With 272 regular-season games now in the books, the NFL playoff picture is complete.

Week 18 wound down with the Detroit Lions vanquishing the Minnesota Vikings 31-9 on ‘Sunday Night Football’ – the game was much closer than the final score – to retain their NFC North crown while also securing the conference’s No. 1 seed for the first time in the franchise’s history.

But a lot of other matters were resolved on Sunday, the final two teams gaining entry into the 14-team playoff field, while seeding and scheduling were also sorted out.

USA TODAY Sports had live updates throughout the day to explain what happened while also setting the stage for the Super Bowl 59 tournament. Here’s how everything shook out:

NFC playoff picture

yz – 1. Detroit Lions (15-2), NFC North champions: It took all 18 weeks and most of four quarters on Sunday night, but they successfully defended their divisional throne while obtaining a No. 1 seed for the first time ever. A battered team that was further bruised by Minnesota can definitely use the extra rest before resuming the quest for its first Super Bowl appearance. Playoff schedule: BYE

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y – 2. Philadelphia Eagles (14-3), NFC East champions: They locked down the division crown in Week 17 and the NFC’s No. 2 seed. They won a meaningless game with their reserves defeating the Giants on Sunday but got to rest many prominent starters ahead of a wild-card showdown with Green Bay. Playoff schedule: vs. Packers

y – 3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (10-7), NFC South champions: They’re division champions for the fourth consecutive season after coming back to beat a game New Orleans squad in the regular-season finale. They climbed to the third seed after the Rams’ loss by virtue of a two-game advantage in NFC games (8-4). Playoff schedule: vs. Commanders

y – 4. Los Angeles Rams (10-7), NFC West champions: Like Philly, they wrapped up their division in Week 17 and mostly wanted get through Week 18 intact before preparing for their playoff opener. But their loss to Seattle dropped LA to the fourth seed and a tough matchup against the salty Vikes. Playoff schedule: vs. Vikings

x – 5. Minnesota Vikings (14-3), wild card No. 1: They couldn’t quite finish off the quest for the No. 1 seed … meaning they now must become road warriors, whose reward could be a return trip to Ford Field if they can handle the Rams first. Playoff schedule: at Rams

x – 6. Washington Commanders (12-5), wild card No. 2: A last-second victory at Dallas provided a nice end to the regular season, Washington’s first with 12 wins since 1991. Green Bay’s earlier loss conferred the sixth seed. Playoff schedule: at Buccaneers

x – 7. Green Bay Packers (11-6), wild card No. 3: Getting swept by Detroit and (eventually) Minnesota relegated the Pack to wild-card status even before Week 17. Sunday’s loss locked them into the seventh seed and a wild-card rematch in Philadelphia with the Eagles, who beat the Pack in Week 1 in South America. Playoff schedule: at Eagles

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AFC playoff picture

yz – 1. Kansas City Chiefs (15-2), AFC West champions: By crushing Pittsburgh on Christmas, they secured home-field advantage and a first-round bye – and two-plus weeks off in actuality with many starters resting in what was a meaningless (for K.C., anyway) Week 18 contest at Denver. Playoff schedule: BYE

y – 2. Buffalo Bills (13-4), AFC East champions: They locked up the No. 2 seed in Week 17, meaning the road to Super Bowl 59 could go through Western New York if the Chiefs lose their playoff opener. Playoff schedule: vs. Broncos

y – 3. Baltimore Ravens (12-5), AFC North champions: Catching fire? Probably an understatement as they blazed their way to the division crown and No. 3 seed Saturday afternoon by smoking Cleveland. Next up? A trilogy rubber match with Pittsburgh. Playoff schedule: vs. Steelers

y – 4. Houston Texans (10-7), AFC South champions: They rule a weak division for the second straight year, but the fourth seed means a tough wild-card matchup (albeit in Houston) against the Bolts. Playoff schedule: vs. Chargers

x – 5. Los Angeles Chargers (11-6), wild card No. 1: They moved up to the fifth seed courtesy of Pittsburgh’s loss and secured the wild-card matchup with Houston by beating Las Vegas on Sunday. Playoff schedule: at Texans

x – 6. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7), wild card No. 2: They’ve lost four in a row (by an average of 13 points) to close out the regular season, dropping them from the AFC North lead and No. 3 seed down to sixth and a trip back to Baltimore. Playoff schedule: at Ravens

x – 7. Denver Broncos (10-7), wild card No. 3: The third time was the charm as they finally secured the AFC’s final wild-card berth, ending a nine-year postseason absence, by rolling over the Chiefs’ backups 38-0. Next week’s assignment in Western New York will be much tougher. Denver went 0-3 against the Chargers and Steelers this season, hence the Broncos could never do better than the seventh seed coming into the weekend. Playoff schedule: at Bills

x – clinched playoff berth

y – clinched division

z – clinched home-field advantage, first-round bye

First-round order for 2025 NFL draft (projected)

(Team records in parentheses)

Tennessee Titans (3-14)
Cleveland Browns (3-14)
New York Giants (3-14)
New England Patriots (4-13)
Jacksonville Jaguars (4-13)
Las Vegas Raiders (4-13)
New York Jets (5-12)
Carolina Panthers (5-12)
New Orleans Saints (5-12)
Chicago Bears (5-12)
San Francisco 49ers (6-11)
Dallas Cowboys (7-10)
Miami Dolphins (8-9)
Indianapolis Colts (8-9)
Atlanta Falcons (8-9)
Arizona Cardinals (8-9)
Cincinnati Bengals (9-8)
Seattle Seahawks (10-7)
*Houston Texans (10-7)
*Tampa Bay Buccaneers (10-7)
TIE *Denver Broncos (10-7)
TIE *Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7)
*Los Angeles Rams (10-7)
*Los Angeles Chargers (11-6)
*Green Bay Packers (11-6)
*Washington Commanders (12-5)
*Baltimore Ravens (12-5)
*Buffalo Bills (13-4)
*Philadelphia Eagles (14-3)
*Minnesota Vikings (14-3)
*Kansas City Chiefs (15-2)
*Detroit Lions (15-2)

(*Note: Spots 19 through 32 determined by playoff results)

Lions emblematic of a breakthrough postseason?

