Every week for the duration of the 2024 NFL regular season, USA TODAY Sports will provide timely updates to the league’s ever-evolving playoff picture − starting after Sunday afternoon’s late games and then moving forward for the remainder of the week (through Monday’s and Thursday’s games or Saturday’s, if applicable).

What just happened? What does it mean? What are the pertinent factors (and, perhaps, tiebreakers) prominently in play as each conference’s seven-team bracket begins to crystallize? All will be explained and analyzed up to the point when the postseason field is finalized on Sunday, Jan. 5.

Here’s where things stand with Week 13 of the 2024 season nearly complete:

AFC playoff picture

x – 1. Kansas City Chiefs (11-1), AFC West leaders: Yet another close shave as they narrowly escaped the Raiders 19-17 on Black Friday. But that was still sufficient to convey this season’s first clinched playoff berth to the reigning champs, who are pursuing the first-ever Super Bowl three-peat. The Bills’ head-to-head tiebreaker advantage still means K.C. can’t afford to backslide at all – but they can only slip so far at this point. Next up? The Chiefs can win their division for the ninth consecutive time by handling the Bolts on Sunday night. Remaining schedule: vs. Chargers, at Browns, vs. Texans, at Steelers, at Broncos

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y – 2. Buffalo Bills (10-2), AFC East champions: No better way to win a fifth straight division title, and the league’s first in 2024, than by sparkling in lake effect snow in front of a national television audience – and with QB Josh Allen further bolstering his MVP bona fides amid his club’s seventh consecutive victory. And, with that potentially pivotal tiebreaker against the Chiefs in hand, the Bills could soon steer the road to Super Bowl 59 through Western New York. Remaining schedule: at Rams, at Lions, vs. Patriots, vs. Jets, at Patriots

3. Pittsburgh Steelers (9-3), AFC North leaders: They didn’t cruise Sunday at Cincinnati but are cruising toward a postseason return. The question in the short term will be whether they can get back into the race for the No. 1 seed and/or if they’ll have to fend off Baltimore for the divisional title given the tough upcoming games the Steelers face. Remaining schedule: vs. Browns, at Eagles, at Ravens, vs. Chiefs, vs. Bengals

4. Houston Texans (8-5), AFC South leaders: They were unimpressive in many ways Sunday but did get back into the win column to maintain what’s effectively a three-game lead over Indy in the division due to Houston’s season sweep of the Colts. Remaining schedule: BYE, vs. Dolphins, at Chiefs, vs. Ravens, at Titans

5. Los Angeles Chargers (8-4), wild card No. 1: Beating Atlanta on Sunday doesn’t assure the Bolts a playoff berth yet, even after they overtook Baltimore. But they’ll have to do a lot of ‘Charger-ing’ to cough up a golden opportunity in Year 1 under HC Jim Harbaugh … though they will face more playoff-caliber squads the next three weeks. Remaining schedule: at Chiefs, vs. Buccaneers, vs. Broncos, at Patriots, at Raiders

6. Baltimore Ravens (8-5), wild card No. 2: Sunday’s loss to Philadelphia further jeopardizes any shot they have at the AFC North crown and a playoff game in Charm City. Remaining schedule: BYE, at Giants, vs. Steelers, at Texans, vs. Browns

7. Denver Broncos (7-5), wild card No. 3: Their hold on the AFC’s last berth continues to harden and should continue to do so in the coming weeks … unless they manage to jump the Chargers. But even with a win Monday night, they won’t surpass the Ravens, who trounced Denver in Week 9. Remaining schedule: vs. Browns, BYE, vs. Colts, at Chargers, at Bengals, vs. Chiefs

8. Indianapolis Colts (6-7), in the hunt: They get a week off after a gutsy win in New England on Sunday. Their Week 15 trip to Denver could be truly massive if Cleveland provides help by beating the Broncos on Monday night. Remaining schedule: BYE, at Broncos, vs. Titans, at Giants, vs. Jaguars

9. Miami Dolphins (5-7), in the hunt: QB Tua Tagovailoa was excited to ‘kill narratives’ Thursday night … like the one that says the Fins can’t win in cold weather or late in the season. Welp. Miami’s three-game win streak ended in Lambeau Field, and its playoff hopes also took a crippling hit. Remaining schedule: vs. Jets, at Texans, vs. 49ers, at Browns, at Jets

