BROWNS NO LONGER DOWN
Cleveland holds off Pittsburgh to make playoffs for first time since 2002
CLEVELAND — Cleveland is back in the playoffs, qualifying for the first time since 2002 by surviving a late Pittsburgh rally for a 24-22 win over the Steelers on Sunday, who rested quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and several other starters.
The Browns (11-5) nearly blew a 15-point lead in the fourth quarter, but stopped Pittsburgh's 2-point conversion attempt and then recovered an onside kick with 1:22 left to hold on.
A week of COVID-19 disruptions concluded in celebration as the Browns ended what had been the NFL's longest postseason drought. Their reward: Another game against the AFC North champion Steelers, in Pittsburgh next weekend.
Rams 18, Cardinals 7:
John Wolford passed for 231 yards and rushed for 56 more in his NFL debut, and the Los Angeles Rams are headed to the playoffs with a victory over the Arizona Cardinals.
Troy Hill returned an interception 84 yards for a touchdown to lead yet another dominant defensive performance by the Rams (10-6), who earned their third postseason berth in four years under coach Sean McVay.
Wolford bounced back from an interception on his first career throw with a steady effort in place of Jared Goff for the Rams, who would have gotten into the playoffs even with a loss because Green Bay beat Chicago while a few minutes were left at SoFi Stadium.
Seahawks 26, 49ers 23:
Russell Wilson connected on two fourth- quarter touchdown passes to Tyler Lockett and the Seattle Seahawks rallied for a win over the San Francisco 49ers to end the season on a four-game winning streak.
Seattle (12-4) had a chance to earn the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs but stayed at No. 3 after the New Orleans Saints and top- seeded Green Bay Packers both won.
The Seahawks will host the division rival Los Angeles Rams in the wild-card round next weekend.
Seattle had a slow start and appeared in serious trouble when Jeff Wilson Jr. ran for a 7-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter to push the 49ers ahead 16-6.
But the Seahawks responded with their first touchdown when Russell Wilson avoided pressure and hit Lockett for a diving 6-yard touchdown in the back of the end zone.
Ravens 38, Bengals 3:
The Baltimore Ravens used a club-record 404 yards rushing to clinch a playoff spot, beating Cincinnati as Lamar Jackson threw three touchdown passes and became the first NFL quarterback to rush for more than 1,000 yards in two consecutive seasons.
The Ravens rolled up 525 total yards, and the 404 rushing yards were the most surrendered by a Bengals defense.
Rookie J.K. Dobbins rushed for 160 yards and two touchdowns, including a 72-yard scoring romp in the third quarter.
Baltimore won its fifth straight game and advanced to the postseason for a third consecutive season.
Bills 56, Dolphins 26:
Josh Allen and Buffalo placed an emphatic stamp on a breakout season with a rout of Miami in a game the Dolphins could have clinched a playoff berth with a win.
The Dolphins (10-6) didn't get results they needed to clinch their third playoff berth in 18 years, after Cleveland beat Pittsburgh, Baltimore routed Cincinnati and Indianapolis defeated Jacksonville.
With the win, the Bills (13-3) clinched the AFC's No. 2 playoff seed in completing a season in which they matched a single-season record for wins, set in both 1990 and ‘91, and won their first East Division title in 25 years.
Giants 23, Cowboys 19:
Rookie Xavier McKinney intercepted Dallas' Andy Dalton in the end zone with 1:15 remaining, giving the Giants a victory over the Cowboys and a chance at an unprecedented, six-win playoff berth.
New York's postseason chances hang on the Philadelphia Eagles, who played Washington on Sunday night, which was incomplete at press time.
The Giants (6-10) would be the first team to qualify for the playoffs with six victories in a 16-game regular season and the first to do so after starting 1-7. Hardly how first-year coach Joe Judge planned it, but enough to spur New York's pursuit of its first playoff appearance since 2016.
Saints 33, Panthers 7: Drew Brees threw for 201 yards and three touchdowns, the Saints had five interceptions and New Orleans defeated the Carolina Panthers to wrap up the No. 2 seed in the NFC playoffs.