With Detroit now cruising toward its first-ever No. 1 seed, it’s worth wondering how far the Lions – the only team to never reach the Super Bowl despite playing for the entirety of the Super Bowl era (since 1966) – can go. They’re among a number of teams who could hoist the Lombardi Trophy for the first time this season, a list that also includes the Bills, Texans, Chargers and Vikings.

Low-scoring affair

After the Vikings failed to convert on fourth-and-goal there, the clubs have only combined for 16 points tonight little more than halfway through the game. Minnesota and Detroit scored fewer than 20 points in a game this season twice – once per team. The Vikings and Lions have teamed to score at least 30 points 14 times during the 2024 campaign.

Rams not a team Minnesota or Detroit should want to see

While earning the NFC’s No. 1 seed – plus the bye and home-field advantage that come with it – would be a self-evident advantage for the Lions or Vikings in Sunday night’s regular-season finale, there’s another immediate benefit to prevailing: Avoiding the Los Angeles Rams.

LA will host the loser of the NFC North title game, yet neither team is going to intimidate the Rams. They beat Minnesota 30-20 on Oct. 24 at SoFi Stadium, which happens to be the Vikings’ most recent defeat entering Week 18. But Los Angeles coach Sean McVay has unique insight into the Vikes, who are coached by Kevin O’Connell, his former offensive coordinator. On the flip side, the Lions beat the Rams twice in 2024 – a 24-23 victory last January in the wild-card round and a 26-20 overtime triumph in Week 1 of this season, both games at Ford Field.

The Rams finished 10-7 and will almost certainly be a home underdog regardless of their opponent, particularly since SoFi doesn’t offer much of a home-field advantage. But McVay and Co. are battle-tested and generally peaking. Don’t count them out a week from Monday night – the Lions or Vikings certainly won’t.

Playoff schedule unveiled

While the 2024 playoff matchups aren’t quite set, the schedule almost is – the Los Angeles Rams waiting to learn whether they’ll host the Lions or Vikings in the ‘Monday Night Football’ wild-card game that caps postseason’s opening weekend. Here’s the (almost finalized) lineup.

What’s at stake in Sunday night’s Vikings-Lions game?

The final contest of the 2024 regular season, Minnesota at Detroit in the 272nd game of the campaign, comes with beaucoup implications:

A Lions win or tie means they get the NFC North title, a first-round bye and home-field advantage for the first time in franchise history plus a club record 15 regular-season victories. The Vikings would then travel to LA to play the Rams in the wild-card round.

A Vikings win means they get the NFC North title, a first-round bye and home-field advantage. Minnesota could also notch 15 regular-season wins for the first time since 1998. The Lions would then travel to LA to play the Rams in the wild-card round.

Chargers to visit Texans in wild-card round

The opening round of the playoffs in the AFC will feature one of its hotter teams, the Los Angeles Chargers, against one of its disintegrating ones, the Houston Texans. The Bolts secured the conference’s fifth seed – and a ticket to NRG Stadium next weekend – by thumping the Las Vegas Raiders. The victory also means the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers will meet for the third time this season in their postseason opener at Baltimore.

Rams suffer potentially costly seeding slip

The NFC West champion LA Rams rested their primary players Sunday, including QB Matthew Stafford. They wound up dropping a 30-25 decision to the Seattle Seahawks, and that could cost them dearly. Instead of hosting the sixth-seeded Washington Commanders in the wild-card round, SoFi Stadium will instead welcome whomever loses tonight’s NFC North title game between the 14-win Vikings and Lions … though important to note the Rams did vanquish Minnesota in LA in Week 8, which was also the Vikes’ most recent defeat.

Broncos earn final NFL playoff berth, some seeds still undetermined

Denver’s 38-0 rout of the Chiefs’ junior varsity squad – K.C. QB2 Carson Wentz threw for 98 yards – completes the league’s playoff field for the 2024 season. The Broncos earn the AFC’s final wild card, its No. 7 seed … and a wild-card trip to Buffalo to face the Bills. The Bengals and Dolphins were both eliminated by that result. Some seeds in each conference remain up for grabs as the late-afternoon window winds down.

Vikings-Lions will be historic … on top of its huge stakes

By now, you probably know the Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions will meet tonight in Ford Field with so much on the line for both teams: namely the NFC North title and the first-round bye and home-field advantage that come courtesy of the conference’s No. 1 seed.

But some history will also be made Sunday night. The game will be the first in the NFL’s 105 seasons to feature a pair of 14-win clubs. It will also have the highest combined win total (28) of any regular-season matchup in league history. The previous mark was 25 total wins entering a game – including the famous contest to end the 2007 regular season, when the New England Patriots completed the only 16-0 regular season of all time.

Broncos removing all drama as AFC field comes into focus

Denver needed wins each of the previous two weeks to clinch a wild-card berth that would end their nine-year playoff absence. The Broncos failed in both Weeks 16 and 17 but are having no trouble against the Kansas City Chiefs backups Sunday, leading at halftime 24-0. If they hang on, they acquire the conference’s final playoff spot and seventh seed, which would mean a trip to Buffalo next weekend.