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NFC playoff picture

1. Detroit Lions (11-1), NFC North leaders: They were fortunate to fend off the Bears 23-20 on Thanksgiving for the first 11-1 start in franchise history. The victory keeps the Lions in the conference lead, but subsequent circumstances pushed their ability to clinch anything into Week 14. Remaining schedule: vs. Packers, vs. Bills, at Bears, at 49ers, vs. Vikings

2. Philadelphia Eagles (10-2), NFC East leaders: They’re officially a clear and present danger to Detroit and might run away, a la RB Saquon Barkley, with this division. But first, they’ll hope to catch the Lions in Week 14. Remaining schedule: vs. Panthers, vs. Steelers, at Commanders, vs. Cowboys, vs. Giants

3. Seattle Seahawks (7-5), NFC West leaders: Sunday’s comeback against the Jets gave them a one-game lead in a hotly contest division likely to send just one team to postseason. Remaining schedule: at Cardinals, vs. Packers, vs. Vikings, at Bears, at Rams

4. Atlanta Falcons (6-6), NFC South leaders: Their margin for error is gone after collapsing at home Sunday to the Chargers. A season sweep of the Bucs is the only reason Atlanta remains in first place. Remaining schedule: at Vikings, at Raiders, vs. Giants, at Commanders, vs. Panthers

5. Minnesota Vikings (10-2), wild card No. 1: They continue to win ugly – including Sunday’s escape from Arizona – yet are also on a five-game heater any team would consider beautiful. It may not seem like Vikes are a threat to win their division, yet they’re only one game back of Detroit in the NFC North. Remaining schedule: vs. Falcons, vs. Bears, at Seahawks, vs. Packers, at Lions

6. Green Bay Packers (9-3), wild card No. 2: After handling the warm-weather Dolphins in Lambeau’s sub-freezing temperatures Thursday, the Pack also remain relevant in the NFC North while further cementing another postseason bid. Huge game in Motown on Thursday night. Remaining schedule: at Lions, at Seahawks, vs. Saints, at Vikings, vs. Bears

7. Washington Commanders (8-5), wild card No. 3: They snapped a three-game losing streak in spectacular style with Sunday’s 23-point blowout of Tennessee while putting a bit of distance between themselves and the conference’s other wild-card hopefuls. However a week off, good as it should be for the roster’s health, may not be kind to Washington’s cushion. Remaining schedule: BYE, at Saints, vs. Eagles, vs. Falcons, at Cowboys

8. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-6), in the hunt: Sunday was nearly disastrous … until they finally vanquished the plucky Panthers in overtime. Now, the Bucs are virtually tied with the Falcons atop the NFC South, and their conference record (6-3) pushes them past Arizona (3-5) in the overall NFC standings. Remaining schedule: vs. Raiders, at Chargers, at Cowboys, vs. Panthers, vs. Saints

9. Arizona Cardinals (6-6), in the hunt: They blew a golden opportunity Sunday in Minnesota but must regroup for Week 14, when they’ll face NFC West-leading Seattle for second time in two weeks. Remaining schedule: vs. Seahawks, vs. Patriots, at Panthers, at Rams, vs. 49ers

10. Los Angeles Rams (6-6), in the hunt: They won in New Orleans on Sunday but remain behind the Cards, who buried them in Week 2. Remaining schedule: vs. Bills, at 49ers, at Jets, vs. Cardinals, vs. Seahawks

11. San Francisco 49ers (5-7), in the hunt: What’s quickly become a cursed season continued Sunday night in the Buffalo snow, where RB Christian McCaffrey hurt his knee … and maybe put the Niners’ flickering postseason aspirations on injured reserve. Remaining schedule: vs. Bears, vs. Rams, at Dolphins, vs. Lions, at Cardinals

12. Dallas Cowboys (5-7), in the hunt: Hand it to Mike McCarthy’s crew – they’re not dying easy, when it would be quite easy, at this point, to do exactly that. Their latest win – and first at home this year – over the Giants on Thanksgiving moved them up, yet not past the 49ers, who won the team’s Week 8 matchup. Dallas’ near-term goal? Get back to .500 and see what happens from there. Remaining schedule: vs. Bengals, at Panthers, vs. Buccaneers, at Eagles, vs. Commanders

NFL teams eliminated from playoff contention in 2024

x – clinched playoff berth

y – clinched division

***

Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Nate Davis on X, formerly Twitter, @ByNateDavis.

