation that the Bears, who own the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft in April, will use it to draft a QB such as USC’s Caleb Williams.
If he can lead the Bears to victory today and knock the Packers out of the playoffs, he will make it difficult for the Bears to move on from him.
Related: Justin Fields or Caleb Williams: The Chicago Bears’ high-stakes QB dilemma
4:32 p.m. — Bears 3, Packers 0 1Q: Cairo Santos’ loud FG
The Chicago Bears are on the board first. They get a 50-yard field from Cairo Santos, whose kick clanged loudly off the left upright but made it through successfully.
The ball now goes to the Packers and quarterback Jordan Love, who’s been one of the hottest quarterbacks in the league over the second half of the season.
4:37 p.m. — Recapping the early games
Here’s a quick look at the early games, in case you missed it:
- Titans 28, Jaguars 20: Tennessee eliminated Jacksonville from playoff contention, getting 153 yards and a touchdown from Derrick Henry. The Jaguars lost five of their final six games.
- Buccaneers 9, Panthers 0: Tampa Bay advanced to the playoffs with its third straight AFC South title, getting three field goals from Chase McLaughlin.
- Saints 48, Falcons 17: Derek Carr threw four TD passes as New Orleans dominated Atlanta 31-0 after halftime to keep their fleeting playoff hopes alive.
- Lions 30, Vikings 20: Detroit still needs help to secure the No. 2 seed, but the Lions did their part, getting 320 yards and two TD passes from Jared Goff. The win could be costly due to the knee injury to standout rookie tight end Sam LaPorta.
- Bengals 31, Browns 14: Joe Mixon had 111 yards and a TD for Cincinnati, which beat the playoff-bound Browns, who tied a record starting their fifth QB of the season, Jeff Driskel.
- Jets 17, Patriots 3: On a snowy New England day, the Jets just handed the ball to Breece Hall, who rushed 37 times for 178 yards and a touchdown in a game that could have been last for Bill Belichick with the Patriots.
4:43 p.m. — Cowboys 7, Commanders 0 1Q: Dak Prescott off to good start
The Dallas Cowboys, trying to secure the NFC East title and the No. 2 seed in the NFC, scored on their first drive when Dak Prescott tossed a 3-yard TD pass to Jalen Tolbert.
Prescott was 6-of-6 passing on the drive.
4:55 p.m. — A.J. Brown down for Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles already have a huge concern after watching star receiver A.J. Brown go down with what could be a severe knee injury.
Brown was clutching his right knee after catching a pass from Jalen Hurts and then fumbled when he was brought down by the Giants’ Nick McCloud.
He was able to leave the field on his own power and then walk to the locker room. Brown, who was just named to the Pro Bowl last week, is questionable to return.
The Eagles are currently trailing the Giants 3-0 near the end of the first quarter.
5:02 p.m. — Cowboys 7, Commanders 7: Washington capitalizes on blocked FG
The Washington Commanders, in a small way, reminded the Dallas Cowboys that they are playing on the road, where bad things typically happen for the Cowboys.
The Commanders got a blocked field goal attempt from Joshua Pryor and translated that into a touchdown on a pass from Sam Howell to Brian Robinson to tie the game.
The Cowboys are 3-5 on the road and can ill afford to lose and potentially find themselves playing a road game in the playoffs right away.
5:07 p.m. — Packers 7, Bears 3, 2Q: Jordan Love TD pass
Jordan Love continues to play at a high level, even with high stakes for the Green Bay Packers.
The first-year starting quarterback threw an 11-yard TD pass to Dontayvion Wicks for a 7-3 Packers lead almost midway through the second quarter.
Love entered the game having thrown 16 touchdown passes to one interception over the past seven weeks. And Sunday, he’s already completed 10-of-12 passes for 102 yards. He’s done about well as a QB could do in the short terms to make Packers fans lament the exit of Aaron Rodgers.
5:16 p.m. — Giants 10, Eagles 0, 2Q: Saquon Barkley increases G-men lead
The New York Giants are continuing the Philadelphia Eagles’ recent misery. Saquon Barkley’s two-yard TD run extended the Giants’ lead to 10-0.