Meanwhile, the Dolphins, who are losing to the New York Jets, and Bengals – they won in Pittsburgh on Saturday night – can only hope for a miracle. Miami advances with a win and Denver loss. Cincinnati qualifies if the Broncos and Dolphins both lose.

AFC’s No. 5 seed hangs in balance

One of the few remaining facets yet determined in the playoff picture is the fifth seed of the AFC’s side of the playoff picture. It would seem to be desirable as it would present a matchup with the AFC South champion Houston Texans, who have struggled for most of the past two months. The Los Angeles Chargers would get the spot by beating the Raiders in Las Vegas, but the Bolts currently trail. If they lose, the spiraling Pittsburgh Steelers would travel to Houston next weekend.

Aaron Rodgers hits rare milestone at Miami’s expense

It’s been a lost season for the New York Jets, but QB Aaron Rodgers hit a meaningful benchmark during what might be his final game with the team and maybe in the NFL. A 5-yard TD pass to TE Tyler Conklin was Rodgers’ 500th in the regular season, which is his 20th in the league. He becomes the fifth member of an exclusive club led by Tom Brady (649). It also includes Drew Brees (571), Peyton Manning (539) and Brett Favre (508), Rodgers’ former teammate with the Packers.

The score also gave the NYJ a 7-6 lead over the Miami Dolphins, who must win Sunday to have any shot at reaching the playoffs.

No. 1 pick of 2025 NFL draft clinched

Like the New York Giants last week, the New England Patriots played some of their best football when it mattered the least … and coughed up the top pick of this year’s draft in the process. The Pats’ Week 18 defeat of the Buffalo Bills transferred the No. 1 selection this year to the Tennessee Titans. Here are the top five spots as they currently stand (scroll down for the full Round 1 lineup):

Tennessee Titans (3-14)
Cleveland Browns (3-14)
New York Giants (3-14)
New England Patriots (4-13)
Jacksonville Jaguars (4-13)

What’s at stake in 4:25 p.m. ET NFL games?

Dolphins at Jets: Miami needs to win (and hope Denver loses) in order to earn the AFC’s final wild-card spot and No. 7 seed. Fins QB Tua Tagovailoa was ruled out earlier this afternoon, so Tyler Huntley will start in his place for the second straight week.

Chiefs at Broncos: Denver must win or tie against a Kansas City team that’s sitting most of its notable players – the reigning champs secured the AFC’s No. 1 seed on Christmas – to lock up the conference’s final wild-card berth after failing to do so the past two weeks. A loss ends the Broncos’ season shy of the playoffs for the ninth straight year. If Denver and Miami both lose, the Bengals swipe the AFC’s last wild-card spot.

Chargers at Raiders: A win by the Bolts would move them up from the sixth seed to the fifth seed and a wild-card matchup with the Texans.

Seahawks at Rams: A Los Angeles victory would cement the NFC West champions as the conference’s No. 3 seed. A loss would drop them to fourth behind the Bucs.

Who gets NFC’s third seed?

The Los Angeles Rams would by beating Seattle today. But a Seahawks win would move the Buccaneers up to the No. 3 spot since Tampa Bay has a better record in NFC games than LA. The third-seeded team will host the Commanders in the wild-card round. The No. 4 seed will draw the loser of the Sunday night clash between the Lions and Vikings.

Bucs win NFC South

It was certainly tougher than many would have expected, but the Tampa Bay Buccaneers won their fourth consecutive division title by coming back to beat the New Orleans Saints 27-19. WR Mike Evans also achieved his 11th consecutive 1,000-yard season on the final play, tying Jerry Rice’s league record.

NFC’s No. 7 seed decided

A 51-yard field goal at the gun by Chicago K Cairo Santos sent the Bears to a 24-22 victory that relegated Green Bay to the NFC’s No. 7 seed and a wild-card trip to Philadelphia. Washington made the result moot thanks to Terry McLaurin’s TD catch from QB2 Marcus Mariota in the final seconds, which beat the Cowboys in Dallas.

Falcons in desperation mode

Atlanta has the ball at the two-minute warning but trails 38-31 following Panthers QB Bryce Young’s 10-yard TD run on Carolina’s previous possession. A Falcons defeat gives the NFC South crown to Tampa Bay, which leads New Orleans 20-19.

Packers go up

Green Bay took its first lead over the Chicago Bears on Sunday thanks to a 55-yard Brandon McManus field goal inside the final minute. With Washington losing, the Packers are currently in line for the NFC’s sixth seed.

Everyone want the NFC South?

A wild sequence of events of making the race to the NFC South title must-see TV as both the Bucs-Saints and Falcons-Panthers games wind down. Tampa Bay took its first lead of the day thanks to a 32-yard touchdown catch by Jalen McMillan, whose reception two snaps earlier converted a fourth-and-8 for the Buccaneers but also cost them 15 yards after he made an unsportsmanlike gesture. As Tampa Bay went up 20-19, shortly thereafter up north, Atlanta tied its game 31-31 courtesy of a 21-yard TD strike from rookie QB Michael Penix Jr. to WR Drake London.

Anyone want the NFC South?

With both the Bucs-Saints game in Tampa and Falcons-Panthers game in Atlanta now in the fourth quarter, both the Buccaneers and Dirty Birds are losing with the division crown still on the line. If New Orleans and Carolina both win, the Bucs take the division.

Tua Tagovailoa officially out for Dolphins

Miami needs to beat the New York Jets today and hope the Denver Broncos lose in order for the Fins to qualify for the postseason field as the AFC’s final wild card. But the Dolphins will again be without QB Tua Tagovailoa due to a hip injury and will hope QB2 Tyler Huntley can engineer a win for the second straight week. Miami has beaten the Jets four straight and 12 times in the AFC East rivals’ past 14 meetings.

