Every year, every January, the final week of the NFL's regular season provides riveting playoff berth and seeding drama.
Following the scary events on Monday when safety Damar Hamlin collapsed on the field in Cincinnati and went into cardiac arrest, the Buffalo Bills earned a heartfelt victory against the New England Patriots to lock up the AFC's No. 2 seed.
With the Patriots' defeat, the Miami Dolphins were afforded the opportunity to take the conference's final wild-card spot, which they did in an 11-6 last-minute win over the New York Jets. They will meet the Bills in the first round of the playoffs.
The Houston Texans missed out on the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft after a miraculous, late, go-ahead touchdown from tight end Jordan Akins against the Indianapolis Colts. Houston's win opened the door for Chicago to clinch the top pick, and the Bears walked right through with a loss to the Minnesota Vikings.
In the afternoon slate, the Seattle Seahawks kept their playoff hopes alive with an overtime win against the Los Angeles Rams. And with a Detroit Lions win against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday night, they punched their ticket to the playoffs.
Meanwhile, the Philadelphia Eagles locked up the NFC East and the top seed in the conference following their 22-16 victory over the New York Giants.
Here is a recap of Sunday's action.
BILLS 35, PATRIOTS 23
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Nyheim Hines ignited an emotionally charged atmosphere celebrating injured Bills safety Damar Hamlin by returning two kickoffs for touchdowns, and Buffalo clinched the AFC’s second playoff seed with a 35-23 win over the New England Patriots on Sunday.
The loss, coupled with Miami beating the New York Jets, eliminated the Patriots (8-9) from the playoffs for the second time in three years, and just the fourth time in 23 seasons during Bill Belichick’s coaching tenure. Buffalo will now host their division rival Dolphins in the wild-card round next weekend.
With the game in hand, Bills players held up three fingers in honor of Hamlin’s number with the crowd chanting “Hamlin! Hamlin!”
The Bills (13-3) closed their season by winning their final seven games and overcame an emotional week in which the team was left devastated in watching Hamlin collapse after going into cardiac arrest and having to be resuscitated on the field in Cincinnati on Monday night.
EAGLES 22, GIANTS 16
PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Jalen Hurts returned from a sprained right shoulder and threw for 229 yards under a conservative game plan, and the Philadelphia Eagles clinched the No. 1 seed in the NFC with a 22-16 win over the New York Giants on Sunday night.
Hurts was back for the first time in three weeks -- and now so are the Eagles (14-3) as a Super Bowl threat.
Philadelphia rebounded from two straight losses behind backup QB Gardner Minshew to clinch the NFC East, the top spot in the conference and home field throughout the playoffs. The team also gets a bye, one more pivotal week of rest for Hurts.
Hurts walked into the Linc wearing a Michael Jordan "I'm Back" T-shirt from the former Chicago Bulls' star's first unretirement. He received a roaring ovation and "MVP!" chants as he ran out of the tunnel during pregame introductions. The Eagles had clearly missed their QB, who had grown into an MVP front-runner until he was hurt on a hard tackle against Chicago.
Hurts was 20-of-35 passing in a game that had a preseason feel -- the Eagles were only 1 of 5 in the red zone -- and played the entire game. The Eagles also earned the No. 1 seed in the 2017 season and won the Super Bowl.
DOLPHINS 11, JETS 6
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Jason Sanders kicked a go-ahead 50-yard field goal with 18 seconds left, helping the Miami Dolphins to their first playoff berth since 2016 after squeaking by 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 Buffalo to defeat New England 35-23 to make their postseason appearance official. "We're In" was displayed on the videoboard at Hard Rock Stadium.
Miami will play at Buffalo in the first round of the playoffs next weekend. The AFC East rivals split the season series with each winning at home.
Sanders' kick came after the Dolphins were helped by a 15-yard horse-collar tackle penalty on Quincy Williams.
The Jets (7-10) ended the season with six straight losses, finishing a disappointing collapse for Robert Saleh's squad. New York failed to score a touchdown in its final three games.
SEAHAWKS 19, RAMS 16 (OT)
SEATTLE (AP) — Jason Myers kicked a 32-yard field goal midway through overtime, and the Seattle Seahawks kept their playoff hopes alive with a 19-16 win over the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday.
Myers missed from 46 yards when he hit the upright on the final play of regulation, but given another shot in overtime, the Pro Bowler connected on his fourth field goal of the game and the Seahawks’ postseason chances stayed alive.
Seattle (9-8) eliminated Detroit from playoff contention but still needed a Lions win or tie against Green Bay on Sunday night to reach the playoffs as the No. 7 seed in the NFC.
Geno Smith had a shaky performance, throwing two interceptions to Jalen Ramsey. But he threw a 36-yard touchdown pass to Tyler Lockett in the first half and made several key plays late to put Seattle in position to win.
Smith finished 19 of 31 for 214 yards and rookie Kenneth Walker III rushed for 114 yards for Seattle.