In 2022, they made the Super Bowl. Last season, their disastrous late-season collapse – six losses in six seven games, including a wild-card-round exit – negated what was a second consecutive 10-1 start. And here the Eagles are with another auspicious start, at 10-2 and first place in the NFC East after a 24-19 victory over the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday. 

How will it play out this time? 

“Last year is over. We don’t care about last year,” Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni said. “We learned what we needed to learn from last year and what we needed to do off of that. This year, it’s a different group of guys. This is a different team that’s gelling and meshing on all cylinders right now.” 

Philadelphia overcame a 9-0 first-quarter deficit and four straight punts to open the contest; the Eagles gained 22 yards in the first quarter and Jalen Hurts started 1-for-5 for 5 yards. Meanwhile, Lamar Jackson and the Ravens racked up 133 yards and seven first downs. From there, the Eagles defense looked like the unit coordinator Vic Fangio has lined up during the team’s eight-game win streak, surrendering three points – kicker Justin Tucker’s dismal performance helped – until a garbage-time touchdown drive. 

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“We just stick to the plan and let the game unfold because everybody knows the first five, six minutes of the game is hot on both sides,” safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson said. 

He added: “One touchdown’s not gonna win the game. That goes for our offense, too.” 

The Eagles sacked Jackson three times and contained running back Derrick Henry (19 carries, 82  yards), with rookie cornerback Cooper DeJean delivering a memorable tackle in the fourth quarter that was emblematic of who the more physical team was. Sirianni said the coaching staff showed cut-ups of the Eagles’ game against Henry and the Tennessee Titans in 2022 – when he had 11 carries for 30 yards – to help motivate the defense.

“Through the ups and the downs, we’re pretty stoic in that, like, we don’t get too high, we don’t get too low and we’re always trying to get better,” said linebacker Zack Baun, who is in his first season with the Eagles. “It’s a lot of young guys on this defense who have a lot of potential and we know they have that potential.” 

The goal, Gardner-Johnson said, isn’t to send a message to the rest of the league. Playing good ball every week is. The Eagles pride themselves on physicality and limiting points.

“That type of game, it’s a playoff game,” he said of facing the Ravens. “That’s a team you could probably see in the Super Bowl, so credit to our guys.” 

Running back Saquon Barkley (23 rushes, 107 yards) didn’t have quite the kind of MVP-level performance he has been authoring as of late, but his 25-yard touchdown scamper sealed the game. Hurts completed 11 of 19 passes for 118 yards, but Sirianni was quick to point out his quarterback rating (114.4 over the last eight games) during the Eagles’ winning streak. 

“I don’t believe in momentum. It’s really a facade,” Hurts said. “It can begin and end at any moment. You’ve just got to reassess everything for what it is and continue to strive to be the best team we can be. It’s not about trying to be better than another team or trying to up them in this area or whatever. It’s just about aggressively pursuing our best self as a team.” 

Even injured wideout DeVonta Smith has been helping in his own ways while not playing. Sirianni said Smith is usually the first person to tell him to leave the offense on the field in fourth-down situations.  

This was a decisive victory in all three phases for Philadelphia. Punter Braden Mann backed the Ravens up inside their own 5-yard line on three occasions and five of his six punts were downed within the 20-yard line. 

“Those are things that you get so excited about as a football coach, of how important that is in the field position battle,” Sirianni said. “That’s not going to get looked at a lot, but I am really excited, and we talked about that after the game.”

One major difference this time around is that instead of the San Francisco 49ers being the primary threat within the NFC, it’s the Detroit Lions. The other NFC North contenders, Minnesota and Green Bay, have also proven themselves through the season’s first three months – but Philadelphia and Detroit are in a class of their own in the NFC, with Buffalo and Kansas City occupying that air in the AFC.

“I think it shows capabilities, what we can do when we focus,” right tackle Lane Johnson said. “But people need to understand that stuff, certainly in this league, is not a given. Because look at last year. We’re in a very good position, then the last six or seven games, it turned into a nightmare. So, remember those times and learn from them.” 

Johnson acknowledged the locker room is not the exact same – no Jason Kelce or Fletcher Cox, who both retired, or Brandon Graham, who tore his triceps last week. The backslide shouldn’t happen if players maintain focus and “continue to want to get better,” Johnson said. “Do you want to lapse and think you have it made?” he asked rhetorically. 

The four three-and-outs by the offense are examples of imperfection, Johnson said. And he insisted harkening back to last year isn’t to put a scare into guys.