Commanders pull Jayden Daniels

Washington has started cycling its backups into its Sunday afternoon matchup in North Texas against the Dallas Cowboys, notably subbing in QB2 Marcus Mariota for Offensive Rookie of the Year frontrunner Jayden Daniels. The Commanders are currently slotted as the NFC’s sixth seed and would remain there with a win or Green Bay loss. Whichever club finishes with the No. 7 seed will travel to Philadelphia to face the Eagles in the wild-card round. The sixth seed will play either the Rams or NFC South champion on the road.

Who gets No. 1 draft pick if Patriots win?

One of the more intriguing developments in Sunday afternoon’s 1 p.m. ET window of games is the strong showing by rookie QB Joe Milton and the New England Patriots, who would secure the top pick of the 2025 NFL draft with a loss to the Bills. However the Pats lead 14-10 at the half – AFC East champion Buffalo has nothing to gain today in terms of playoff positioning – thanks to a TD pass and run from Milton, a sixth-round pick last April out of the University of Tennessee who arguably has the strongest arm in the league.

If New England wins – and Patriots fans can at least be buoyed by the fact that the apparent quarterback of the future, Drake Maye, was selected third overall in the 2024 draft – then the Tennessee Titans, who are losing to the Houston Texans in Nashville, would have the inside track on the top pick. The Cleveland Browns, who already lost Saturday to clinch a 3-14 campaign, currently sit atop the board by virtue of playing the extra game. The Pats could fall out of the top four by prevailing.

Injuries mounting for Packers

Green Bay could be experiencing something of a nightmarish Week 18, when all the Pack have at stake is a possible elevation to the NFC’s sixth seed – which would mean avoiding the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field in the wild-card round. However amid that apparent pursuit, oft-injured WR Christian Watson was carted off with what appeared to be a non-contact injury to his right knee (not the one that had him on the injury report during the week), while QB Jordan Love has been absent from the game against Chicago since banging his throwing elbow. Both players are technically questionable to return.

The last time Tampa Bay Buccaneers didn’t win NFC South?

The Bucs’ reign is often overlooked and underappreciated, likely because of the division’s low profile and fact that quite often it doesn’t require 10 wins to finish in first place. Nevertheless, the last time Tampa Bay failed to finish on top was 2020 … which, ironically, was when Tom Brady captained them to victory in Super Bowl 55 via a wild-card pathway in a year when the New Orleans Saints won the NFC South during what proved to be QB Drew Brees’ final season.

The last time Atlanta Falcons won NFC South?

Try the 2016 season, when the Dirty Birds infamously lost Super Bowl 51 – after coughing up a 28-3 second-half lead – to Brady’s New England Patriots. Dan Quinn, who will take the Washington Commanders into the playoffs next week, was Atlanta’s coach in 2016. The Falcons are seven years removed from their last postseason appearance.

What’s at stake in 1 p.m. ET NFL games?

Panthers at Falcons: Atlanta needs to win to have a shot at the NFC South championship. A victory coupled with a Buccaneers loss gives the Falcons the division title.

Saints at Buccaneers: Tampa Bay wins its fourth straight NFC South throne with a win (or Atlanta loss). In addition, seeding has not bee determined for the division winner or the NFC West champion Rams, though those two teams will be in either the third or fourth spot before ‘Sunday Night Football’ tonight.

Commanders at Cowboys: Washington locks in the NFC’s sixth seed with a win.

Bears at Packers: Green Bay can obtain the NFC’s sixth seed with a win and Commanders loss. Otherwise, the Pack slot in as the No. 7 seed.

Bills at Patriots: A New England (3-13) loss puts them back atop the first-round order for the 2025 NFL draft. The Cleveland Browns (3-14) are presently No. 1 after Saturday’s loss to Baltimore.

Bucs catch a few breaks on injury front

Saturday wasn’t great for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, S Jordan Whitehead involved in a car crash and sustaining serious enough injuries that he won’t be able to play again this season. He’s expected to be OK over the long term.

However, from a pure football perspective, the Bucs caught a few breaks Sunday, when a win will confer their fourth consecutive NFC South crown. Their opponent, the five-win New Orleans Saints, will not have star RB Alvin Kamara (groin) or backup RB Kendre Miller, meaning their backfield will again be stocked with updates given QB Derek Carr had already been ruled out. Elsewhere, the Atlanta Falcons, who are trying to win the NFC South themselves, won’t have WR2 Darnell Mooney (shoulder) in a game they must win against the Carolina Panthers to have any shot at reaching the postseason.

Did Bengals lose season in Week 1?

If Cincinnati fails to qualify for the postseason, the team can blame another slow start – 0-3 or 1-4 or 4-8 or however you want to look at it – for the premature demise that is likely coming. The Bengals’ eight losses have come by an average of 6.1 points. Throw out a 20-point drubbing from the Eagles, and Cincinnati’s average margin of defeat in its seven other setbacks was 4.1 points.

In the Bengals’ defense, it’s been a tough schedule. Seven of their losses came against teams that will compete in the 2024 postseason. But it’s the one that didn’t – a 16-10 loss to the lowly New England Patriots, who will likely ‘earn’ the top pick of the 2025 draft on opening day at Paycor Stadium – that still has to hurt. Cincinnati scored its fewest points of the season (its next-worst output was 17 points, which would’ve beaten the Pats) while the distraction of WR Ja’Marr Chase’s contract still hung in the air. Why the Bengals routinely struggle in September is a problem coach Zac Taylor must figure out going forward.

If he and his team had figured out how to beat New England, which is 3-13 – its other wins coming against the Jets and Bears – then the Bengals would have already clinched a wild-card berth.