LIONS 20, PACKERS 16
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Aaron Rodgers was intercepted by Kerby Joseph on the final pass of what might be his last game, and the Packers lost to the Lions on to fall short of making the playoffs.
After winning four straight and receiving plenty of help from other teams, the Packers had control of their postseason fate heading into the final game of the NFL regular season. But they fell short against the Lions, who had been eliminated from the playoffs earlier Sunday when the Seattle Seahawks beat the Los Angeles Rams 19-16 in overtime.
Seattle instead earned the NFC’s last playoff spot. The Packers (8-9) missed the playoffs for the first time in Matt LaFleur’s four seasons as coach.
Rodgers went 17 of 27 for 205 yards with one touchdown in what may be the final appearance at Lambeau Field for the four-time MVP. Although he is under contract for next season, the 39-year-old Rodgers has said he doesn’t know whether he will continue playing.
Jamaal Williams’ second 1-yard touchdown run of the night against his former team put the Lions (9-8) ahead with 5:55 remaining. Williams finished with 17 rushing TDs runs to break the Lions’ single-season record that Barry Sanders had set in 1991.
Green Bay only got as far as its own 33 on its next series before Joseph picked off Rodgers’ deep throw on third-and-10 with 3 1/2 minutes left. Detroit held onto the ball for the remainder of the game, converting a fourth-and-1 to put it away.
BENGALS 27, RAVENS 16
CINCINNATI (AP) — Joe Burrow threw for a touchdown and Joe Mixon ran for another as the Cincinnati Bengals took advantage of four Baltimore turnovers to beat the Ravens 27-16 on Sunday and set up a rematch in the first round of the playoffs next week.
The AFC North champion Bengals (12-4) — playing on the same field where Buffalo’s Damar Hamlin suffered cardiac arrest in a horrifying scene six days ago — beat a Ravens team that rested some key players ahead of the postseason.
Cincinnati avoided a coin flip to determine the site of its playoff game against Baltimore, which would have come into play had the Ravens won and the Los Angeles Chargers lost later Sunday at Denver. The Bengals were unhappy with the prospect of a coin flip costing them a home playoff game and mocked the rule change with a coin-flip celebration after Mixon’s TD.
Cincinnati’s chances at the No. 2 seed in the AFC ended when Buffalo beat New England.
The Ravens (10-7) fought gamely behind rookie third-stringer Anthony Brown, who got the start after throwing just five passes all season. But rather than go all-out for the slim chance of getting a home playoff game, Ravens coach John Harbaugh ensured the Bengals will see a somewhat different team when sixth-seeded Baltimore returns to Paycor Stadium next weekend.
VIKINGS 29, BEARS 13
CHICAGO (AP) — Kirk Cousins threw for 225 yards and a touchdown in the first half and watched the rest of the way as the NFC North champion Minnesota Vikings tuned up for the playoffs by beating the Chicago Bears 29-13 on Sunday.
Cousins led three scoring drives as the Vikings (13-4) grabbed a 16-6 halftime lead. They remained in control the rest of the way after getting blown out at Green Bay the previous week.
The Bears (3-14), who held out star Justin Fields, set a franchise record with their 14th loss and extended one by dropping their 10th game in a row.
With Houston winning 32-31 at Indianapolis, Chicago gets the No. 1 pick in the draft for the first time since 1947.
TEXANS 32, COLTS 31
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Davis Mills threw a 28-yard touchdown pass to Jordan Akins on fourth down with 50 seconds left in Sunday’s season finale then connected with Akins on the two-point conversion to give Houston a 32-31 victory at Indianapolis — costing the Texans the first pick in April’s draft.
Houston (3-13-1) won twice in the final three weeks to finish second to the Chicago Bears in draft positioning.
Indy (4-12-1) lost its seventh straight under interim coach Jeff Saturday, assuring themselves of a top-five draft selection.
FALCONS 30, BUCCANEERS 17
ATLANTA (AP) — Rookie Desmond Ridder’s first two career touchdown passes powered the Atlanta Falcons to a 30-17 win over the playoff-bound Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday after Tom Brady added to his imposing list of records.
Brady broke his own NFL record for most completions in a season before leaving the game late in the first half. Brady left with the score tied at 10 in the second quarter but had to watch the remainder of his first career loss to the Falcons from the sideline.
Brady had been 11-0 in his career against Atlanta, including New England’s 34-28 win over the Falcons in the Super Bowl following the 2016 season. Led by Brady, the Patriots rallied from a 28-3 deficit.
The Falcons haven’t been allowed to forget the epic Super Bowl collapse, but they can now claim to be responsible for Brady’s first losing final record in a regular season.
Brady and Tampa Bay’s other healthy regulars started even though the Buccaneers (8-9) clinched the NFC South title by beating Carolina 30-24 last week and were locked in as the NFC’s No. 4 seed in the playoffs.
