MIAMI — Jason Sanders gave the Dolphins the lead with a 50-yard touchdown shot with 18 seconds left, helping Miami clinch its first playoff berth since 2016 by beating the New York Jets 11-6 on Sunday. .
The Dolphins (9-8) snapped a five-game losing streak and then had to wait a few minutes for the Buffalo Bills to beat the New England Patriots 35-23. Thus, they made their appearance in the postseason official.
“We are inside”, was the message that was displayed on the giant screen of the Hard Rock Stadium.
Miami will play Buffalo in the first round of the playoffs next weekend. The rivals from the AFC East split victories in the regular season series, each winning in their stadium.
Sanders’ kick came after the Dolphins got help on a 15-yard penalty kick from Quincy Williams.
The Jets (7-10) ended the season with their sixth straight loss in a disappointing collapse for Robert Saleh’s team. New York hasn’t gotten a single touchdown in its last three games.
Kansas City, leader of the American Conference (AFC), and Philadelphia, number one in the National Conference (NFC), will rest the first week of the playoffs that were defined this Sunday after the conclusion of week 18 of the 2022 season of the nfl.
THIS IS HOW THE PLAYOFFS WERE
The West champion Chiefs clinched their position in the AFC with their 13-31 win over the Raiders last Saturday. They will bye in the wild card round that begins next week.
The Eagles, monarchs of the East, finished at the top of the NFC thanks to their victory this Sunday 22-16 over the Giants, which also entitles them to not play at the start of the postseason.
In the wild card phase of the American Conference, the Buffalo Bills, number two, will host the Miami Dolphins, seventh place, at Highmark Stadium.
The Bills, who finished as Eastern champions, beat the Patriots 35-23 on Sunday.
The monarchs of the North division, the Cincinnati Bengals, occupants of the third step, will play at Paul Brown Stadium, against the Baltimore Ravens, who finished sixth in the AFC.
In their duel this Sunday, the Bengals beat the Ravens 27-16, something they will try to repeat next week.
The last confrontation of said AFC round will be led by the Los Angeles Chargers, number five, who will visit fourth place at EverBank Field, the Jacksonville Jaguars, monarchs of the South division.
NATIONAL CONFERENCE
In the National Conference, the champions of the West, the San Francisco 49ers finished as the second best team, since it gives them the right to receive the Seattle Seahawks, seventh ranked in the NFC, at Levi’s Stadium.
In their last game, the Californian team beat the Arizona Cardinals 38-13; It was the 10th straight win for the 49ers in the season finale. The Seahawks clinched their playoff berth thanks to their 19-16 overtime win against the Rams.
The NFC’s third-best team, the North division title-holder Minnesota Vikings, will start the postseason at home against the sixth-seeded New York Giants.
This Sunday the Vikings concluded the regular season with a 29-13 win over the Chicago Bears. The Giants did it with a 16-22 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
In the last game of the NFC wild card round (fourth vs. fifth) the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, led by Tom Brady to win the South title, will meet the Dallas Cowboys at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.
Both teams lost at the close of the season. The Bucs fell 30-17 to the Falcons and the Cowboys fell to the Commanders 26-6.