Bengals playoff scenario: Two more opponents’ losses and in

The Bengals took care of business in their 19-17 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday night. Now, they’ll be firmly rooting for a pair of outcomes in the late window to complete their improbable playoff push.

Cincinnati needs both the Broncos to stumble against the Chiefs – who will be resting Patrick Mahomes and many other starters – and for the Dolphins to trip up against the New York Jets. Denver would make the postseason with a win, while Miami would be next in line with a win and Broncos loss.

Steelers playoff scenarios: AFC North rematch or showdown with Texans?

Pittsburgh is smarting after dropping its fourth consecutive game heading into the playoffs. But even after Saturday’s loss to the Bengals, there’s a chance for the Steelers to end up with a favorable playoff matchup.

With a Los Angeles Chargers win over the Las Vegas Raiders, the Steelers will slink to the No. 6 seed and a rematch against the Ravens in Baltimore just three weeks after falling to the Ravens there, 34-17. But if the Chargers falter, Mike Tomlin and Co. would get a wild-card matchup against the Houston Texans.

Houston has lost its last two contests and is the only team currently in the AFC playoff field with a negative point differential on the season (-9).

NFC North scenarios: Lions, Vikings put everything on line for division title, home-field advantage

Despite limited overall drama in the playoff chase down the stretch, the NFL ended up with a high-stakes showcase for the spotlight of its final game of the regular season.

A Lions win would keep Detroit atop the conference and give Detroit the No. 1 seed for the first time in franchise history. The Vikings, meanwhile, also can claim home-field advantage – but only if they can beat Dan Campbell and Co. after dropping their last four in the series.

No matter the outcome, the drop to the first wild-card spot will be precipitous. And the potential opening matchup could provide reason for concern, as the Vikings fell to the Los Angeles Rams in Week 8 and the Lions slipped up against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 2.

NFC South scenarios: Any chance for a late surprise for Buccaneers, Falcons?

After squandering their division lead in Week 17 in a loss to the Washington Commanders, the Atlanta Falcons need a substantial break to end their six-year playoff drought.

The Buccaneers will seize the NFC South crown for the fourth consecutive year on Sunday simply by beating the New Orleans Saints. If they slip, however, the Falcons could capture the division title with an accompanying win over the Carolina Panthers, as they would prevail based on a head-to-head tiebreaker.

But the outlook for Atlanta is daunting. The Saints became the first NFL team to be shut out this season when they fell 34-0 to the Green Bay Packers two weeks ago, and Tampa Bay rolled to a 51-27 win in the first meeting between the two teams in Week 6. Quarterback Derek Carr has been ruled out, and running back Alvin Kamara is doubtful.

***

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

The final pieces of the NFL’s playoff picture came together Sunday with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers securing their fifth consecutive playoff berth. On the other end of the spectrum, the Denver Broncos return to the playoffs for the first time since 2015 when they won the Super Bowl with Peyton Manning at quarterback.

The Broncos join three other teams newly qualifying for the postseason: the Los Angeles Chargers, Washington Commanders and Minnesota Vikings. All four will be back on the field Jan. 11-13 with eight other teams in what the NFL calls ‘Super Wild Card Weekend.’

How the NFL bracket sets up for Super Wild Card Weekend

Can’t view our graphics? Click here to see them.

How NFL playoff format works

After next weekend’s games, the records of the remaining four teams in each conference determine how the divisional championships set up Jan. 18 or 19:

No. 1 seed hosts the lowest remaining seed.

The next highest remaining seed hosts the other wild-card winner.

Odds for wild-card weekend games

BetMGM, as of Monday morning, set its opening betting lines for the six wild card games. A plus before the number signifies the amount a bettor would win on a $100 bet. A minus signifies the amount a bettor must bet to win $100.

AFC wild card games

Chargers (-160) favored by 3 points at Texans (+135)

Steelers (+425) at Ravens (-600) favored by 9.5 points

Broncos (+400) at Bills (-550) favored by 8.5 points

NFC wild card games

Packers (+185) at Eagles (-225) favored by 4.5 points

Commanders (+150) at Buccaneers (-185) favored by 3 points

Vikings (-135) favored by 1.5 points at Rams (+110)

Best offenses and defenses of the 2024 NFL season

The Chiefs finished the regular season with the league’s best record, but did so with the lowest scoring differential among the top playoff teams. They outscored their opponents by just 59 points. Sunday’s 38-0 loss didn’t help, but less than a third of the NFC-leading Detroit Lions. Both the Lions and the Buffalo Bills scored more than 500 points this season – a milestone only the Dallas Cowboys hit in 2023.

In his first season back in the NFL, head coach Jim Harbaugh turned up the Los Angeles Chargers’ defense, cutting their ‘points against’ to 301 – almost than 100 points fewer than 2023 and leading the league in the category. The five-seed Chargers and Houston Texans will open Wild Card Weekend on Saturday afternoon. Interestingly, the underdog 10-7 Texans scored exactly as many points as they gave up this season.

Final NFL standings for the 2024 season

Memo to Mike Vrabel: Want to come back to Foxborough?

As fast as Bob Kraft moved last year to replace Bill Belichick with the in-house promotion of Jerod Mayo, the table is suddenly set for another familiar face to become the next coach of the New England Patriots.

And make no mistake. Vrabel, 49, one of the hottest candidates on market as another coaches hiring cycle ramps up, is undoubtedly at the top of Kraft’s wish list.

So much for smokescreens.

All things Patriots: Latest New England Patriots news, schedule, roster, stats, injury updates and more.