The Saints will host the seventh-seeded Chicago Bears in the wild-card round next weekend.
Ty Montgomery ran for 105 yards on 18 carries for the Saints (12-4), who became the first team to sweep the NFC South by going 6-0 since the division was formed in 2002.
The Tennessee Titans won the AFC South on Sunday. All it took was Derrick Henry surpassing 2,000 yards rushing and rookie Sam Sloman's 37-yard field goal that bounced off the upright.
Henry ran for a careerhigh 250 yards in the victory that gave Tennessee (11-5) its first AFC South title since 2008 and is the fifth straight loss for the Texans (4-12). The Titans needed the air game to set up S lo man' s winner, though: a 52-yard reception by A.J. Brown moments after a 51-yard field goal by Houston tied it with 18 seconds left.
Tennessee will host Baltimore (11-5) next weekend.
Titans 41, Texans 38: Buccaneers 44, Falcons 27:
Tom Brady threw for 399 yards and four touchdowns, helping playoffbound Tampa Bay clinch the fifth seed in the NFC with a regular season-ending win over Atlanta.
The victory, which means the Bucs (11-5) will face the NFC East champion, Washington or the Giants, on the road in the club's first postseason game in 13 years, may have come with a steep cost.
Star receiver Mike Evans was carted to the locker room with a left knee injury late in the first quarter and did not return.
Patriots 28, Jets 14: Cam
Newton had three touchdown passes and caught another, and New England rallied to beat New York.
The win snapped a three-game losing streak for New England (7-9), which earned its 10th straight win over the Jets (2-14), but won't be playing in the postseason for the first time since the 2008 season.
New England trailed 14-7 early in the third quarter, but outscored the Jets 21-0 the rest of the way. After the game, the Jets announced t hey f i red coach Adam Gase, who went 9-23 in two seasons.
Vikings 37, Lions 35: Kirk Cousins threw for 405 yards and three touchdowns, lifting Minnesota to a win over Detroit in a matchup of teams finishing disappointing seasons.
The Vikings (7-9) failed for the fourth time in a decade t o make t wo straight trips to the playoffs. They won five of six midway through the season to return to the postseason race, but dashed hopes by losing three straight before closing with a win at Detroit.
Chargers 38, Chiefs 21:
Justin Herbert threw for 302 yards and accounted for four touch downs against a team of mostly Kansas City backups, and the Chargers rolled to a victory as the Chiefs turned their attention to the postseason and Los Angeles to the precarious future of coach Anthony Lynn.
The Chiefs (14-2) already had wrapped up the No. 1 seed and the AFC's lone first-round bye, so coach Andy Reid chose rest over reps by sitting quarterback Patrick Mahomes, safety Tyrann Mathieu and several of his best players.
Meanwhile, reports surfaced earlier in the day that Lynn could be fired as soon as Monday, when he is expected to meet with ownership.
Colts 28, Jaguars 14:
Jonathan Taylor rushed for a franchise-record 253 yards and two scores, capping the Indianapolis Colts’ playoff-clinching victory over Jacksonville with a 45-yard touchdown run with 3:35 to go.
Philip Rivers threw for another score and the Colts defense shut out the Jaguars over the final quarter to help preserve the victory.
Indianapolis (11-5) will make its first postseason appearance since 2018 and its second since 2015. The Colts will be the No. 7 seed and face Buffalo on the road.
Jacksonville (1-15) lost its final 15 games and will have the No. 1 overall draft pick in April.
Raiders 32, Broncos 31:
Darren Waller caught Derek Carr's 2-point conversion pass with 24 seconds left, and the Las Vegas Raiders rallied to beat the Denver Broncos despite committing four turnovers.
The Broncos (5-11) reached the Las Vegas 45yard line with 9 seconds left and Brandon McManus' 63-yard field-goal try was blocked by Maxx Crosby, who also blocked McManus' record 70-yard attempt on the last play of the first half.