“It’s not to promote fear,” he said. “But it’s really like to (say), ‘Hey, a lot of these guys maybe weren’t on the team last year.’ So it’s to raise awareness that, you know, ‘Don’t fall in the trap of getting complacent.’ You can find out what the NFL is all about. We learned that last year. We knew coming in that today was going to be a tough job.” 

A key during the winning streak is the group’s ability to not only make the in-game adjustments, but learning how to do them, Johnson said. 

“You game plan for stuff all week and sometimes they may come out with something you’re not expecting, so you have to be able to make in-game adjustments,” Johnson said. “That’s what leads to success – the teams that make the fewest mistakes and learn from mistakes.” 

Sirianni deployed a classic climbing a mountain analogy to how he approaches the season. Look too far back or forward, the chances of slipping increase. He and the Eagles know what it’s like to be in freefall.

“That doesn’t make for good press. That doesn’t make for good stories,” he said. “We’re boring, but the monotony, boring, day-to-day grind is what gets results.” 

And with eight wins in a row, that’s hard to argue. 

ATLANTA – Kirk Cousins is still the starting quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons. 

Yet after Cousins had a funk of performance in a 17-13 setback against the Los Angeles Chargers – his career-high-tying four interceptions included a pick-six and a feeble lob to the end zone that erased a scoring threat – questions about his status are fair game. 

Especially now. The Falcons (6-6) have lost three consecutive games. The Cousins-led offense has produced one touchdown in two games. The once-commanding first-place lead in the NFC South has fizzled into what-ifs and tiebreaker scenarios. 

And hey, these are the Falcons. This promising tease stuff has happened before. 

So, is benching Cousins in the mix?  

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Let Raheem Morris, the first-year Falcons coach, attempt to calm the waters. 

“There are no issues with that,” Morris said when asked during his postgame news conference if he would consider switching from Cousins to first-round rookie Michael Penix Jr. “That guy’s carried us to the point that we’re 6-6. First place in the division. We still have everything in front of us, despite what happened today. 

“It’s up to us to bounce back, to find a way to win football games. There’s no better man than (No.) 18 to do that for us.” 

So there. Cousins – lured to Atlanta in March on a four-year, $180 million free agent deal – will return to Minnesota for a matchup against his former team with his starting status intact. And good luck with that. The Vikings (10-2) are one of the hottest teams in the league, carrying a five-game winning streak, while the Falcons are headed in the opposite direction with the quarterback for whom they backed up the Brinks truck last spring with the intention of him leading them to the franchise’s first playoff berth since 2018. 

On Sunday, Cousins had his worst game yet for the Falcons. He completed 24 of 39 passes for 245 yards, with zero touchdowns and a 40.0 passer rating that was the fourth-worst of his 13-year career. 

The first pick came on the first play of the second quarter, when Cousins double-clutched before launching a throw down the left sideline for Drake London. Rookie Tarheeb Still stepped in front of the pass, and it turned out to be the “best” interception that Cousins threw. 

The pick-six came in the third quarter, on a fourth-and-5, when Cousins telegraphed and underthrew Darnell Mooney, who was running a quick out. It was Still again, who returned the interception 61 yards for the touchdown that, when combined with a 2-point conversion, put L.A. up, 17-10. The fifth-round pick from Maryland said he was tipped off by Cousins as he “read his eyes.” 

Then it was a desperate throw as Cousins scrambled on a third down from the Chargers’ 13-yard line and spotted London in the middle of the end zone. No quarterback in the NFL this season has thrown more interceptions this season while under pressure, and the unfortunate snapshot for the Falcons came early in the fourth quarter with Cousins’ third pick. It was probably Cousins’ softest throw of the game, which floated like a lob that Marcus Maye easily hauled in while London was hardly in position to make a play. 

The last pick was desperation, too. The Falcons had marched from their 6-yard line when they were left with a last-gasp shot on fourth-and-12 from the Chargers’ 35. But Cousins again didn’t come close to connecting with London over the middle as Derwin James stepped in front of the pass to seal the game. 

“We won’t make any excuses for this,” Morris said. “That guy’s carried us all season. He’s done such a marvelous job. It’s hard to throw that guy under the bus, what he’s done for us.” 

There’s something to be said for Morris sticking with his quarterback and refusing to panic amid what is clearly a crisis.  