The Eagles, who’ve lost four of their past five games, are playing without running back D’Andre Swift (illness) and receiver DeVonta Smith (ankle). Earlier in the game, they also lost A.J. Brown to what could be a significant knee injury. And now even quarterback Jalen Hurts is being checked for a finger injury.
The Eagles, currently No. 5 in the NFC, need help to improve their playoff positioning. But it looks like they also need help getting any kind of momentum heading into the playoffs next week.
5:31 p.m. — Giants 17, Eagles 0 2Q: It’s Saquon again
Saquon Barkley scored his second TD of the game and extended the New York Giants’ lead over the scuffling Philadelphia Eagles.
The Eagles can’t do anything on offense. Their first five drives have ended with three punts and one fumbles and on downs once.
They’ve also allowed Giants quarterback Tyrod Taylor to have a near-flawless first half throwing the ball (12-of-14 passing for 167 yards).
5:37 p.m. — Packers 7, Bears 6 at halftime: Green Bay blows final play
The Green Bay Packers went into halftime with the lead, but they know they should be ahead by three more points.
With 11 seconds left in the half, the Packers were at the Bears’ 22-yard line with no timeouts. Jordan Love threw a sideline pass to Dontayvion Wicks, who caught it for a 3-yard gain and was knocked out of bounds.
But because it was ruled he didn’t attempt to make any forward progress after the catch, the clock continued to run and it expired before the Packers could try to stop it.
If the Packers end up losing the game by three points or less, they will lament that missed opportunity.
5:50 p.m. — Giants 24, Eagles 0 at halftime: Could Philly look any worse?
The Philadelphia Eagles are playing like a team more prepared for the offseason than for wildcard weekend n next week.
They are one half of football away from losing their fifth game in the past six weeks. And none has looked bad as this one in Week 18.
The Eagles have been outgained 272-102 and have now gone to backup Marcus Mariota at quarterback after Jalen Hurts produced 7-for-16 passing effort for 55 yards and one pick.
In other words, it looks like the Eagles are conceding this game, accepting the No. 5 seed and will look forward to a wild-card game at No. 4 Tampa Bay next week.
5:56 p.m. — Cowboys 21, Commanders 10 at halftime: Two TD passes for Dak
The Dallas Cowboys seem more interested than the Philadelphia Eagles in winning Sunday.
Dak Prescott (17-of-27 passing for 167 yards) has thrown for two scores to give the Cowboys a 21-10 lead at the half. One of those went to CeeDee Lamb, who’s scored in nine consecutive games.
The Cowboys could secure the NFC East crown and the No. 2 seed, which means they would play the No. 7 next week.
6:02 p.m. — Packers 14, Bears 6 3Q: Gotta (Jordan) Love it
The Packers made a potentially critical mistake to end the first half, but they might have compensated for it right away in the third quarter.
Jordan Love capped a 75-yard drive with his second TD pass to Dontayvion Wicks for a 14-6 lead.
The way Love is going, he’s becoming a quarterback no one wants to play right now. He’s slicing up the Bears defense with precision, connecting on 19 of 23 passes.
6:11 p.m. — Seahawks 13, Cardinals 13 3Q: ‘Hawks trying to hang on
At 26 percent, the Seahawks’ odds of making the playoffs aren’t that great, but they won’t concede it to the Packers or Saints without a fight.
In the meantime, they have a fight on their hands with the Cardinals, who just tied the game on James Conner’s 29-yard run.
Seattle needs a victory combined with a Green Bay loss to make the playoffs.
6:20 p.m. — Cowboys 28, Commanders 10 3Q: Dak-to-CeeDee again
The Dallas Cowboys aren’t leaving anything to chance in the NFL playoff picture, and they’re doing it by getting the ball often to their best playmaker.
CeeDee Lamb caught his second TD pass of the game from Dak Prescott to further distance the Cowboys from the Commanders.
Lamb now has 12 catches for 92 yards and two TDs and now has 12 TD receptions for the season.
6:26 p.m. — 49ers 20, Rams 13 3Q: Record day for Puka Nacua
The game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Los Angeles Rams has very little meaning in terms of the NFL playoff picture, but that didn’t keep Rams receiver Puka Nacua from making history.
The Rams’ sensational rookie broke the all-time rookie records for receptions and receiving yards with a reception in the third quarter.
