The Raiders claimed the last available ticket for the playoffs that already have their schedules defined
The Sunday day of the Week 18 The final of the regular season included a pair of dramatic overtime wins and some unexpected scores that directly impacted the playoff landscape.
The Pittsburgh Steelers took a step towards the playoffs after defeating in overtime the Baltimore Ravens, although they had to wait until the conclusion of the night game to celebrate.
The surprise of the day was the resounding victory of the Jacksonville Jaguars Over the Indianapolis Colts That leaves the door open to the postseason for multiple teams in the American Conference.
On the other hand, Tennessee Titans tied the No. 1 seed in the AFC with a close win over the Houston Texans.
In the afternoon, San Francisco 49ers claimed the last ticket of the National Conference, winning in overtime to Los Angeles Rams, who secured the NFC West title despite defeat thanks to the help received from the Seattle Seahawks with his triumph over the Arizona Cardinals.
At the night party, Las Vegas Raiders they imposed conditions at home on Los Angeles Chargers to qualify for No. 5 in the American Conference.
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Here we review the most notable of Sunday’s games:
The Chargers paid dearly for playing aggressive, including a fourth-down play within their 20-yard line in the second half in which they tried to move the chains and came up short, a decision that translated into three points for the Raiders, who tied their place in the playoffs under interim head coach Rich Bisaccia. Las Vegas could have sentenced the game in regulation time, but blew a 29-14 lead in the fourth quarter and had to wait until a late Daniel Carlson field goal to seal the victory.
The Bengals had a chance of finishing as the No. 3 seed in the AFC, although they needed a combination of results, so they decided not to risk their starters against some eliminated Browns without really caring about the final result. That decision cost wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase a chance to break the record for rookie receiving yards that has been in place since 1960.
The Packers had already secured the NFC’s No. 1 seed from a week earlier, however some starters saw action in Detroit to keep up with a bye week in the playoffs. The Lions made some spectacular plays and conceded nothing to Green Bay to close out the year with a win that will stand out among the few positives of the season. The worrying thing for the Packers was that the times Jordan Love tried to move on the offense in the final minutes he ended up throwing interceptions.
It was probably the last game for head coaches Matt Nagy and Mike Zimmer with the Bears and Vikings, respectively. Minnesota took advantage of Chicago’s mistakes to shape a trivial beating after both teams’ terrible season.
The Giants urgently need a rebuild, and head coach Joe Judge probably won’t be a part of it after his incredible decision to send a sneak quarterback at third down and 9 for going deep on his ground, simply inexplicable. Washington has elements to build for the future, but surely the offseason will include the search for a new quarterback.
The Colts have not found the key to victory in Jacksonville since 2014 and this time the result is more expensive than in other years, jettisoning their playoff hopes with an unexpected loss to the Jaguars that brings other teams to life. in the AFC and leaves serious questions for quarterback Carson Wentz, who had a performance to forget.
Ben Roethlisberger’s journey with the Steelers could have one more stop next week in the Wild Card Round after guiding Pittsburgh to a thrilling overtime win over the Ravens to stroke their postseason ticket, yet now the Steelers They need the night game between the Chargers and Raiders not to end in a draw to sneak in as the No. 7 seed in the AFC to face the No. 2 Kansas City Chiefs.
The Titans clinched the AFC’s No. 1 seed in dramatic fashion, because the Texans didn’t stop fighting until the end, forcing Tennessee to work hard to escape with victory after dominating most of the game. With the possible return of Derrick Henry for the Divisional Round, the Titans should be considered favorites to reach the Super Bowl.
The Saints did their job with another good victory, sadly the scenario that gave him the ticket to the playoffs was not fulfilled with the dramatic victory of the 49ers over the Rams. New Orleans fought to the end without having a defined quarterback on the roster and overcoming multiple injuries, which is a good sign for the future of this franchise.
The Bills did not have an easy day and waited until the fourth quarter to secure the win over the Jets thanks to a touchdown by Devin Singletary. The good news for Buffalo was that Josh Allen had no turnovers and threw a pair of touchdowns.
The 49ers came from behind, rebounding from a 17-0 deficit to defeat the Rams and claim the final berth to the National Conference playoffs, where they will face the Cowboys. Los Angeles had a chance to come back in the closing minutes of overtime, but Matthew Stafford threw his second interception of the day, dashing the hopes of the Rams, who now lagged behind the No. 4 seed after fighting for No. 2.
Miami is not a comfortable place for Bill Belichick and the Patriots, adding another loss in their history, now putting their position for the playoffs on hold. New England is currently ranked No. 4, but a victory for the Raiders could drag them back to fifth place, where they would face off against AFC East champions Bills.
The Seahawks did everything in their power to ruin the Cardinals’ hopes of winning the division title, ending a terrible year with a resounding win at Arizona. Seattle is heading into an offseason in which it must answer multiple questions, but it is best done with a victory under the arm.
The champion Buccaneers were the day’s big winners in the National Conference, their victory over the Panthers combined with the loss of the Rams catapulted them to the No. 2 seed, so they will only leave home until the Championship Game in the event that advance to that instance the Packers.
This is how the playoffs will be played
American Conference
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