No, the Patriots owner didn’t exactly express that in the heartfelt statement he released in confirming Mayo’s fate – Kraft called it “one of the hardest decisions I have ever made,” yet he also apologized to fans who have endured back-to-back 13-loss seasons for the first time in the franchise’s history – but in creating the vacancy he sent a clear message to Vrabel.

After all, Vrabel interviewed with the New York Jets on Friday. Or forced the Patriots to show their hand, if you will. Now there’s no doubt that heading back to Gillette Stadium is among the options he can consider.

A Vrabel hire sure wouldn’t be a tough sell to the fan base. A little more than a week ago, during a blowout loss against the Los Angeles Chargers, the “fire Mayo” chants ringing at Gillette Stadium said it all. Never mind the massive challenge of trying to fill the huge shoes worn by Belichick and the distinct culture change that came with it. Forget that Mayo took over a team with a talent base depleted by a series of Belichick personnel moves that backfired and that he rolled with a rookie quarterback, Drake Maye. Phooey on patience.

They wanted him gone.

You can bet that Kraft, who once sat in the stands as a season-ticket holder before he bought the team in 1994, would score points with the fan base by bringing Vrabel back into the fold. On top of his established coaching track record, the former linebacker (and goal-line tight end) was one of the most popular players during the franchise’s glory days, a member of three of the six Super Bowl championship teams. In 2023, Vrabel was inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame. He’s Patriot royalty, so to speak.

Sure, the Patriots will have to comply with the Rooney Rule and interview at least two minority candidates for the position – unlike the case last year when Mayo, a Black man, was installed without the team having to meet that requirement because a loophole with the rule allows coaches from within (of any race) to be promoted if it is written into their contracts as assistant coaches.

It will be interesting to see how the Patriots proceed. Will Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores be a candidate? While Flores, previously the Miami Dolphins coach, has developed prolific defenses with the NFL’s biggest surprise team, his class-action the lawsuit against the NFL and several teams – alleging discrimination and sham procedures in complying with the Rooney Rule – is unresolved.

Like Vrabel, Flores spent a significant portion of his NFL career with the Patriots. So, there’s plenty of familiarity.

Then again, Vrabel’s merits include winning two division titles during his six seasons as Tennessee Titans coach (56-48, including the posteason), with a resounding statement win at Foxborough.

Remember Tom Brady’s last game with the Patriots? It was Vrabel’s Titans who sprung the upset of the defending Super Bowl champion in a 2019 wild-card playoff game.  

Now the plot could involve keeping Vrabel away from the Jets. Oh, the irony.  A generation ago, the Patriots wound up hiring Belichick just 23 days after he resigned as Jets coach. Belichick, who was assistant head coach and defensive coordinator under Bill Parcells for three seasons with the Jets, had it written into his contract that he would automatically succeed The Tuna.

When it happened, Belichick didn’t want the job, apparently uneasy about the ownership change that loomed with Woody Johnson’s purchase of the franchise. Kraft wound up negotiating a settlement with the Jets that involved sending a first-round pick to Parcells, who ran the football operations.

Kraft’s familiarity with Belichick, who was on Parcells’ staff during his Patriots stint, was a significant factor in wanting to lure the coach back to Foxborough. And more than two decades and six Super Bowl titles later, his hunch worked out.

Not so, though, when considering his decision in 2023 to write Mayo’s promotion into his contract as a measure to keep other teams away from an emerging candidate from Belichick’s staff. To relieve Mayo after just one season sends another message.

Kraft is admitting that it was a mistake to turn his team over to the first-time coach. He’s had other regrets with coaching moves. Although Parcells took the Patriots to the Super Bowl during the 1996 season, the friction over power made the arrangement unsustainable. In replacing Parcells, Kraft became enamored with Pete Carroll during one marathon interview in 1997. Carroll wound up proving himself as a winning coach, but he lasted just three seasons in New England.

Now Mayo’s out with a much shorter stint that may make you wonder how committed in the first place Kraft was with his coach.

In any event, it’s possibly “on to Vrabel” for the Patriots. And for Vrabel, the prospect of answering to Kraft has to be a lot more inviting than mulling over Madden ratings with the Jets owner.

Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Jarrett Bell on X @JarrettBell.

The NFL playoffs kick off with three days of NFL action. All 14 playoff teams are playing for a chance to hoist the Lombardi Trophy at Super Bowl 59 at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans.

The Kansas City Chiefs are aiming to become the first team in NFL history to win three consecutive Super Bowls. Kansas City and the Detroit Lions both earned the top seeds in their respective conferences.

Will the Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills or another AFC team knock off Kansas City en route to New Orleans? Can the Lions advance to the Super Bowl for the first time in franchise history? Or will a lower seed emerge from each conference?

The answer to those questions will start to formalize as soon as Saturday. Here are my NFL wild-card round predictions:

NFL STATS CENTRAL: The latest NFL scores, schedules, odds, stats and more.

AFC

7. Denver Broncos (10-7) vs. 2. Buffalo Bills (13-4)

The Bills won the AFC East for the fifth straight season. Led by MVP candidate Josh Allen, the Bills are the first team in NFL history with at least 30 touchdown passes (30) and 30 rushing touchdowns (32) in a season. The Broncos clinched their first playoff berth since 2015.

The Broncos are ahead of schedule in their rebuild. It’s an accomplishment for Denver to be in the postseason. On the other side, the Bills are legitimate Super Bowl contenders. It’s going to be a tough game for a young, upstart Broncos club in Buffalo. Denver’s stingy defense will make some plays, but the Bills have the more talented roster.

Buffalo hasn’t lost a game at home this season.

Score prediction: Bills win 30-17

6. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7) vs. 3. Baltimore Ravens (12-5)

It’s always a physical game when these two AFC North rivals meet. Expect the physicality to ratchet up in a win-or-go-home situation.