Nacua was removed from the game after setting the records, finishing the regular season with 105 receptions and 1,486 receiving yards. He then shared the accomplishments with his mother.
6:38 p.m. — Where things stand with the late games
With every game now in the fourth quarter, here’s how they look at the moment:
- Packers 17, Bears 9
- Giants 24, Eagles 3
- Cowboys 35, Commanders 10
- Seahawks 13, Cardinals 13
- 49ers 20, Rams 13
- Chiefs 10, Chargers 9
- Raiders 17, Broncos 7
6:45 p.m. — Cowboys 35, Commanders 10 4Q: Why is Dak in the game?
The Dallas Cowboys are up by 25 points in the fourth quarter, and Dak Prescott is still in the game. And he’s still passing the ball.
Why?
This is a risky and potentially idiotic move for head coach Mike McCarthy. It’s reason that teams have chosen not to play their stars in meaningless games. They don’t want to put their best players in harm’s way with bigger games ahead.
You would hate to think McCarthy has Prescott in the game for any other reason than to win. But with a 25-point lead in the fourth, there’s little chance of the Commanders making a four-score comeback. And even if they scored twice, McCarthy could always re-insert Prescott.
Otherwise, get him out of there.
6:51 p.m. — Cardinals 20, Seahawks 13 4Q: Kyler Murray puts Arizona ahead
The Seattle Seahawks will need a comeback in the final minutes to hold onto their fleeting playoff hopes.
On what started off looking like a field goal attempt, the Cardinals shifted into their offense and Kyler Murray connected with tight end Trey McBride for a touchdown that gave the Cardinals a seven-point lead with 9:48 left.
Going into the game, Murray has led the Cardinals to three of their four victories in his seven starts since returning from an ACL injury.
6:56 p.m. — Giants 24, Eagles 10 4Q: Marcus Mariota rallying Philly
The Eagles looked all but dead for most of the game, but they are coming to life late behind Marcus Mariota.
The backup QB has led the Eagles to 10 second-half points. Mariota threw a 16-yard TD pass to Quez Watkins to make it 24-10.
But with time running out, it’s too little too late for the Eagles.
7:01 — Packers 17, Bears 9 FINAL: Green Bay is in the playoffs!
The Green Bay Packers beat the Chicago Bears to secure their ticket to the playoffs next week behind a masterful performance from quarterback Jordan Love.
Love completed 27 of 32 passes for 316 yards and two touchdowns for a 128.6 passer rating, and he served notice that he should be a feared man heading into wild-card weekend.
The Packers’ win also set the playoff field in the NFC, meaning Seattle has been eliminated.
7:14 p.m. — Cowboys 38, Commanders 10 + Giants 28, Eagles 10 FINALS
The combination of the Cowboys’ victory and the Eagles’ loss secured NFC East crown for Dallas.
It also allowed the Cowboys to lock up the No. 2 seed in the NFC.
7:20 p.m. — Rams 21, 49ers 20 FINAL: No. 6 seed for Rams
The Los Angeles Rams rallied back from a 13-point deficit behind Carson Wentz to beat the San Francisco 49ers and lock up the No. 6 seed in the NFC playoffs.
The Rams’ win ended their nine-game regular-season losing streak to the 49ers, whose streak of wins over NFC West teams ended at 12.
7:24 p.m. — The NFC playoffs are set
No more needs to be done in the NFC because the field is set. Here are the wild-card matchups for next week:
BYE: San Francisco 49ers
- No. 7 Green Bay Packers at No. 2 Dallas Cowboys
- No. 6 Los Angeles Rams at No. 3 Detroit Lions
- No. 5 Philadelphia Eagles at No. 4 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
7:42 p.m. — What’s on the line for the Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins
It’s the final game of the day and of the regular season, as it should be. The Buffalo Bills meet the Miami Dolphins in a game with the following playoff implications:
If Buffalo wins:
- The Bills will win the AFC East title and secure the No. 2 seed in the AFC playoffs.
- The Dolphins will fall to the No. 6 seed in the AFC.
If Miami wins:
- The Dolphins will win the AFC East title and secure the No. 2 seed in the AFC playoffs.
- The Bills will fall to the No. 7 seed in the AFC.
- The Steelers will secure the No. 6 seed.