Yet the pattern that flows with Cousins’ inconsistency can’t be ignored. It’s like this: Which Kirk is going to show up?

Good Kirk or Bad Kirk?

In the Falcons’ six victories, Cousins has a touchdown-to-interception ratio of 14-to-2, with a pass efficiency rating of 114.2. In the six losses, the ratio is 3-to-11, with the efficiency mark comparison dropping more than 50 points. 

The Falcons have demonstrated that they can’t win without an A-game from Cousins. Maybe that’s to be expected because he’s the quarterback. 

Then again, the Falcons’ much-maligned defense had arguably its best game of the season – it held the Chargers to 187 total yards and collected a season-high five sacks on Justin Herbert – and it still wasn’t enough to survive what still turned out to be a close call. 

If this pattern continues, the questions about yanking Cousins will get louder.  

Morris, undoubtedly, knows this comes with the territory. It’s fair to wonder if Penix can provide a spark, especially when considering the flashes from other rookie quaterbacks, including Jayden Daniels and Bo Nix. Morris squashed any hint of a quarterback controversy during the offseason as Cousins methodically worked his way back after rehabbing from a torn Achiles tendon. And he sounded just as adamant on Sunday. 

“Kirk was brought here to put us in a playoff position, to put us in a position to get a home playoff game, win the division in the (NFC) South,” Morris maintained. “Everything is still right in front of us. 

“We’re sticking with our plan.” 

Unless something changes in a hurry, that plan could ultimately spell doom for this Falcons season. 

It was December football Sunday night in Buffalo.

Playing in below-freezing temperatures and in the snow, the Buffalo Bills (10-2) defeated the San Francisco 49ers (5-7), 35-10, at Highmark Stadium.

The 49ers took an early 3-0 lead in the first quarter, but Buffalo scored 21 unanswered points in the first half to break the game open. Josh Allen, James Cook and the Bills didn’t look back from there.

It was an uninspired performance from the banged-up 49ers, which will only bolster the narrative that west-coast teams don’t perform well in snowy conditions.

USA TODAY Sports breaks down the winners and losers from Sunday night’s 49ers vs. Bills game:

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WINNERS

Buffalo Bills

The Bills clinched their fifth straight AFC East title as a result of Sunday night’s win. Buffalo got an early Christmas present on the first day of December.

Josh Allen

Allen, who is from Firebaugh, California, grew up a 49ers fan. He had fun in the snow versus his favorite childhood team.

Allen retrieved a lateral from wide receiver Amari Cooper and ran around the left side for a 7-yard touchdown. The play was quintessential backyard football in the snow. He was credited with a touchdown pass and catch.

Allen checked out of the game in the fourth quarter with the game already in hand.

The Bills’ star quarterback finished 13-of-17 passing for 148 yards and two touchdowns. He also had 18 rushing yards and a rushing score.

James Cook

Cook produced 100 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown on just nine carries in the first half.

His 65-yard touchdown run was a highlight of Buffalo’s first half. It’s the longest touchdown run by a Bills player since 2016.

The Bills’ starting running back produced 107 rushing yards one rushing touchdown and 13 receiving yards in the win.

Bills offense

The Bills offense has scored at least 30 points in six consecutive games. Even snow couldn’t slow the scoring down.

Bills fans

The Bills turned to their fanbase to help shovel snow at Highmark Stadium.

Hundreds of Bills fans showed up to Highmark Stadium to clear roughly two feet of snow.

The Bills offered fans who were 18 and over $20 an hour, food and hot beverages for shoveling snow inside the stadium.

LOSERS

49ers injuries

Injuries have hampered the 49ers all season. Running back Christian McCaffrey sustained a knee injury in the second quarter and was ruled out.

Offensive tackle Trent Williams, defensive end Nick Bosa and cornerback Deommodore Lenoir were all inactive due to injuries on Sunday.

The 49ers entered Week 13 with 10 players on injured reserve.

49ers losing streak

The 49ers have lost three-straight games and are currently in last place in the NFC West. A steep fall for a San Francisco team that’s played in three consecutive NFC title games.

The 49ers lost three games in a row last season, before winning seven of their last nine regular-season contests. That hot streak gave San Francisco momentum in the 2023 postseason.

They’ll need a strong surge again this year. The 49ers (5-7) are currently two games behind the NFC West-leading Seattle Seahawks (7-5).

49ers’ red zone offense

San Francisco had an inefficient night in the red zone. The team went 1-3 in the red area.