Lamar Jackson became the first player in NFL history to pass for 4,000-plus yards and run for 900-plus yards in a single season. Additionally, he’s the first player in league history with at least 40 touchdown passes and fewer than five interceptions in a season. He was the best player on the gridiron this season. Now he must translate his performance to the postseason. At the point in Jackson’s career, fair or unfair, he’s going to be judged on his success in the playoffs as the Ravens starting QB.

The Steelers have lost four consecutive games and have no momentum entering the playoffs.  Jackson, Derrick Henry and the Ravens high-powered offense will overwhelm a reeling Steelers squad.  

Score prediction: Ravens 28-17

5. Los Angeles Chargers (11-6) vs. 4. Houston Texans (10-7)

The Texans won the AFC South for the second year in a row, but they’ve lost two of their last three games.

Houston did end the regular season with a win, although, they beat up on the lowly Tennessee Titans.

The Chargers went from five wins in 2023 to the AFC’s No. 5 seed in Jim Harbaugh first year. Justin Herbert doesn’t have a playoff win on his resume. He has a prime opportunity to get a postseason victory in H-Town. Quentin Johnston is coming off a career game of 13 catches for 186 yards. The Chargers need him to be a reliable receiver if they want to make noise in the postseason. Los Angeles has the NFL’s top scoring defense.

Score prediction: Chargers 23-20

NFL PLAYOFF PICTURE: How AFC and NFC fields panned out in final week

NFC

7. Green Bay Packers (11-6) vs. 2. Philadelphia Eagles (14-3)

The Eagles have a proven formula — they have a potent rushing attack and the No. 1 total defense in the NFL. They are the most complete team in the NFC.

These two teams met Week 1 in Brazil. Saquon Barkley rushed for 109 yards and two touchdowns in their first meeting. The Eagles rested their 2,000-yard running back in the regular-season finale in preparation for a Super Bowl run. Expect the Eagles to ride their star ball carrier and MVP candidate this postseason.

Jordan Love and the Packers will keep this wild-card game competitive, but the Eagles should fly high at home.

Score prediction: Eagles 28-24

6. Washington Commanders (12-5) vs. 3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (10-7)

The Bucs, who won the NFC South for the fourth straight season, host a Commanders team that’s in the playoffs for the first time since 2020.

Mike Evans reached 1,000 receiving yards for the 11th straight year. He could battle his former Saints nemesis and now Commanders CB Marshon Lattimore if the corner returns from a hamstring injury. Evans should have an advantage versus the Commanders’ secondary, plus Tampa Bay will try to run the football with emerging RB Bucky Irving.

Tampa Bay defeated Washington, 37-20, in Week 1, but that was Jayden Daniels’ first career NFL game. The rookie QB has since blossomed into the presumptive NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.

Daniels has the capability to be the most impactful player on the field in Tampa Bay.

Score prediction: Commanders 27-24

5. Minnesota Vikings (14-3) vs. 4. Los Angeles Rams (10-7)

The Rams’ offensive scheme is designed to give Puka Nacua and Kyren Williams the football in advantageous positions. Nacua compiled 79 catches for 990 receiving yards in 11 games. While Williams rushed for 1,299 yards and 14 touchdowns in 16 games.

The two combined for 227 yards from scrimmage and one touchdown when Los Angeles beat Minnesota in Week 8.

The Vikings are coming off disappointing Week 18 loss that snapped their nine-game winning streak. Justin Jefferson was held to only three catches for 54 yards in the regular-season finale. Jefferson and the Vikings bounce back and get revenge Monday night in LA.

Score prediction: Vikings 27-23

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WWE is set to launch its new era with Monday Night Raw making its Netflix debut.

The new year starts off with a bang for WWE’s signature show as it moves to the streaming giant, and the wrestling company has made it known it is going to be a major event, with WWE chief content officer Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque previously saying the show is being ‘looked at like a WrestleMania.’

With the night approaching, it sure looks like it. Not only are there matches involving some of the biggest stars − like Roman Reigns taking on Solo Sikoa, Liv Morgan and Rhea Ripley reaching another chapter of their heated rivalry and CM Punk finally facing off against Seth Rollins − there will be some big-time appearances for legends of the company. Fireworks await inside the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, for the first episode of Raw in 2025.

Here’s what to know ahead of the debut of Monday Night Raw on Netflix:

When is Monday Night Raw on Netflix?

The first Monday Night Raw on Netflix is Monday, Jan. 6 at 8 p.m. ET.

Where is Monday Night Raw on Netflix debut?

Monday Night Raw on Netflix is will take place at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, home of the Los Angeles Clippers. It will be the first wrestling event to take place at the arena since it opened in August 2024.

How to watch Monday Night Raw on Netflix: TV channel, streaming

Monday Night Raw will be available only on Netflix. Viewers will need a Netflix subscription to watch the event, and it’s available at no additional cost. Fans with any Netflix subscription tier will be able to watch.

Monday Night Raw on Netflix match card

Matches not in order

Women’s World Championship match: Liv Morgan (c) vs. Rhea Ripley
Tribal combat for the ula fala and title of Tribal Chief: Roman Reigns vs. Solo Sikoa
CM Punk vs. Seth Rollins
Jey Uso vs. Drew McIntyre

Who else will be at Monday Night Raw on Netflix debut?

There will be plenty more happening other than the scheduled matches for Monday. Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes and Bianca Belair have been promoted for the show, but it’s unclear how they will take part. Rapper Travis Scott will perform the new Monday Night Raw theme song.

There will be some returns as well. Logan Paul will making his return to WWE as part of the Raw roster, and John Cena, who will be retiring this year, begins his farewell tour.