49ERS 38, CARDINALS 13
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — Brock Purdy and the San Francisco 49ers are peaking at just the right time and now know they won't have to go on the road for at least a few more weeks.
Purdy threw three touchdown passes for his sixth straight game with multiple TDs and the 49ers clinched the No. 2 seed in the NFC playoffs with a 38-13 victory over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.
Purdy overcame two sacks by J.J. Watt in the final game of the star defensive end's stellar career and connected with George Kittle twice and Christian McCaffrey once on TD passes to lead the Niners (13-4) to their 10th straight win to end the regular season.
“I feel great. I feel like everyone else is feeling great,” Purdy said. “When you’re on a roll, you’re on a win streak, you feel like the groove and how we’re playing together, it feels really good when we’re on it. I think a lot of us are real with ourselves, too, and feel like we still haven’t played to our full potential yet.”
San Francisco beat out Minnesota on a tiebreaker for the second seed, assuring the 49ers won't have to go on the road before the NFC title game. The Niners weren't able to secure a first-round bye because Philadelphia beat the New York Giants.
COMMANDERS 26, COWBOYS 6
LANDOVER, Md. (AP) — Dak Prescott completed just 14 of his 37 passes for 128 yards, threw another interception that was returned for a touchdown and the Dallas Cowboys laid an egg in their final regular-season game, losing 26-6 to the Washington Commanders on Sunday.
Despite playing their starters with coach Mike McCarthy pledging they were playing to win, the Cowboys limped into the playoffs and a wild-card showdown at Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers next weekend with Prescott on a career-long seven-game interception streak.
Beyond getting picked off by Kendall Fuller on the pick-6, Prescott was wildly inaccurate and the Dallas offense had just 169 total yards before he was replaced by Cooper Rush in garbage time.
This was not exactly how the Cowboys (12-5) figured things would go with a chance, albeit small, to win the NFC East if Philadelphia lost at home to the also playoff-bound New York Giants, who were resting several regulars and starting a third-string quarterback.
BRONCOS 31, CHARGERS 28
DENVER (AP) — Russell Wilson threw three touchdown passes, Justin Simmons forced two fumbles and the Denver Broncos dodged a franchise-worst 13th loss with a 31-28 victory over the playoff-bound Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday.
The Chargers (10-7) knew before kickoff they were locked into the fifth AFC playoff seed with a first-round game looming at Jacksonville, but coach Brandon Staley played his starters anyway, a decision that could prove costly.
Joey Bosa had a sack in the first half but appeared to be limping around the sideline afterward. The Chargers (10-7) announced no injury to Bosa and declined to give a reason for his absence the rest of the game, and wide receiver Mike Williams left with a back injury in the first half.
Justin Herbert warmed up for his first playoff appearance with another solid outing — 25 of 37 for 275 yards, two TDs and no interceptions.
Wilson finished 13 of 24 for 283 yards, three touchdowns and an interception, and Jerry Jeudy capped a month-long surge with a career day that featured 154 yards on five catches and 39 yards on three rushes
STEELERS 28, BROWNS 14
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Najee Harris ran for 84 yards and a touchdown and the Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Cleveland Browns 28-14 on Sunday but were eliminated from the playoffs when Miami edged the New York Jets.
The Steelers (9-8) will have to settle for a 16th straight non-losing season under coach Mike Tomlin, fueled by a 7-2 finish. Pittsburgh's ugly 2-6 start included an injury to star linebacker T.J. Watt and rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett's ascension to the starting job at halftime of a Week 4 loss to the Jets.
Pickett completed 13 of 29 passes for 195 yards and a touchdown and avoided an interception for the sixth time in his last seven appearances.
Pittsburgh's defense sacked Deshaun Watson seven times to assure the Steelers of finishing ahead of the Browns (7-10) in the standings for the 34th consecutive time.
Cleveland has had 17 seasons of 10 losses or more since the franchise rebooted in 1999.
PANTHERS 10, SAINTS 7
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Eddy Pineiro kicked a 42-yard field goal as time expired, and the Carolina Panthers closed out their season with an opportunistic 10-7 victory over the New Orleans Saints on Sunday.
The Saints finished with some wide statistical advantages, outgaining Carolina 304 yards to 203, but the game remained tight until the end because of New Orleans’ inability to score on four possessions inside the Panthers 40-yard line.
The Saints (7-10) were in position to win when safety Daniel Sorensen intercepted Sam Darnold near midfield and returned it to the Carolina 35 with 1:36 to go. But New Orleans failed to move the ball on three plays and Wil Lutz missed a 55-yard field goal attempt — his second miss of the game.
Darnold then moved Carolina (7-10) into field goal range with a first-down scramble, followed by just his fifth completion of the game — a 21 yarder to former LSU receiver Terrace Marshall Jr.
Darnold finished 5 of 15 for 43 yards and was intercepted twice, winning despite having a quarterback rating of 2.8. But the Panthers rushed for 171 yards, led by Chuba Hubbard’s 69 yards on 21 carries.
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