Fullback Kyle Juszczyk lost a fumble inside Buffalo’s 5-yard line when the 49ers were threatening to score.

In totality, it was a sloppy performance from the entire 49ers offense. The 49ers lost three fumbles and went 3-10 on third down.

Pass catchers

According to NFL Next Gen Stats, the first half of the game featured the slowest average max route speed (11.8 mph).

In front of their home fans at Paycor Stadium, the Cincinnati Bengals likely saw their playoff chances float away in the adjacent Ohio River.

The Bengals lost 44-38 to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday afternoon. It’s Cincinnati’s third consecutive loss and seventh defeat this season within one score.

‘We just haven’t executed the way we needed to,’ Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow said to reporters. ‘I think every game is its own challenge, and each week has been frustrating in some way.’

Burrow tallied 309 passing yards and three touchdowns. It was the third game in a row that Burrow passed for more than 300 yards in a losing effort. But he did toss an interception and lost two fumbles in the defeat.

The Bengals star quarterback entered Week 13 tied for the NFL lead in touchdown passes and top three in passing yards. While wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase is on pace to lead the NFL in receiving yards and touchdown catches.

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However, Burrow and Chase’s stellar performances haven’t translated to many wins.

‘I have to play to the absolute peak of my ability every week for us to go and win,’ Burrow said. ‘Some games I’ve done that, some games I haven’t.’

Cincinnati only has a 4% chance to make the playoffs, per NFL Next Gen Stats playoff probability.

Burrow confidently proclaimed in January 2023 that the Bengals’ Super Bowl window is his whole career, but the team’s road to a championship this year appears to be closed, and it’s only going to get more difficult.

The Bengals dynamic trio of Burrow, Chase and Tee Higgins are presumably playing their final season together. Higgins is likely playing his last year in Cincinnati because the two sides have been unable to secure a long-term deal with the wideout. The Bengals have instead prioritized signing Chase to a lucrative extension, but they have yet to agree on a contract.

The positive news for the Bengals is, they still do have Burrow for the foreseeable future. However, they are going to have to retool around their franchise quarterback, particularly on the defensive side of the football. The Bengals have given up at least 34 points in six of their losses and came into Week 13 with the NFL’s 28th-ranked scoring defense.

‘Stick together (and) take accountability. We got good people in the locker room. It’s an emotional game, you know, especially in a divisional game like this, especially with where we’re at in the season,’ Bengals coach Zac Taylor told reporters postgame. ‘It’s normal for emotions to run high, but at the same time, just got to take accountability for anything we can and stick together and find a way to go find a win.

‘We just got to give ourselves some momentum. That’s three games in a row now that have all been one possession games. We haven’t done enough to earn the win. It’s as simple as that. It’s nobody else’s fault, but our own. We haven’t earned it.’

The final game of the NFL’s Sunday afternoon slate came down to the wire, as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers executed a late comeback to beat the Carolina Panthers in a tense, overtime thriller.

Unfortunately, not every NFL fan was able to watch the ending live. Why? Because Fox didn’t show the ending of the contest across the country.

The reason for this is simple. Fox and CBS are the two networks that own the rights to the NFL’s Sunday action, and the two networks typically alternate which one gets to broadcast games nationally in both the early- and late-afternoon windows.

In Week 13, CBS was designated to show two games in each regional market. Fox was limited to showing one contest regionally in either the early or late afternoon market.

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As a result, Fox wrapped up its NFL coverage in each of its markets as the games it broadcast finished. By the time that the Panthers vs. Buccaneers game went into overtime, a majority of the network’s NFL coverage windows had closed, save for the Florida and Carolina-area markets that were scheduled to showcase the NFC South battle.

That led NFL fans hoping to tune into the Panthers vs. Buccaneers ending instead seeing a rerun of Fox’s animated comedy ‘Krapopolis.’

Naturally, this bothered and confused many NFL fans. It was especially true of those who had been watching all of the afternoon’s action on NFL RedZone, as host Scott Hanson told viewers they could catch the end of the contest ‘on their local Fox affiliates.’

That led numerous viewers to complain about the situation on social media.

While this wasn’t a ‘Heidi Game’-style error from Fox and the NFL, the league and its media partners may want to iron out its policies about when RedZone is able to continue showing stand-alone regional games.

Otherwise, the two parties will risk this situation unfolding on occasion, as it has over the last handful of NFL seasons.