The commentary team for the show will be Michael Cole and Pat McAfee.

What about The Rock?

Get ready for the return of the ‘most electrifying man in sports entertainment.’ The Rock confirmed on Sunday he will be part of the show.

‘I’ll come back home to WWE tomorrow night as we make history on Netflix and begin a new and exciting era,’ he said on social media. ‘Tomorrow night is dedicated to my grandfather, the High Chief Peter Maivia, my grandmother, Lia Maivia and my dad, Rocky ‘Soulman’ Johnson and my ancestors who have ALL paved the way.’

It’s unclear how The Rock will be part of it, but it wouldn’t be a surprise for him to play a role in the tribal combat between Reigns and Sikoa. The last time The Rock appeared in WWE was in October, when he appeared at the end of Bad Blood and stared down Reigns and Sikoa.

Another offseason of speculation regarding Aaron Rodgers begins.

The New York Jets quarterback ended the 2024 regular season – a disastrous campaign in which the head coach and general manager were dismissed midseason and the team went 5-12 – with a vintage performance, going 23-for-36 passing with 274 yards, four touchdowns and one interception in a 32-20 victory over the Miami Dolphins.

After the game, Rodgers maintained his previous stance that he doesn’t know what his future holds and will take time to come to a decision.

‘I just need some time away to think about my future in the game and my future here, if they want me to be part of the next phase or if they’re ready to move on,’ Rodgers said. ‘Either way, I’m thankful for my two years here.

‘That just comes down to the desire on their side and ultimately my desire, kind of take some time mentally and physically to rest and relax.’

All things Jets: Latest New York Jets news, schedule, roster, stats, injury updates and more.

Asked if he thought he’d be back, Rodgers said he didn’t know and that he wouldn’t say even if he did. He’ll talk with owner Woody Johnson and vice chairman Christopher Johnson in the coming days and weeks.

‘I won’t be upset or offended whatever they decide to do, if they want to move on and I still want to play,’ Rodgers said. ‘If not, I’ll let them know at some point, if that’s the case.’

It’s a similar playbook to the one he followed two offseasons ago, when the Green Bay Packers traded him to the Jets; Rodgers floated retirement at the time.

‘I knew in 2022 my time was done in Green Bay. It felt like it was done, for all of us. It was unsaid maybe on their side. It was understood I think by all of us to go separate ways,’ Rodgers said. ‘I needed to figure out whether I still had the desire to play or not, whether I could get that love back. I have tremendous love for the game now. … This feels much different.’

He added: ‘It’s not great to make emotional decisions.’

One of his touchdown throws went to friend and receiver Davante Adams, who was acquired midseason in an effort to revitalize the stagnant offense and provide Rodgers some comfort (to little avail). Nonetheless, the duo moved into the third place among QB-WR duos on the all-time touchdown list (83). The only pairs with more are Peyton Manning-Marvin Harrison (Indianapolis Colts) and Steve Young-Jerry Rice (San Francisco 49ers).

‘Not worried about that, honestly,’ Rodgers said. ‘I know what I’m capable of. I’m just thankful for guys making plays tonight.’

Rodgers’ first touchdown throw Sunday was his 500th regular-season touchdown pass, and he became the fifth quarterback in NFL history to reach that mark.

‘It was kind of an old-school red zone touchdown like we did in Green Bay,’ he said.

With a new front office and head coach inbound to Florham Park, Rodgers is fully aware that his future in New York could be beyond his control. There are three hypotheticals in play: whether the Jets want to move on, whether retirement is an option and whether he’d want to play for another team.

‘The answer is yes,’ he said.

Rodgers said he addressed the team during the team’s Saturday night meeting and talked about his love of the game and how his perspective changed last September. He stood by his comments that the past two years have been the best of his life because of the relationships he formed with his teammates and those outside of the locker room.

‘Did I regret coming to New York?’ Rodgers said. ‘The answer is of course not.’

In a similar image to two years ago when he departed Lambeau Field for the final time alongside friend and wide receiver Randall Cobb, Rodgers left the MetLife Stadium turf with Adams. Cobb was in attendance Sunday, Rodgers said, adding that he’d wanted to walk off with Adams but didn’t mention it to him.

When he finished his postgame interview with Pam Oliver, Adams was waiting to leave with him.

‘He’s one of my best friends in the world,’ Rodgers said. ‘That was cool.’

One of his main goals entering this season, Rodgers said, was to start all 17 games. He thanked his surgeon who repaired his Achilles, Dr. Neal ElAttrache, and the Jets’ training staff for keeping him healthy.

Rodgers has taken the comedic route regarding his future during his weekly appearances on ESPN’s ‘The Pat McAfee Show.’ In reference to a report in The Athletic that owner Woody Johnson’s teenage sons have influence on personnel decisions, Rodgers said being released by a teenager ‘would be a first.’

On Sunday, there were no extra glances or wistfulness while he was on the field.

‘I’ve got no regrets about anything that went down,’ Rodgers said.

Four plays into his first Jets start last season, Rodgers suffered a season-ending Achilles injury. Rodgers reworked his contract with the Jets to make it a three-year, $112.5 million deal. If the Jets choose to cut him, he would carry a cap hit of $49 million in dead money.

‘It takes concerted and intentional effort to make change. It takes people pulling in the same direction. It takes a top-down focus to create a culture where winning is the standard and not the hope,’ Rodgers said. ‘I put my heart into this. I wanted it really bad. And it didn’t work this year. We came up short. And I played four plays last year. It’s overall disappointing. But the beauty of this game is that every year is a new year.

‘I have a lot of love for this organization. I hope it gets turned around. If I’m back part of it, then I’ll do everything in my power to turn it around.’